Privacy Policy

Overview

Austin Christian University (“ACU,” “we,” “us”) operates the Builders Quotient assessment service (the “Service”). This policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the Service.

Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly, including:

• Contact details—name, email address, and phone number
• Assessment responses—video recordings, audio recordings, text answers, and personality quiz selections
• Lead preferences—whether you identify as a prospective student or general interest

We also collect technical data automatically, including browser type, IP address, and device fingerprint to maintain the integrity of the assessment and prevent misuse.

Video & Audio Recordings

• What’s recorded—webcam video and microphone audio during assessment responses
• Purpose—scoring your responses against expert rubrics to generate your Builders Quotient profile
• How processed—automated speech-to-text transcription and AI-assisted comparison scoring
• Where stored—securely in the United States on encrypted infrastructure
• Retention—video and audio recordings are retained for 1 year after assessment completion, then permanently deleted

Biometric Data

• What we collect—voiceprint data derived during audio transcription; facial geometry data potentially present in video recordings
• Purpose—exclusively for assessment scoring and response processing — never for identification, surveillance, or tracking
• Legal basis—collected with your explicit informed consent (Texas Business & Commerce Code § 503.001; Illinois BIPA 740 ILCS 14)
• Retention—no longer than 1 year after assessment completion
• Destruction—permanently deleted from all systems within 30 days of retention expiry

Biometric data is never sold, leased, traded, or shared for profit. For full details, see our Biometric Data Retention Policy.

AI & Automated Processing

• Responses are processed using automated speech-to-text and AI scoring tools
• All processing is performed solely for the purpose of assessment scoring and comparison
• Your data is never used to train general-purpose AI models
• AI service providers are contractually prohibited from retaining or training on your data

Named providers are listed in the Third-Party Service Providers section below.

Phone Number Collection & SMS Communications

We collect your phone number to deliver your assessment results. There are two types of SMS communications:

• Transactional messages—a one-time notification when your results are ready. This is sent to everyone who provides a phone number.
• Marketing messages—periodic updates about ACU programs and opportunities (approx. 2 msgs/month). These are only sent if you explicitly opt in.

Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out of marketing messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. Opting out of marketing messages does not affect delivery of your assessment results.

Email Communications

We use your email address for two purposes:

• Results delivery—your personalized Builders Quotient profile is always sent by email regardless of other preferences.
• Marketing communications—updates about ACU programs, events, and opportunities. These are only sent if you explicitly opt in.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link included in every message. Unsubscribing does not affect delivery of your assessment results.

How We Use Your Data

Your data is used for:

• Scoring and delivering your assessment results
• Academic research on intelligence and entrepreneurship (in aggregate, de-identified form)
• Improving the Service and assessment methodology
• Sending marketing communications (only with your explicit consent)

Data Security & No Sharing Commitment

• All data stays within ACU’s platform infrastructure
• We never sell your personal information or recordings to any third party
• We never share your data with advertisers, data brokers, or marketing platforms
• Service providers (listed below) process data solely on our behalf under strict contractual obligations

Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party services to operate the Service:

• OpenAI—audio transcription (Whisper) and response scoring (GPT). Audio recordings and transcripts are sent for processing. OpenAI is contractually prohibited from using your data to train its models.
• Google (Gemini Studio)—video analysis for personality assessment and transcript extraction. Video recordings and transcripts are sent for processing. Google is contractually prohibited from using your data to train its models.
• Twilio—for sending SMS messages (transactional and marketing). Your phone number is shared with Twilio solely for message delivery.
• Supabase—for secure data storage and infrastructure.
• Vercel—for hosting and serving the application.

These providers process your data under their own privacy policies and are contractually bound to protect your information.

Opt-Out & Unsubscribe Rights

• SMS—reply STOP to any marketing text message to unsubscribe immediately.
• Email—click the unsubscribe link in any marketing email to stop receiving them.
• You may also contact us at bq@austinchristianu.org to manage your communication preferences.

Eligibility

This Service is intended for individuals aged 13 and older. If you are under 13, you may not use this Service. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, please contact us at bq@austinchristianu.org.

Data Retention

We retain different categories of data for specific periods:

• Contact information—until you request deletion or 5 years of inactivity
• Video & audio recordings—1 year after assessment completion, then permanently deleted
• Biometric data—1 year after assessment completion (same lifecycle as video, since video is the biometric source)
• Assessment scores—retained for academic research in de-identified form
• De-identified research data—retained indefinitely

State-Specific Rights

Texas residents: You have rights under the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (CUBI) and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), including the right to know what personal data we collect and to request its deletion.

Illinois residents: You have rights under the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), including the right to receive written notice before collection of biometric identifiers and the right to a publicly available retention and destruction policy. See our Biometric Data Retention Policy.

California residents: Under the CCPA/CPRA, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Right to Request Data Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal data at any time by emailing bq@austinchristianu.org. We will process your request within 30 days. Note that de-identified data used for academic research may be retained even after deletion of personally identifiable information.

Contact Us

For questions about this policy, contact us at bq@austinchristianu.org.