Cal State LA University Bookstore: Your Guide to Academic Regalia and Information

The Cal State LA University Bookstore, operated by Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, and MBS Textbook Exchange, LLC (collectively, "BNED"), serves as a vital resource for students, faculty, and staff. This comprehensive guide delves into the information collected and utilized by the bookstore, with a particular focus on academic regalia for Master's degree candidates, while also addressing broader privacy and information practices.

Understanding Information Collection and Usage at BNED

BNED, including its subsidiaries like the Cal State LA University Bookstore, collects, uses, and discloses personal information across various touchpoints. This policy applies to interactions occurring online where this Privacy Policy is posted, in person within their stores and at events, through customer service channels, and in other online and offline interactions. Information may also be transferred to other countries by BNED's Vendors.

Information You Provide

While registration with BNED services is optional, it is essential for accessing certain features. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their access information and controlling access to their accounts. It is strongly advised to log out of public computers after concluding a session to ensure account security.

Information Collected Automatically

BNED also collects information automatically through various means. This can include data gathered as users interact with their online services and in-store systems.

Information From External Sources

Personal information may be collected from external sources, including friends, BNED's Vendors, customers, applicable educational institutions (such as Cal State LA), and other third parties. This can encompass information from advertising networks, publicly available data, and BNED affiliates that share management or ownership.

How Your Information is Used and Disclosed

BNED utilizes collected personal information for a range of purposes, including operational needs, service delivery, and legal compliance.

Business Transactions and Interactions

BNED engages in business-to-business interactions, necessitating the exchange of information between BNED personnel and the personnel of its customers and Vendors.

External Services and Social Features

Certain functionalities on BNED's Services allow for interaction with external services, such as social networks. If users engage with these "Social Features," information posted or provided access to may become publicly visible on BNED's Services or the external services themselves. Similarly, posts referencing BNED's Services on external platforms, such as through a hashtag, may be used by BNED. Both BNED and its customers and Vendors may have access to certain information about users and their engagement with BNED and external services.

Advertising and Analytics

BNED collaborates with Vendors, customers, and other parties to serve advertisements on their Services and on external services. These ads may be personalized based on browsing history across BNED's Services and the internet, potentially including cross-device usage data, a practice known as "interest-based advertising" or "online behavioral advertising." This can involve "retargeting," where users receive ads on external services after leaving BNED's platforms.

Vendor tools, such as Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics, are employed to analyze performance and deliver services and advertising. Additionally, technologies like session replay tools help BNED and its Vendors monitor and analyze user behavior to improve services. It is important to note that links to external services are provided for convenience only, and BNED is not responsible for their data security or practices.

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Security and Safety

Where permitted by law, BNED may disclose personal information to protect the rights, property, life, health, security, and safety of BNED, its Services, users, or any other party. This can also extend to disclosure to government and law enforcement authorities when required.

Managing Your Privacy and Communication Preferences

BNED offers users options to manage their communication and marketing preferences and to review, update, or change their personal information.

Opting Out of Interest-Based Advertising

BNED supports voluntary programs that provide tools for opting out of interest-based advertising, such as the Digital Advertising Alliance's Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. While BNED expects directly engaged ad networks to comply, they cannot guarantee their adherence. Some companies involved may also be members of the Network Advertising Initiative.

Browser and Mobile Device Settings

Due to the lack of a universal consensus on interpreting "Do Not Track" signals, BNED's Services do not currently respond to them. Users can manage tracking technologies and associated activities through their mobile device settings, including adjusting advertising identifiers and controlling location information sharing. Disabling or removing tracking technologies may affect the functionality of BNED's Services. It is important to understand that opting out of some interest-based advertising may still result in receiving other types of ads.

Vendor-Specific Tools and Matched List Ads

BNED may utilize vendor-specific tools and may serve ads on external services targeted to individuals in their databases through "Matched List Ads." This is achieved using tracking technologies or by matching common factors between databases.

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User Generated Content and Children's Privacy

BNED's Services may permit users to post or submit User Generated Content ("UGC"), which can include personal information. UGC posted in public areas is considered "public" and accessible by anyone, including BNED. Personal information included in UGC is not subject to BNED's usage or sharing limitations and may be used and shared by BNED and other parties. Users are encouraged to exercise caution when disclosing information in public areas.

BNED Services are not intended for children under the age of 16, and they do not knowingly collect personal information from this age group. Children under 16 are not eligible to use the Services and must not submit personal information.

Promotions and Sweepstakes

BNED may offer sweepstakes, contests, and promotions, some of which may be jointly sponsored. Participation may require submitting personal information, which could be disclosed to BNED, co-sponsors, administrators, Vendors, and other parties for administrative purposes and as required by law. Entry into a promotion signifies agreement to its official rules, which may include differing privacy practices.

Safeguarding Your Personal Information

BNED implements administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information collected through its Services. Access to personal information is limited to employees and authorized parties who require it for operational purposes.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Notice

This section specifically addresses the rights of California residents under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Categories of Personal Information Collected

BNED collects categories of personal information as indicated in their charts, which are not provided in this extract but are referenced.

Retention of Personal Information

Personal information is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to satisfy legal obligations, or to resolve disputes. The retention period is determined by considering legal requirements, the nature and sensitivity of the data, potential risks, and the feasibility of achieving purposes through other means.

Sale and Sharing of Personal Information

BNED states that they sell and/or share personal information for advertising purposes with third parties, including advertisers and analytics vendors. This sale and/or sharing occurs via Tracking Technologies. California residents have the right to opt out of the sale and sharing of their personal information in this context, which can also be done through an opt-out preference signal if using a compatible browser.

Right to Correct Personal Information

California residents can request correction of inaccurate personal information. BNED may require documentation and verification for such requests.

Limiting Use of Sensitive Personal Information

Users can direct BNED to limit the use and disclosure of their sensitive personal information to specific, reasonably necessary purposes, including providing goods and services, ensuring security, preventing fraud, and for short-term, transient uses.

Direct Marketing Purposes

BNED asserts that they do not share personal information with third parties or affiliates for those third parties' or affiliates' own direct marketing purposes.

Removal of Content by Minors

For users under 18, BNED will make good faith efforts to remove content from prospective public view or anonymize it so the minor cannot be individually identified. However, complete deletion from the internet cannot be guaranteed.

Financial Incentives

The financial incentives offered by BNED are reasonably related to the value of consumer data, based on good faith estimates of expenses related to data collection and retention.

Academic Regalia for Master's Degree Candidates

The Cal State LA University Bookstore provides specific information regarding academic regalia for Master's degree candidates.

Master's Degree Regalia Components

Master's degree candidates wear a black mortarboard (cap) with a black tassel. The tassel can be adorned with a current academic year charm. A commemorative black and golden rod yellow tassel, available for purchase at the University Bookstore, may also be worn. The black master's degree gowns feature longer extended sleeves.

The master's degree hood is a significant component, representing the degree-granting institution and the specific degree earned. When folded, the hood has a bottom panel resembling the sleeve of the gown. For Cal State LA, hoods are distinguished by a black and golden rod yellow lining, reflecting the official University colors. The color of the outside velvet band around the hood denotes the specific academic major or discipline.

Tassel Placement for Master's Candidates

For Master's degree candidates, the tassel should be worn on the left side, as they have already earned their first degree.

Purchase Information for Master's Regalia

The University Bookstore offers a "Master's Degree bundle" which includes:

Black cap (mortarboard)
Black master's degree gown
Black tassel with 2026 charm: Priced at $66.98 + Tax.

Additionally, a Master's hood is available for purchase separately at $52.98 + Tax. Hoods are a required item for the commencement ceremony. The color of the hood is directly associated with the degree being received.

tags: #csula #university #bookstore #information