Last Updated: July 15 2021

The oSTEM Mentoring Program uses a platform called MentorEase that was customized for the program. MentorEase is a product of Giant Step Inc.

This privacy policy will explain how our organization uses the personal data we collect from you when you use our website.

1. What data do we collect?

MentorEase collects the following data:

* Personal identification information (Name, email address, phone number, etc.)
* Mentoring program related information which varies between programs. For example:
* Universities & Colleges - ask for study-related info (faculty, major, location, etc.)
* Industry Associations & Non-profits - ask for industry experience info (niche fields, etc.)
* Corporate HR - ask for work experience and expertise info (specialty, years, etc.)
* Some programs ask for more personal preferences as needed

2. How do we collect your data?

You directly provide MentorEase with most of the data we collect. We collect data and process data when you:

* Register online to participate as a mentor or mentee in a mentoring program
* Voluntarily complete a survey or provide feedback a message board or via email
* Data may be imported from an existing or past mentoring program from our client

MentorEase may also receive your data indirectly from the following sources:

* Use or view a mentoring program website via your browser’s cookies
* The platform could record your IP address if needed

3. How will we use your data?

MentorEase collects your data so that we can:

* Provide you the mentoring platform to connect for mentoring and manage your account.
* Email you as needed throughout the mentoring process or related notices

If you agree, MentorEase will share your data with our partner companies so that they may offer you their products and services, although we don’t usually do that. Usually we install and customize MentorEase for clients to use with their audiences and you would provide them permission to email you.

4. How do we store your data?

MentorEase securely stores your data on Microsoft Azure Cloud servers in our client’s geographic region. For example, if it’s a mentoring program in the US the data is stored in a server in the US and follows the US privacy compliance requirements. If participants are also from Europe it includes GDPR compliance. MentorEase takes many security precautions to protect your data following industry standards, policies, procedures and security tools.

MentorEase will keep your mentoring account data for seven years or less as required by our clients. Once this time period has expired, we will delete your data as needed as follows:

• Server-stored Data - data on our Microsoft Azure Cloud hosting account is stored in virtual machines, each client with their own virtual machine. When deleting a virtual machine it is removed and overwritten before the drive is used by other cutsomers. Azure’s Data Management procedures are detailed at https://www.microsoft.com/en/trust-center/privacy/data-management
  
  ”Microsoft is governed by strict standards and removes cloud customer data from systems under our control, overwriting storage resources before reuse, and purging or destroying decommissioned hardware.”.
• Electronic Media - such as physical disks, tape cartridge, CDs, printer ribbons, flash drives, printer and copier hard-drives, shall be disposed of by one of the methods:
  
  
  • Overwriting Magnetic Media - Erasing/Overwriting uses a program to write binary data sector by sector onto the media that requires sanitization (ensure data cannot be undeleted). A minimum of three (3) overwrites is required; additional overwriting is recommended depending upon the sensitivity of the data to be erased. The products listed below are free and able to over-write Microsoft and Unix operating systems.
    
    
    • Active@Kill Disk (Department of Defense Standard)
    • DBAN Hard Drive Secure Wipe
    • Windows Secure Eraser
    • Secure Erase or Secure Empty Trash on Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later (3, 5, or 7 pass)
• Degaussing - Degaussing consists of using strong magnets or electric degaussing equipment to magnetically scramble the data on a hard drive into an unrecoverable state
• Physical Destruction - implies complete destruction of media by means of crushing or disassembling the asset and ensuring no data can be extracted or recreated
• Physical Print Media - shall be disposed of by one (or a combination) of the following methods:
  
  
  • Shredding - Media shall be shredded using cross-cut shredders
  • Shredding Bins - Disposal shall be performed using locked bins located on-site using a licensed and bonded information disposal contractor
  • Incineration - Materials are physically destroyed using licensed and bonded information disposal contractor

5. Marketing

MentorEase and/or our client’s mentoring program would like to send you information about products and services of ours that we think you might like, as well as those of our partner companies. If you have agreed to receive marketing, you may always opt out at a later date.

You have the right at any time to stop MentorEase or our client’s mentoring program from contacting you for marketing purposes or giving your data to other members of the MentorEase Group.

If you no longer wish to be contacted for marketing purposes, please email info@mentorease.com

6. What are your data protection rights?

MentorEase would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following:

* The right to access – You have the right to request MentorEase for copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service.
* The right to rectification – You have the right to request that MentorEase correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request MentorEase to complete the information you believe is incomplete.
* The right to erasure – You have the right to request that MentorEase erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
* The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that MentorEase restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
* The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to MentorEase’s processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
* The right to data portability – You have the right to request that MentorEase transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at our email: datacompliance@mentorease.com

Call us at: +1 416.596.0800

Or write to us: 406 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2G7 Canada

7. Cookies

Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behavior information. When you visit our websites, we may collect information from you automatically through cookies or similar technology

For further information, visit allaboutcookies.org.

8. How do we use cookies?

MentorEase uses cookies in a range of ways to improve your experience on our website, including:


* Keeping you signed in
* Understanding how you use our website

9. What types of cookies do we use?

There are a number of different types of cookies, however, our website uses:
* Functionality – MentorEase uses these cookies so that we recognize you on our website and remember your previously selected preferences. These could include what language you prefer and location you are in. A mix of first-party and third-party cookies are used.

* Advertising – Being a mentoring platform we do not run ads nor collect information for ads.

10. How to manage cookies

You can set your browser not to accept cookies, and the above website tells you how to remove cookies from your browser. However, in a few cases, some of our website features may not function as a result.

11. Privacy policies of other websites

The MentorEase website contains links to other websites. Our privacy policy applies only to our website, so if you click on a link to another website, you should read their privacy policy.

12. Changes to our privacy policy

MentorEase keeps its privacy policy under regular review and places any updates on this web page. This privacy policy was last updated on July 15, 2021.

13. How to contact us

If you have any questions about MentorEase’s privacy policy, the data we hold on you, or you would like to exercise one of your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Email us at: datacompliance@mentorease.com

Call us: +1 416.596.0800

Or write to us at: 406 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2G7 Canada

14. How to contact the appropriate authority

Should you wish to report a complaint or if you feel that MentorEase has not addressed your concern in a satisfactory manner, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Email: enquiries@ico.co.uk

Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF