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.
FOI #22-273 (08-1-22, 9:56 am) - Subject - Email/Text/Communication records for Professor
Name - Richard Padilla
Affiliation -
I would like to request unredacted copies of for any/all emails, texts, messages, or any form of communication involving Professor and including the words "cheating," "cheat," "academic dishonesty," or "academic misconduct," from October 1st 2021 to December 2021.
FOI #22-271 (07-28-22, 7:25 pm) - Subject - Police Report and Footage
Name - Richard Padilla
Affiliation -
Full, unredacted copies of incident and or investigation reports and bodycam of the first officer on scene at the main entrance of the Wu building pertaining to incident #2200012239, an assault at 19 Husky Cir on 2/19/22.
FOI #22-269 (07-26-22, 11:29 am) - Subject - copy of previous Bid
Name - BRIAN LANGILLE
Affiliation - Reliable Electric Motor Inc
Good morning,
Can we please get a copy of event number SK122721, it was for Electric Motor Repair. Bid start date was 4/7/2022 and ended 4/28/2022.
Thank you
FOI #22-267 - Subject - Uncashed/Unclaimed check and funds
Name - Isaac Rose
Affiliation - Retained Equity, LLC
Pursuant to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act which grants access to copies of public records, we respectfully request records pertaining to any of the following types of obligations that you may possess:
Uncashed/Unclaimed checks and funds
Outstanding and Refundable credit balances
Checks Exempt from Unclaimed Property Reporting
If some of this request is exempt from release, please release the remainder of the record which is allowed. Please provide all outstanding/uncashed/stale dated checks/properties that are greater than $1000 from this day until five years back. For each property, please provide issue dates, payee names, addresses, and dollar amounts due. If possible, an excel document would be the desired format to receive the data. Please note that I am not requesting a listing of records which have already been escheated. We are an asset recovery corporation and are therefore commercially requesting this information, in an attempt to assist creditors with regaining their assets.
If the requested records could not be found or do not exist in your possession, please provide the contact information for the public body from which they may be requested and forward this request to them (for example, if another department issues checks on your behalf).
Please indicate the process needed to have these checks reissued.
FOI #22-266 (07-25-22, 8:41 am) - Subject - UConn Trustee Organizations (Storrs & Regional) Payment of Staff Wages and/or Fringe
Name - Student Student
Affiliation - Nutmeg Publishing
Please provide any/all staff email correspondence related to the staffing MOU.
Provide any and all email correspondence and documentation/evidence to answer the following:
There was mention of DSA’s budget and Nutmeg was emailed saying this change is because,
“budgets are being cut across the University (not in Trustee groups) because of pandemic losses”
How do the University’s and DSA’s budget issues apply to the mission of the Trustee Orgs to serve their constituents when specifically we were told our fees from the student body were not a part of these “cuts”?
The information emailed prior to last week’s meeting shows that DSA has already realized a savings of about $150K for wages and benefits for TSOS financial staff. Please provide updated savings projection with the new resignation of Michelle Morse.
It appears that the money entrusted to the Trustee Orgs is being used to address budget deficiencies elsewhere. In light of this, help us understand why the trustee orgs are responsible for budgets outside of our mission and authority.
In an email to Nutmeg, it was stated that Joe Briody made the decision to move expenses previously covered by DSA entirely to the Trustee orgs due to the rise in staff wages and benefits. Who else was aware and/or approved this decision? Vice President Gilbert? David Clokey and SASFAC? President Maric? The Board of Trustees? Office of the State Comptroller? Please provide documentation of all communications and/or approvals.
Provide approved MOU's for the payment of Staff Wages and/or Fringe from organizations for FY22. Please provide latest drafts of same MOU's for those that have not yet approved.
Cite the provision in the State Comptroller’s manual that exempts the required payment for non-student wages and benefits being demanded by DSA.
There are many Trustee Organizations in the UConn system and across the state. Please list them and indicate what others, if any, are forced to pay for their mandated staff oversight.
Regarding “consent of both parties” in the proposed MOU, what happens if the Trustee Orgs don’t provide consent?
From the draft MOU to Nutmeg:
“To provide the ‘TRUSTEE ORG.’ with financial support necessary to conduct organization business, including but not limited to executing purchases, managing bookkeeping records, and facilitating biweekly payroll”
Is DSA saying that if the Trustee Groups do not sign the MOU and pay, the organizations will not be allowed to conduct organization business required to carry out their missions?
FOI #22-265 (07-25-22, 8:08 am) - Subject - UConn Trustee Organizations (Storrs & Regional) Payment of Staff Wages and/or Fringe
Name - Student Student
Affiliation - Nutmeg Publishing
All emails pertaining to payment of staff wages and/or fringe by Trustee Orgs at Storrs and Regional Campuses including, but not limited to, among staff and between staff and the organizations.
Documentation of “fiduciary responsibilities'' that DSA has regarding the ‘Trustee Orgs.
Documentation regarding the requirement of Trustee Orgs are required to use University systems?
Documentation that only full-time staff can access university systems and specify which systems as well as the name of the staff that control these policies.
Full audits of Trustee Orgs that speak to staff.
Evidence/documentation of staffing issues and how the proposed changes by Dr. Briody will fix identified issues.
Regarding the services DSA provides the non-USG Trustee Orgs, please note which are new and which have previously been provided free of charge. Please also note which are required and which are optional. Also, please list services provided by staff to USG not provided to the other Orgs.
Our records show that services previously provided to WHUS, Daily Campus and Nutmeg stopped last year with the departure of our staff and yet the organizations continued to pay for non-student staff time. Please share all communications between DSA and these organizations related to this important change.
Our records show that GSS, Praxis and UCTV were charged for non-student staff time for the first time last year. Please detail the additional services provided (that were not provided previously for free) as well as the communications between DSA and these organizations related to this important change.
Please provide the Staff Charges to Trustee Orgs and the minutes that were provided to support these charges.
Please provide the staff salaries and wages that support the the Tier II banking operation and the money that is collected to pay for those staff wages and salaries, from the Tier II Orgs that choose to bank with Business Services. (to be continued)