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.
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Higher Education Anti-Racist Teaching Podcast
The Higher Education Anti-Racist Teaching (H.E.A.R.T.) Podcast focuses on elevating our learning about anti-racist teaching at colleges and universities. MORE INFORMATION
UConn Online
Select from over fifty online Master's and Graduate Certificate programs in business, health, education, engineering, etc. MORE DETAILS
Teaching Your Course
CETL recognizes that teaching a course poses countless challenges, both expected and unexpected.
Addressing AI ChatGPT Many faculty have reached out seeking guidance surrounding possible academic integrity issues triggered by the recent release of ChatGPT3 from OpenAI. Learn More
Creating Communities of Care at UConn
UConn Health Student Health and Wellness Wednesday, March 22nd - 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
The Great Hall, Alumni Center
Join us for a day of fun and collaborative learning: Participants will learn and practice skills of Motivational Interviewing as a way to engage students in collaborative conversations about their success and growth at UConn. Learn More
2025 University Teaching Award Winners
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 University Teaching Awards. Please join us in congratulating the winners. Learn More
UConn Becomes Part of the CIRTL Network
We prepare graduate students and postdocs to excel as teachers, researchers, and as mentors. Future Faculty and Academic Careers programs are housed in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and offer both local and online professional development opportunities. Through the North American Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Network, graduate students and postdocs in all fields can build skills for academic careers in a wide range of settings. MORE INFORMATION
Announcing the Winners of the 2025University Teaching Awards
The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 University Teaching Awards. Please click here for the names of our winners.
University-wide access to online teaching and work-life resources
Looking for additional resources on teaching development, work-life balance, and career development? CETL has an institutional account with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). CETL invites faculty and graduate students to sign-up for free subaccounts using your UConn email address. For more information about NCFDD: CLICK HERE
Authentication
UConn is required to verify the identity of students who participate in online courses and to establish that students who register in an online course are the same students who participate in and complete the course activities and assessments and receive academic credit. Your syllabus should include information for students on the methods you will use in your course for authentication. Please see this resource guide for more detail. READ MORE
Assessment Report Due Date and Updated Cycle
For undergrad academic programs involved in assessment activities, the University Student Learning Assessment Committee has set May 22nd as the due date. The committee has also changed to a triennial cycle. Assessment fellows will be reaching out to each program to discuss the new cycle. Learn More
The Teaching Professor and Magna Digital Library
As a member of our campus community this online resource from Magna Publications is available at no cost to you. The Teaching Professor and Magna Digital Library keeps readers informed of pedagogically sound techniques, new ideas, strategies that work, and pragmatic approaches to enhancing student learning and improving instructional effectiveness, regardless of teaching modality or academic discipline. READ MORE
Clear Face Masks and Microphone Covers Available to Instructors
Given the important role of facial expressions when communicating, CETL is providing, by request, clear face masks to instructors. To learn more about clear face masks and to request masks, check out our webpage. CETL is also providing, by request, microphone covers to instructors for use in the classroom. Clear masks and mic covers will be available starting January 18th.
Deadline Extended for 2022 CT OER Grant
The deadline for the Call for Applications to the Connecticut Open Educational Resources Grant Program has been extended. The new deadline for applications for this opportunity is now February 18th, 2022. The CT OER Grant program is for faculty and departments within Connecticut’s higher education institutions to explore, adopt, create, revise, and supplement Open Educational Resources (OER). This grant program focuses on OER opportunities in “high-impact” areas – courses with high enrollment, and high textbook costs. Adopting OER has the potential to increase equity in our classrooms and enhance student success at UConn. Please see the linked application above for further details about the grant program and application process.
If you have any additional questions, please contact Zach Claybaugh (Student Success Librarian/UConn Library) at zachariah.claybaugh@uconn.edu.
The Gardner Institute Teaching and Learning Academy
Signature Course for 2022-2023 - The Humanity of Inclusive Practices: Liberatory and Contemplative Pedagogy Synchronous sessions: July 11, July 13, July 15, July 18, July 20, and July 22 Time: 1:00-3:30 pm ET
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Call for UConn Equity Improvement Community Program
Supported by Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning October through Spring of 2022
Building upon the Inclusive STEM Teaching Project, we are launching the UConn Equity Improvement Community program to advance equitable teaching and learning practices in STEM courses. Learn More
We’ll Be AI-Right: Working Through and With the Generative AI Moment
Friday, December 1 from 12:30-2:00 (virtual)
Join Lance Eaton for a conversation of what we learned from this past year, where we are now, and where we are going.Learn More
Upcoming Events
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