Policies & Protocols

This Privacy Statement discloses the information gathered and use practices for the websites on the domain the-bac.edu, and other Boston Architectural College (BAC) websites (each a “Site” or “Sites”), and digital properties such as BAC mobile applications (each a “Service” or “Services”).

The BAC is committed to the online privacy of its visitors and users of the Sites and Services. The type of information that the BAC collects may vary depending on the Site or Service. As a result, should you leave a BAC service or site, the BAC cannot be held responsible for the protection and privacy of any information you may provide. Please exercise caution and review all applicable privacy statements and policies.

Information Gathered

The BAC collects various types of information. Categories and examples of which include:

• Contact Information
  • This may encompass details like your name, personal or work mailing address, email address, phone number, employer, and job title. The BAC may also collect other types of personal information, including sensitive personal information, which is used to process requests and applications related to admission, financial aid, employment, partnerships, study abroad, or other BAC programs and services. This could include information such as birth date, age, gender, state or federal ID numbers, race, marital status, military status, parental and dependent information, educational history, employment history, professional certifications, passport and visa information, medical history information, insurance, tax, and income information.
• Communication Records
  • The BAC maintains records of your interactions. This includes information like your IP address, login/logout dates, email open dates, email clicks, web traffic, contact preferences, student contact history, chat communications, and feedback survey data.
• Technical Information
  • The BAC gathers technical information about your visits to or use of BAC Sites and Services. This can include data related to site analytics, browser information, referring URLs, pages accessed, time and date of access, operating systems used, other tracking data, session count, user count, and device type.
• Marketing Information
  • The BAC may collect data related to marketing efforts, such as prospective student and partner leads, current interests, preferences, and, if applicable, your likeness and photo.
• Records Pertaining to Your Affiliation with the BAC
  • This category includes records associated with your time at the BAC and your ongoing affiliations with us. It encompasses records of student work submitted through our learning management system and other academic records, financial aid records, housing information, records of participation in academic organizations, disciplinary records, employment records, and alumni and donor records.

Non-Personally Identifiable Data

The BAC gathers non-personal information related to your internet connection when you use these sites and services including, but not limited to:

• Your Internet Protocol (IP) address and the domain name used for internet access.
• The IP address or URL of the website that directly linked you to this site.
• The date and time of your visit to this website.
• The specific pages you viewed during your visit.
• Information regarding the browser and operating system you employed to access the site.
• The search terms utilized with our search engines.

This non-personal information is utilized by the BAC to facilitate website management, marketing, and to enhance service quality.

Vendor Services

The BAC collaborates with some vendor service providers who handle transactions or provide services on behalf of the BAC. The BAC limits the data transmitted to vendor services to only what is required to perform their function. These vendor services include but are not limited to:

• Payment and donation processing
• Enhancing protection against fraud and security risks
• Marketing and analytics
• Processing employment applications
• Processing admission applications
• Alumni outreach and engagement
• Event registration and coordination
• Course registration and coordination
• Course evaluations and assessments
• Research insights and analytics
• Human Resources administration
• System maintenance and security

Mobile Communications

The BAC maintains strict privacy policies to protect the personal information of our users obtained for text message communications. This information is never sold, rented, released, or traded to others without prior consent or legal obligation. Any sharing of information with third parties is solely for the purpose of fulfilling the organization's obligations to the user. 

Cookies

BAC Sites and Services use cookies or tracking pixels for various purposes, including information collection and enhanced navigation. Cookies are essential for our Sites and Services to operate. Performance and functionality cookies improve our Sites and services, remember you, and customize content for a better experience. Analytics and advertising cookies help us gauge the effectiveness of our marketing and tailor our advertising to your interests for a more relevant experience.

Direct Mail

To provide special offers via mail, we collaborate with third-party services. These services use browser cookies to identify mailing addresses and manage the delivery of our offers. We do not receive or retain this data, and our partners are strictly prohibited from sharing or selling the information to any other company or service.

To opt-out of receiving our direct mail, you may send us an email at communications@the-bac.edu, call us at 617.585.0100, or send a written request to BAC Marketing at 320 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02130.

Minors

The content on BAC Sites and Services are not directed to individuals under the age of 13. The BAC will not intentionally gather personal information from individuals in this age group. If you are under 13 years of age you should refrain from using these Sites and Services.

Legal Process, Safety and Terms Enforcement

The BAC may disclose personal information about you (e.g., to legal or government regulatory authorities or third parties) when it is necessary to comply with the law, safeguard rights, property, or the safety of the BAC and/or their community.

This Privacy Statement was last updated November 2024.

The BAC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, religion, creed, sex, age, affectional/sexual orientation, gender expression, military status, marital status, or disability in any of its policies, procedures, or practices in accordance with its obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, and other federal and state nondiscrimination laws.

The BAC Catalog is a guide to the BAC policies and procedures for students, prospective students, faculty, staff, and community members. 

Please review the BAC Catalog to find the following information:

• Academic Integrity Statement
• Academic Probation
• Basic Principles and Expectations of the BAC Community: Principles of Interpersonal Responsibility
• Campus Compact
• Campus Rules
• Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior
• Photo Release Statement
• Studio Culture Statement
• And More!

BAC Catalog

All registered students are held to The Boston Architectural College's (BAC) Tuition Refund Policy each semester. Students have until the end of the published add/drop date to solidify their course schedule. After that date, tuition credits are processed based on the date of written notification of withdrawal to the Office of Student Services. Non-attendance does not constitute an automatic drop/withdrawal and students will be held liable for the tuition refund schedule based on date of notification. The schedules are listed below. Any miscellaneous fees are non-refundable after the end of add/drop.

Tuition Refunds and Financial Aid

Federal regulations require that a designated refund schedule be used when a financial aid recipient withdraws from school before the 60% period of the semester. Financial aid recipients in a BAC degree program are subject to the Return of Title IV Funds rule. The analysis is based on a pro-rata schedule: the number of days attended divided by the number of days in the semester. The remainder of the student's aid is then returned to the source. Please be aware that the federal refund schedule does not mirror the school's refund schedule. For additional information, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Degree Students
Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 Tuition Refund Schedules:

Full Semester Withdrawal: Applicable to Undergraduate students enrolled in 12 or more credits.

Schedule Changes (Adding and Dropping): Tuition will be adjusted based on actual credits enrolled through the end of the add/drop period. After that no adjustments are made for Withdrawn classes.

Full Semester Withdrawal Schedule:

• 100% Tuition Credit through add/drop.
• 80% Tuition Credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 60% Tuition Credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 40% Tuition Credit through the Friday of Week 4
• 20% Tuition Credit through the Friday of Week 5
• 0% Tuition Credit after the Friday, Friday of Week 5

Course Withdrawals: Applicable to all Graduate students, and Undergraduate students enrolled in less than 12 credits. The credit percentage is based on written notification to the Office of Student Services.

Main/Studio Session Courses:

• 100% Tuition credit through add/drop
• 80% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 60% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 40% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 4
• 20% Tuition credit through Friday of Week 5
• 0% Tuition credit after the Friday of Week 5

01 Session Courses:

• 100% Tuition credit through add/drop
• 80% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 40% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 0% Tuition credit after the Friday of Week 3

02 Session Courses:

• 100% Tuition credit through add/drop
• 80% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 40% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 0% Tuition credit after the Friday of Week 3

Intensive Session Courses:

• 100% Tuition credit through add/drop
• 90% Tuition credit prior to the start of the intensive
• 40% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 20% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 0% Tuition credit after the Friday of Week 3

Degree Students
Summer 2024 and 2025 Tuition Refund Schedules:

Main Session Courses:

• 100% Tuition credit through add/drop
• 80% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 40% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 0% Tuition credit after the Friday of Week 3

Continuing Education and Certificate Students
Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2024 and 2025 Tuition Refund Schedules:

Tuition credits are based on drop or withdrawal by course. The credit percentage is based on written notification to the Manager of Non-Matriculating Enrollment.

Main/01 Session Courses:

• 100% Tuition credit by the start of the course
• 90% Tuition credit through add/drop
• 60% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 30% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 0% Tuition credit after the Friday of Week 3

02 Session Courses:

• 100% Tuition credit by the start of the course
• 90% Tuition credit through add/drop
• 60% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 2
• 30% Tuition credit through the Friday of Week 3
• 0% Tuition credit after the Friday of Week 3

For information regarding those specific dates, please contact the Office of Student Services.