Initial Publication Date: June 23, 2026
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EvaluateUR – Terms of Service

Offered by the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College

Effective: 6/23/2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern access to and use of EvaluateUR and the related variants EvaluateUR-CURE, EvaluateUR-Internship, and Evaluate-Compete (collectively, the "Service"), which are offered by the Science Education Resource Center ("SERC"), an office of Carleton College, a Minnesota nonprofit educational corporation with offices at One North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057 ("Carleton", "we", "us", or "our"). The Service is delivered through the website at https://serc.carleton.edu/evaluateur and the SERC content management system known as Serckit.

By submitting a subscription request, creating an account, or using the Service, the entity entering into this agreement (the "Subscriber") and every individual user accessing the Service on the Subscriber's behalf (each, a "User", and together with the Subscriber, "you") agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not have authority to bind the Subscriber, or you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service.

1. The Service

EvaluateUR is a metacognitive assessment platform that supports undergraduate research programs by structuring initial, mid-program, and end-of-program assessments completed by students and, depending on the variant selected, their faculty mentors. The Service provides a program dashboard to a designated Site Administrator for use in administering the program and reviewing aggregated and individual results. A description of the available variants, the outcomes measured, and the program workflow is maintained at https://serc.carleton.edu/evaluateur and is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

The Service is provided for the Subscriber's internal evaluation of its own undergraduate research program. The Service is not intended to be, and is not sold as, a system of record for grades, financial information, health information, or other regulated data. The Service is not designed to satisfy the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) as applied to cardholder data stored by the Subscriber, or the export control laws applicable to controlled technical data. Subscribers with obligations under those frameworks must not use the Service to process data subject to them.

2. Eligibility, Accounts, and Site Administrator

Subscriptions are available to colleges, universities, government laboratories, and other organizations operating undergraduate research, internship, or course-based research programs. The Subscriber designates a Site Administrator who is responsible for: registering and activating student–mentor pairs; monitoring program progress through the dashboard; serving as the primary point of contact with SERC; and ensuring that Users associated with the Subscriber's program comply with these Terms.

Users must be at least 18 years of age, or must be enrolled undergraduate or graduate students whose participation has been authorized by the Subscriber. The Subscriber is responsible for obtaining any consents required under its own institutional policies for the Subscriber's students and mentors to participate in the program.

Account credentials (username and password) are personal to the User to whom they are issued. Users must not share credentials or permit access by other persons. The Subscriber will promptly notify SERC at sfox@carleton.edu of any known or suspected unauthorized use of an account.

3. Subscription, Fees, and Payment

  1. Subscription term. Each paid subscription provides one program dashboard for one year, beginning on the start date the Subscriber provides at the time of subscription. Renewals are initiated by the Subscriber from the dashboard and are not automatic.
  2. Fees. The annual subscription fee for EvaluateUR Standard and EvaluateUR Student-Only is US$500 per program dashboard. EvaluateUR Small is offered at no charge. Additional fees may apply where the Subscriber's institutional procurement process requires completion of significant additional paperwork or where the Subscriber elects to run multiple cohorts or dashboards in a single year. Current pricing and options are posted at https://serc.carleton.edu/evaluateur/evaluateur/program/program_subscription_new.html.
  3. Payment methods. Payment may be made by credit card or by check. Purchase-order arrangements are available; please contact SERC. All fees are in U.S. dollars. Sales or use taxes, if any, are the responsibility of the Subscriber.
  4. Activation. Dashboards are activated once SERC has received payment (or, in the case of approved purchase orders, an executed purchase order acceptable to Carleton).
  5. No refunds. Except where required by applicable law, all fees are non-refundable, including in the event of early termination or non-use of the Service. The Subscriber may cancel a subscription at any time by contacting SERC at sfox@carleton.edu; cancellation will take effect at the end of the then-current paid term and the Subscriber will not be charged for any subsequent term.

4. Subscriber Data and Ownership

"Subscriber Data" means the data that the Subscriber, its Users, or their student and mentor participants submit to or generate through the Service in connection with the Subscriber's program, including assessment responses, comments, account-profile information, and the results and analytics displayed on the Subscriber's dashboard.

As between the Subscriber and Carleton, the Subscriber owns and retains all right, title, and interest in and to its Subscriber Data. The Subscriber grants Carleton a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, copy, transmit, display, and otherwise process Subscriber Data solely to (a) provide and support the Service to the Subscriber, (b) prevent or address technical or security issues, and (c) comply with applicable law. Carleton does not sell Subscriber Data, does not use Subscriber Data for advertising, and does not use Subscriber Data to train artificial-intelligence or machine-learning models.

Carleton may generate aggregated and de-identified statistics about Service usage (for example, counts of programs, students, and assessments completed). Carleton may use such aggregated and de-identified information for the operation, evaluation, and improvement of the Service and to report on the SERC office's grant-funded activities, provided the information cannot reasonably be used to identify the Subscriber, any individual, or any specific program.

5. Privacy, FERPA, and Use of Education Records

Carleton recognizes that, where the Subscriber is an educational agency or institution subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 99 ("FERPA"), Subscriber Data may include personally identifiable information from education records of the Subscriber's students.

With respect to such information, the Subscriber designates Carleton (acting through SERC) as a "school official" with a "legitimate educational interest" in the relevant education records under 34 C.F.R. §§ 99.31(a)(1)(i)(B) and 99.31(a)(1)(ii). In that capacity, Carleton agrees:

  • Performance of an institutional service. Carleton performs an institutional service or function (program assessment and dashboard hosting) for which the Subscriber would otherwise use its own employees.
  • Direct control. Carleton is under the direct control of the Subscriber with respect to the use and maintenance of education records contained in Subscriber Data. The Subscriber's designated Site Administrator may instruct Carleton to correct, export, return, or delete Subscriber Data at any time.
  • Purpose limitation. Carleton will use education records contained in Subscriber Data only to provide and support the Service to the Subscriber, and not for any other purpose.
  • No redisclosure. Carleton will not disclose education records contained in Subscriber Data to any third party except as expressly authorized in writing by the Subscriber, as necessary to subprocessors identified in Section 7 to operate the Service (which are bound by confidentiality obligations consistent with these Terms), or as required by law. Carleton will comply with the redisclosure limitations of 34 C.F.R. § 99.33.
  • Access by SERC personnel. Access to Subscriber Data by the EvaluateUR Director and SERC staff at Carleton College is limited to what is reasonably necessary to support the Subscriber's administration of its program (for example, troubleshooting). SERC does not otherwise access or make use of Subscriber Data.
  • Research use. Carleton will not use Subscriber Data for any systematic investigation designed to contribute to generalizable knowledge. The Subscriber agrees that it will not use Subscriber Data for such research without first obtaining approval from its institutional review board (IRB) where required by its own institutional policies and applicable law. See https://serc.carleton.edu/evaluateur/method/security_irb.html for further information.

To the extent the Subscriber is subject to other applicable privacy or data-protection laws, the Subscriber is the controller of Subscriber Data and Carleton acts as a service provider or processor on the Subscriber's behalf. The parties will cooperate in good faith to execute any reasonable data processing addendum that the Subscriber may require, subject to mutually agreeable terms.

6. Data Security

Carleton maintains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect Subscriber Data against unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. Without limiting the foregoing, the security measures applicable to the Service include:

  • Hosting. Subscriber Data is stored in server facilities operated by Amazon Web Services ("AWS") in the United States. AWS's data-center physical-security and operational controls are described in publicly available AWS security documentation.
  • Encryption in transit. All connections to the Service are made over encrypted network connections using Transport Layer Security (TLS).
  • Encryption at rest. Subscriber Data is stored, in both the primary database and in backups, in encrypted form.
  • Access controls. Application-level access to Subscriber Data is mediated by Serckit's authentication and authorization system. Students may view their own and their assigned mentor's assessment responses; mentors may view their own and their assigned student's assessment responses; the Subscriber's Site Administrator has access to the Subscriber's full program data; SERC system administrators have access to underlying servers, via private-key authenticated SSH, only as needed to maintain the system.
  • Monitoring and updates. Serckit has been in continuous operation since 2002 and is actively maintained, with security patches applied as part of routine operations.
  • Incident notification. In the event Carleton becomes aware of a confirmed breach of security leading to the unauthorized acquisition of, access to, or use or disclosure of Subscriber Data, Carleton will notify the Site Administrator without undue delay, will provide reasonably available information about the incident, and will cooperate with the Subscriber in any response and notifications that the Subscriber determines are required by law.

7. Data Retention, Export, and Deletion

Subscriber Data associated with a student–mentor pair is retained in the Service for one year from the date the pair begins the EvaluateUR process. After that one-year period, the data is removed from Serckit and is no longer available to Carleton or to the Subscriber through the Service. The Site Administrator may export Subscriber Data through the dashboard at any time during the retention period and is responsible for retaining any copies the Subscriber needs for its own evaluation purposes.

Upon written request from the Site Administrator, Carleton will, within a reasonable period (and in any event within 60 days), return or delete Subscriber Data in its possession, subject to retention required by law and to retention in routine backups that are subject to scheduled overwrite.

8. Acceptable Use

The Subscriber and its Users agree not to:

  • use the Service to violate any applicable law or the rights of any third party;
  • upload, transmit, or store any content that infringes another party's intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights, or that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, or harmful;
  • upload viruses, malware, or other code intended to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to any system or data;
  • circumvent, disable, or interfere with any security-related features of the Service, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts or systems;
  • probe, scan, penetration-test, or otherwise assess the security of the Service without Carleton's prior written consent;
  • use scrapers, robots, or other automated means to access the Service except as expressly permitted by Carleton; or
  • rent, lease, resell, sublicense, or otherwise commercially exploit the Service or any data accessed through the Service, except as expressly permitted in these Terms.

Carleton may suspend or terminate access in the event of a material breach of this Section, after providing notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure where practicable.

9. Intellectual Property

Carleton and its licensors retain all right, title, and interest in and to the Service, the EvaluateUR methodology, the underlying Serckit platform, and all related software, documentation, and content, and in all related trademarks, service marks, and logos. Subject to these Terms, Carleton grants the Subscriber a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to access and use the Service during the subscription term solely for the Subscriber's internal evaluation of its own undergraduate research program. No other rights are granted by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.

Materials on the public EvaluateUR website that are designated as available under a Creative Commons license may be used in accordance with the terms of that license. This Section does not affect the Subscriber's ownership of Subscriber Data as set forth in Section 4.

10. Feedback

If the Subscriber or any User provides suggestions, comments, or other feedback about the Service ("Feedback"), Carleton may use the Feedback to improve the Service without obligation to the provider. Feedback is provided on a non-confidential basis. The provider of Feedback retains ownership of any pre-existing intellectual property contained in the Feedback.

11. Third-Party Sites

The Service may link to or reference third-party websites or content. Those sites and content are not under Carleton's control, and Carleton is not responsible for their availability, accuracy, or practices. Subscribers and Users should review the terms and privacy policies of any third-party site they visit.

12. Warranties and Disclaimers

Carleton will provide the Service in a professional manner consistent with applicable industry standards. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THESE TERMS, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," AND CARLETON DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. CARLETON DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OR THAT ALL DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. SUBSCRIBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING WHETHER THE SERVICE IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR PROGRAM.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL CARLETON OR ITS TRUSTEES, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF USE, OR LOSS OF DATA, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

CARLETON'S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE FEES PAID BY THE SUBSCRIBER TO CARLETON FOR THE SERVICE IN THE TWELVE MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS (US$1,000).

The foregoing limitations do not apply to (i) Carleton's indemnification obligations under Section 14, (ii) Carleton's breach of its confidentiality or data-protection obligations under Sections 5 and 6, or (iii) liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.

14. Indemnification

Carleton will defend, indemnify, and hold the Subscriber harmless from and against third-party claims, and pay damages and reasonable attorneys' fees finally awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction or agreed in settlement, arising from a claim that the Service, as provided by Carleton and used in accordance with these Terms, infringes the U.S. intellectual-property rights of a third party. If the Service becomes, or in Carleton's reasonable opinion is likely to become, the subject of an infringement claim, Carleton may, at its option, (i) procure for the Subscriber the right to continue using the Service, (ii) modify the Service so that it is non-infringing, or (iii) terminate the subscription and refund any prepaid, unused fees.

To the extent permitted by the Subscriber's constituent or governing law, the Subscriber will defend, indemnify, and hold Carleton harmless from third-party claims arising from (a) the Subscriber's or its Users' breach of Section 8 (Acceptable Use), or (b) the Subscriber's or its Users' violation of applicable law in connection with the Service. Where the Subscriber is a public institution, an agency of a state, or otherwise legally restricted from providing indemnification, this Section will be construed so as to require the Subscriber to provide the maximum protection permitted by applicable law and no more; nothing in these Terms is intended to require the Subscriber to waive any sovereign or governmental immunity to which it is entitled.

15. Term and Termination

These Terms apply for the duration of the Subscriber's subscription and any renewal. Either party may terminate a subscription for the other party's material breach if the breach is not cured within thirty (30) days after written notice describing the breach. Either party may terminate a subscription immediately upon written notice if the other party becomes insolvent or ceases doing business.

Upon termination or expiration: (a) the Subscriber's access to the Service will end; (b) the Subscriber may export Subscriber Data as described in Section 7 prior to deletion; and (c) Sections 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 17, and any other provisions that by their nature should survive, will survive.

16. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) do not apply.

The parties will attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms through informal negotiation, beginning with written notice from one party to the other. If the dispute is not resolved within sixty (60) days after that notice, either party may bring the dispute in the state or federal courts located in Rice County, Minnesota, and each party consents to the personal jurisdiction of those courts; provided, however, that nothing in this Section prevents the Subscriber, where it is a public institution or agency, from bringing or defending an action in the forum required by applicable law. The parties expressly waive any right to a jury trial.

Either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property or confidential information without first complying with the informal-negotiation requirement above.

17. Public-Institution Subscribers

If the Subscriber is a public college, university, school district, or other agency of a state or of the United States, the following adjustments apply, to the extent required by the Subscriber's constituent law: (a) Section 16 (Governing Law and Dispute Resolution) will not be construed to require the Subscriber to litigate in a forum prohibited by law, to apply Minnesota substantive law where its own law mandatorily applies, or to waive any sovereign or governmental immunity; (b) Section 15 (Indemnification) will be construed to require the Subscriber to provide indemnification only to the extent permitted by applicable law; and (c) any other provision of these Terms that conflicts with a mandatory requirement of the Subscriber's constituent law is modified to the minimum extent necessary to comply.

18. Notices, Modifications, and Miscellaneous

  1. Notices. Notices to Carleton must be sent to Sean Fox, Carleton College, One North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057, with a copy by email to sfox@carleton.edu. Notices to the Subscriber will be sent to the Site Administrator at the contact information on file. Routine operational notices regarding the Service may be delivered by email to the Site Administrator.
  2. Changes to the Terms. Carleton may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to the Site Administrator by email at least thirty (30) days before they take effect for an existing subscription, and the Subscriber's sole remedy for an objected-to material change is to terminate the subscription and receive a pro-rata refund of fees prepaid for the period after the change takes effect.
  3. Force majeure. Neither party will be liable for delay or failure to perform (other than payment obligations) due to events beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, civil disturbances, labor disputes, power or internet outages, or governmental action.
  4. Assignment. Neither party may assign these Terms without the other's prior written consent, except that Carleton may assign these Terms in connection with a reorganization within Carleton College.
  5. Entire agreement. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between the parties regarding the Service and supersede prior or contemporaneous agreements regarding the same subject matter. A separately executed, signed written agreement between Carleton and the Subscriber addressing the Service will control over these Terms to the extent of any conflict.
  6. Severability and waiver. If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force. A failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of that or any other provision.
  7. Electronic communications and signatures. The parties consent to receive electronic communications relating to the Service and to use electronic signatures in connection with these Terms and any related agreement.
  8. Relationship of the parties. The parties are independent contractors. These Terms do not create any partnership, joint venture, agency, fiduciary, or employment relationship.

19. Contact

Questions about the Service, subscription, billing, security, or these Terms may be directed to:

Sean Fox
Carleton College, One North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057
Email: sfox@carleton.edu
Phone: (507) 222-4365
Web: https://serc.carleton.edu/evaluateur/contact_us.html

Acknowledgment

By submitting a subscription request, executing a purchase order referencing the Service, or accessing the Service, the Subscriber acknowledges that it has read these Terms, understands them, and agrees to be bound by them.