Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 2, 2026

Last Updated: October 2, 2026

Your privacy is important to The Vergilian Society (“we,” “us,” or “our”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, transfer, and protect your personal information when you visit our website (vergiliansociety.org), register for membership, apply for study tours, book accommodations at the Villa Vergiliana, participate in symposia or contests, or make a donation.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information from you when you interact with our site, complete web forms, or participate in society programs. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Membership & Donations: Full name, institutional or professional affiliation, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and payment processing details.
  • Study Tours, Workshops & Villa Vergiliana Stays: Passport and identification details (required for Italian hotel registration and local authorities), travel itineraries, emergency contact information, and voluntary health/dietary details provided to ensure appropriate accommodations and safety during travel.
  • Symposia, Academic Contests & Awards: Paper abstracts, academic CVs, school affiliations, student entry records (such as the Keely Lake Memorial Translation Exam), and prize application submissions.
  • Communications & Inquiries: Information provided when you contact our officers, committee chairs, or support staff via email or web form.
  • Technical & Usage Data: IP address, browser type, device information, and browsing activity collected automatically through essential and functional cookies, as well as bot-prevention tools like Google reCAPTCHA.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for legitimate academic, educational, and operational purposes, including:

  • Program Administration: Processing membership applications and renewals, coordinating study tours, managing reservations and operations at the Villa Vergiliana in Cuma/Bacoli, Italy, and facilitating symposia and academic contests.
  • Transaction Processing: Securely processing dues, tour deposits, exam fees, and charitable donations.
  • Member Communications: Sending administrative updates, tour itineraries, event notices, society publications (including Vergilius access or distribution announcements), and annual meeting announcements. (Every promotional or newsletter email includes a clear link to unsubscribe at any time).
  • Legal & Regulatory Compliance: Fulfilling reporting, tax, and travel documentation requirements mandated by U.S. and Italian authorities.
  • Site Security & Improvement: Monitoring site functionality, diagnosing technical issues, and protecting against unauthorized transactions or malicious traffic.

3. Payment Processing & Data Security

We implement rigorous technical and administrative security measures to protect your personal information:

  • Secure Transmission: All personal and financial data is transmitted using industry-standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology.
  • No Stored Financial Credentials: Credit card and banking transactions are handled directly through certified, PCI-compliant third-party payment gateways. The Vergilian Society does not store your full credit card numbers, CVVs, or sensitive financial account credentials on our website servers.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure core functionality, preserve user preferences, and secure our forms:

  • Necessary Cookies: Essential for site navigation, security (e.g., Google reCAPTCHA), and recording your cookie consent choices.
  • Consent Preferences: We provide a cookie consent tool (CookieYes) that allows you to customize or reject non-essential cookies at any time via the consent banner or revisit widget on our site.
  • You can also configure your web browser to reject cookies or notify you when cookies are set. Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.

5. Third-Party Service Providers

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We share data only with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our organization, subject to strict confidentiality agreements, including:

  • Payment Processors: To securely handle donations, fees, and membership payments.
  • Hosting & Web Services: Cloud hosting, website security, and backup infrastructure.
  • Travel & Tour Logistics: Italian travel partners, transportation vendors, and local authorities strictly as needed to coordinate Villa Vergiliana stays and European study tours.
  • Email & Communication Platforms: Tools used to distribute official society newsletters and administrative correspondence.
  • Legal Requirements: When required by subpoena, search warrant, court order, or applicable U.S. and international laws.

6. Your Rights Under the GDPR (EU & UK Residents/Visitors)

Because The Vergilian Society operates programs and facilities in Italy (including the Villa Vergiliana) and engages with participants in the European Union and the United Kingdom, we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR.

If you are located in the EU or UK, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: You have the right to request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
  • Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You may request that we delete your personal data from our systems, subject to statutory, tax, or legal retention obligations.
  • Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request that we temporarily or permanently stop processing some or all of your personal data.
  • Right to Data Portability: You may request an export of the personal data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
  • Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your data based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.

How to Submit a Request:

To exercise any of these rights, please email us. We will verify your identity and fulfill valid requests within 30 days, free of charge.

7. California Privacy Rights (CalOPPA / CCPA)

Under the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) and applicable California privacy laws:

  • Users may visit our website anonymously.
  • We do not sell or share personal data for cross-context behavioral advertising.
  • California residents may request details regarding any personal information collected or disclosed during the preceding calendar year by contacting us at the address below.

8. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites (such as partner academic institutions, museums, classical associations, or travel resources). These external sites have independent privacy policies. We bear no responsibility or liability for the content or activities of these linked sites, though we welcome feedback to protect our site's integrity.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our operational practices or legal requirements. When updates are made, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

10. Contacting Us

If you have questions, comments, or data subject requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

The Vergilian Society
PO Box 53
Avondale Estates, GA 30002
United States

Email

Italian Facility: Villa Vergiliana, Via Cuma 320, 80070 Bacoli NA, Italy