Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
The Division of Student Affairs recognized Shana Clarke ('14) with the Graduate Student Award of Excellence for her contribution to the division and students. Congratulations!
Courtney McKenna (Associate Director, Student Center & Campus Life, Quinnipiac University) and Greg Fink (Assistant Director) were honored with the Outstanding Change Initiative Award at the 2013 Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Meeting. Additionally, McKenna and Fink presented their 2-year transition for the fraternity and sorority community toward a university-centered learning paradigm. Below is the presentation description:
"As institutions of higher education are forced to prove their value through scrutiny of what a college education currently provides, some institutions have begun implementing a learning paradigm--a philosophy that asks all community members (faculty, staff and administrators) to reexamine and rework policies and practices to ensure that student learning is at the core. Presenters will provide insight into practices taken for a fraternity/sorority community to align itself with an institutional learning paradigm while simultaneously ensuring fraternities and sororities are reliable student learning vehicles. Just as an intentional focus on values congruence can elevate a fraternity and sorority community through position actions, intentional focus on enhancing student learning can highlight why fraternities and sororities exist, while also supporting an institutional mission. "
Well done Greg!
Kim Pho, HESA Class of 2012, was awarded the Richard D. Blackburn New Professional Award.
Richard D. Blackburn's influence on and encouragement of new professionals is reflected in this award honoring an individual who demonstrates the potential for excellence in the field of college union and student activities. Congratulations Kim!
Kathy Andrade (‘13) and Mike Lynch (‘13) had the opportunity to present at this year’s National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Northeast Regional Conference in Hartford, CT. The 2nd year HESA students presented "Engaging Students Through Social Media" to students and student affairs professionals.
Jeremy DiGorio (’13) and Krista Muise (’12), Coordinator for Leadership Programs at the University of Connecticut presented at the Leadership Educator’s Institute (LEI) in Columbus, Ohio in December 2012. The duo co-presented with colleagues from Baylor University on Leading, Living, and Learning: Effective Leadership Learning Communities on campus. The presentation provided attendees with a myriad of strengths and challenges for leadership educators nationwide.
The MCPA Conference Committee has selected a program written by four HESA students (‘13): Sutha Kanagasingam, Amanda George, Sarah Lane, and La’Rez Wilson. Their presentation is titled: Undergraduate Commuter Students: Turning College Roadblocks into Green Lights. These HESA students will present at the 2012 Drive-In Conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on December 7th.Well done!
Josh Brandfon (‘07) was selected as a chair for the 2015 National Association for Student Activities (NACA) conference in Minneapolis, Congratulations Josh
Ashley Vrabely (‘13) was selected as one of the 2013 ASCA Annual Conference Raymond Goldstone ASCA Foundation Scholarship recipients. Congratulations Ashley!