The VLDS web site provides links to external sites and pages that are not affiliated with, controlled, or maintained by the agency. As such, VLDS and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) , as the administering agency, is not responsible for the content of sites external to the agency and does not endorse or ensure the accuracy of information on such sites.

Hypertext links on the VLDS web site may be created if it is determined that establishing such links will further the goals of the agency in meeting the needs of its constituents. SCHEV staff, in their sole discretion, will determine whether any external web site meets these goals. SCHEV is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or maintenance of such sites, nor should the inclusion of links be viewed as an endorsement of content or opinions expressed on the site. Hypertext links to external sites or pages may be removed or replaced at the sole discretion of the agency at any time and without notice.

Through its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is promoting a high degree of web access for persons with disabilities. In coordination with organizations around the world, WAI is pursuing web accessibility through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development. SCHEV makes every effort to comply with W3C guidelines for Web accessibility.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia that personal information about citizens will be collected only to the extent necessary to provide the service or benefit desired, that only appropriate information will be collected, and that citizens shall understand the reason the information is collected and be able to examine their personal information record which is maintained by a public body.

In accordance with the Commonwealth's policy, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) clearly and explicitly states to its Internet users:

1. SCHEV's website does not require you to provide any personal information as prerequisite to downloading files or reports.
2. SCHEV's website uses Google analytical software to automatically collect routing (or client) information and the essential and nonessential technical information listed below.
   • Routing or client information: the Internet domain and Internet address (IP address) of the computer you are using. Routing or client information is used to route the requested web page to your computer for viewing. We send the requested web page and the routing information to our Internet service provider or other entities involved in transmitting the requested page to you. We do not control the privacy practices of those entities.
   • Essential technical information: identification of the page or service you are requesting (for example, files you choose to download), type of browser you are using, the date and time of access, and length of time spent on each page.
   • Nonessential technical information: the Internet address of the web site from which you linked directly to our web site, and the name of your host server. Google Analytics collects this information by placing a cookie on your computer. A cookie is a small text file that is used to remember the above information about your computer. This essential and nonessential technical information helps us respond to your request in an appropriate format, helps us maintain general web site usage statistics, and helps us plan web site improvements.
3. SCHEV's website does provide (an) online form(s) for voluntary submission of information by the public, including, but not limited to, web surfing capabilities and your comment(s) on our site or ongoing initiatives. SCHEV extracts the form data (i.e. speed of your Internet connection, monitor size, etc.) for the purpose of improving this site and higher education in Virginia. If your feedback necessitates a response and you submitted your e-mail address, your message and email address will be forwarded to the appropriate staff member to make the necessary reply. If you choose not to fill out the online form(s) you will still have access to all the information available on our website.
4. The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), located § 2.2-3700 et. seq. of the Code of Virginia, guarantees citizens of the Commonwealth and representatives of the media access to public records held by public bodies, public officials, and public employees. To access SCHEV’s full FOIA policy, visit the website FOIA page.

Certain documents on the SCHEV web site require readers to use specific software programs or plug-ins. Users can download Adobe Acrobat Reader at http://www.adobe.com/. PowerPoint, Excel, and other products within the Microsoft Office Suite can be downloaded at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx.