Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and the Student Advocacy Survey ("we," "us," or "our"), a non-profit student advocacy research initiative operating the website studentadvocacy.ca and its subdomains (collectively, the "Service").

By accessing, viewing, or using the Service, including participating in any surveys or research activities, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Service.

2. Eligibility

2.1 Age Requirements

You must be at least 18 years of age to use this Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement.

2.2 Student Status

The Service is intended for current or recent students of Canadian post-secondary institutions, including:

• Universities
• Colleges
• CEGEPs (in Quebec)
• Polytechnics
• Institutes of technology

While we cannot verify student status, by participating in our surveys, you represent that you are or recently were enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution.

2.3 Geographic Restrictions

The Service is designed for and directed to users in Canada. We make no representation that the Service is appropriate or available for use in other locations.

3. Description of Service

3.1 Purpose

The Student Advocacy Survey provides a platform for Canadian post-secondary students to:

• Share their experiences, concerns, and perspectives anonymously
• Contribute to research on student issues and campus life
• Support evidence-based advocacy for student rights and wellbeing
• Access aggregated insights about their campus community

3.2 Research Nature

The Service is primarily a research tool. Participation is voluntary, and you may discontinue at any time. The data collected is used for:

• Academic and policy research
• Student advocacy initiatives
• Institutional improvement recommendations
• Public reporting on student issues

3.3 No Professional Services

The Service does not provide professional advice, including but not limited to:

• Legal advice or representation
• Mental health counseling or therapy
• Academic advising
• Financial planning or advice

If you need professional assistance, please consult appropriate qualified professionals or your institution's support services.

4. User Responsibilities

4.1 Accurate Information

You agree to provide truthful and accurate information when participating in surveys. While responses are anonymous, the integrity of our research depends on honest participation.

4.2 Respectful Conduct

When providing qualitative responses or comments, you agree to:

• Express yourself respectfully and constructively
• Avoid hate speech, discrimination, or harassment
• Not include personally identifying information about yourself or others
• Focus on your own experiences and perspectives

4.3 Single Participation

To maintain data integrity, you agree to complete the survey only once per survey period. Multiple submissions from the same individual may compromise research validity.

4.4 Compliance with Laws

You agree to use the Service in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial, and local laws and regulations.

5. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Attempt to manipulate survey results or research outcomes
• Use automated systems or software to access or interact with the Service
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers/networks connected to it
• Attempt to probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Service
• Attempt to decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse-engineer any software
• Collect or harvest any information from the Service or other users
• Use the Service to send spam, chain letters, or other unsolicited communications
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation
• Use the Service for commercial purposes without our express written consent
• Violate the privacy rights of other users or third parties
• Upload or transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code

We reserve the right to terminate access to the Service for any user who violates these prohibitions.

6. Intellectual Property Rights

6.1 Our Content

The Service and its original content (excluding user contributions), features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of Student Advocacy Survey and its licensors. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws of Canada and international treaties.

6.2 User Contributions

By submitting responses to our surveys, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to:

• Use, reproduce, and analyze your responses for research purposes
• Create aggregated and anonymized datasets
• Publish research findings and reports based on collected data
• Share anonymized data with research partners and advocacy organizations

You retain any copyright or other intellectual property rights in your original expression, but grant us the rights necessary to fulfill our research and advocacy mission.

6.3 Research Outputs

Reports, analyses, and other materials we create based on survey data are our intellectual property. These may be freely used for:

• Educational purposes
• Student advocacy
• Policy development
• Media reporting
• Academic research (with attribution)

7. Privacy and Data Protection

Your use of the Service is subject to our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of information as described in the Privacy Policy.

Key privacy principles include:

• Anonymous survey participation (no direct identifiers collected)
• Data stored exclusively in Canada
• Compliance with PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws
• Separation of optional contact information from survey responses
• Use of data solely for research and advocacy purposes

For full details, please review our Privacy Policy.

8. Disclaimers

8.1 "As Is" Basis

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE.

8.2 No Guarantee of Results

We make no guarantees that:

• Participation will lead to specific advocacy outcomes
• Research findings will result in institutional changes
• The Service will meet all your requirements or expectations
• Results obtained from the Service will be accurate or reliable

8.3 Third-Party Content

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

8.4 Research Limitations

Survey data and research findings:

• Represent a sample of student voices, not all students
• May be subject to selection bias
• Are based on self-reported information
• Should be interpreted in context with other research

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:

10. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Student Advocacy Survey and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Any content you submit through the Service
• Your use or misuse of the Service

We reserve the right to assume exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you, in which case you agree to cooperate with our defense of such claim.

11. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

11.1 Applicable Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Canada and the Province of Ontario, without regard to conflict of law principles.

11.2 Jurisdiction

Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the federal or provincial courts located in Toronto, Ontario, and you hereby consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue therein.

11.3 Dispute Resolution

Before initiating any legal proceedings, you agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting us at [email protected]. We will attempt to resolve the dispute informally for 30 days from the date of first contact.

12. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of these Terms
• Post a notice on our website for material changes
• Notify users who have provided email addresses of significant changes

Your continued use of the Service after any changes indicates your acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the Service.

Material changes will not apply retroactively and will become effective 30 days after posting, unless required sooner by law.

13. Termination

13.1 By You

You may stop using the Service at any time. If you have provided an email address for follow-up opportunities, you may request its deletion by contacting [email protected].

13.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including:

• Breach of these Terms
• Conduct that we believe violates applicable law
• Conduct harmful to other users or our operations
• At our sole discretion for any reason

13.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use the Service will immediately cease
• Provisions that by their nature should survive will remain in effect
• Anonymous survey data already collected will be retained for research purposes

14. General Provisions

14.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Student Advocacy Survey regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

14.2 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights or provisions.

14.3 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

14.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights under these Terms without restriction.

14.5 Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, pandemics, strikes, or shortages of transportation facilities, fuel, energy, labor, or materials.

14.6 Language

These Terms are drafted in English and French. In case of any discrepancy between the two versions, the English version shall prevail to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Ces conditions sont rédigées en anglais et en français. En cas de divergence entre les deux versions, la version anglaise prévaudra dans la mesure permise par la loi applicable.

14.7 Headings

Section headings are for reference purposes only and do not limit the scope or extent of such sections.

15. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

16. Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring our Service is accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. We strive to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and other applicable accessibility standards.

If you encounter any barriers to accessing our Service or require these Terms in an alternative format, please contact us at [email protected]. We will work to provide the information in a format that meets your needs.