Privacy Policy

Privacy

The University of Oklahoma and OUES are committed to respecting your privacy. External users (this excludes users who are on the University network or University computers such as students, faculty and staff) can visit official OU Web sites without revealing any personal information. Should you choose to provide us with any personal information, it will only be used by The University of Oklahoma and OUES to conduct official University business, and personal information obtained through the University’s web sites will not be disseminated to any unaffiliated third party, except as required by law. OU Online programs are developed and delivered in partnership with OU Education Services (“OUES”), a nonprofit entity affiliated with the University. OUES provides technology platform services, marketing support, and enrollment assistance for online programs on behalf of the University. Any personal information collected through online.ou.edu may be processed by OUES as a service provider acting under the direction of the University. OUES adheres to the same privacy standards as the University and does not use personal information for any purpose other than supporting University operations and official business.

Information Gathering

We use IP addresses (the Internet address of your computer) to help diagnose problems with our servers and to administer our Web site. For example, we employ statistical software to identify that parts of our Web site are most heavily used, and which portion of our audience comes from within the OU network. But we do not link IP addresses to anything personally identifiable.

Like many other Web sites, portions of The University of Oklahoma’s Web site, online.OU.edu, may use messages given by Web browsers to Web servers, commonly known as cookies, which can be used to provide You with tailored information from a web site. A cookie is an element of data that a web site can send to Your browser, which may then be stored on Your computer system. This element of data is a piece of text, not a program. The Site can only access the information from a cookie sent by the Web site. We cannot access other cookies sent by other web sites or the information contained therein. Additionally, we cannot learn Your email address or any other information about You through the use of a cookie. The only way the University would learn such information is if You specifically submit that information.

In addition to cookies set directly by the University, OU Education Services may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons and analytics tools) to support website functionality, improve user experience, and measure the effectiveness of online program marketing. These tools may collect information about your browsing behavior, referral sources, and interactions with online.ou.edu content. This information is used solely to optimize University online program offerings and is not shared with unaffiliated third parties for their marketing purposes.

Security

All official OU Web servers have appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures in place to safeguard and secure all information we collect online. Furthermore, we use encryption when collecting or transferring sensitive data such as credit card information.

Third Party Hosting

The University contracts with OU Education Services and other authorized service providers to maintain and host portions of online.ou.edu and related systems. Personal information you submit through this website may be stored on servers maintained by these service providers, all of whom are bound by contract to maintain the same privacy and security standards as the University. Your use of this website constitutes your acknowledgment of this arrangement.

SMS and Text Message Communications

The University of Oklahoma and OU Education Services may offer SMS (text message) communications to provide you with important updates about your application, enrollment, program milestones, event reminders, and other relevant information about OU Online programs.

Opt-In Requirements

To receive SMS communications from OU Online:

You must affirmatively opt in by providing your mobile phone number and consent through an online form or by texting a keyword to our designated number

Opt-in checkboxes on web forms are unchecked by default and are not required to access other services

Your consent to receive SMS messages is voluntary and not a condition of enrollment or program participation

Types of Messages

SMS messages may include:

Application status updates and reminders

Enrollment confirmations and deadlines

Program information, event notifications and webinar invitations

Student support resources and check-ins

General informational messages about OU Online programs

Message Frequency and Costs

Message frequency varies by program and your enrollment status.

Message and data rates may apply as determined by your mobile carrier.

The University and OUES do not charge for SMS messages, but standard carrier charges apply.

Privacy and Data Sharing

Your mobile phone number and SMS opt-in information will not be shared with third-party affiliates for marketing purposes.

SMS contact information is used solely for official University communications related to online programs as described in this privacy policy.

Phone numbers may be shared with authorized service providers (such as OUES or SMS platform vendors) only to facilitate message delivery on behalf of the University.

Opt-Out and Support

To stop receiving SMS messages, reply STOP to any message you receive from OU Online. You will receive a confirmation message acknowledging your opt-out request.

For help or support, reply HELP to any message, or contact OU Online support at:

Email: online@ou.edu

Phone: 1-844-OU-ONLINE (1-844-686-6546)

Web: https://online.ou.edu/contact

Third Party Sites

Sites within the OU Web may link to external sites outside of the OU domain as a convenience to you. If you use these links, you will leave the OU Web site (including online.OU.edu). The University of Oklahoma is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites, and does not make any representations about them.

Contact Information

Questions About This Privacy Policy

If you have questions about this privacy policy, your personal information, or your privacy rights, please contact:

OU Online
University of Oklahoma
Email: online@ou.edu
Phone: 1-844-OU-ONLINE (1-844-686-6546)
Web: https://online.ou.edu/contact

OU Education Services
Email: privacy@oueducationservices.org
Web: https://oueducationservices.org/privacy

Updates to This Privacy Policy

The University and/or OUES reserves the right to update this privacy policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will post the revised policy on this page with an updated “Last Modified” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of online.ou.edu after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Last Modified: November 2025