Privacy Policy

Protecting your privacy in our academic community

Last updated: 8/1/2025

About This Policy

Welcome to Crumb-fed Mongrel, the theological blog of Matthew Wade Umbarger, Professor of Theology at Newman University. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you engage with our academic content, participate in discussions, and connect with our scholarly community.

As an academic platform focused on biblical interpretation, Greek literature, and theological discourse, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy and data protection for our readers, students, and fellow scholars.

Information We Collect

When You Comment:

Name and email address (for verification)
Website URL (optional)
Comment content and timestamp
IP address (for spam prevention)

When You Contact Us:

Name and email address
Message content
Academic affiliation (if provided)

Automatic Information:

Browser type and version
Pages visited and reading time
Search queries on our site
Referral sources

How We Use Your Information

Academic Purposes:

Facilitating scholarly discussions
Responding to theological inquiries
Building an academic community
Sharing educational resources

Site Functionality:

Displaying your comments and replies
Improving search functionality
Personalizing content recommendations
Preventing spam and abuse

Communication:

Responding to contact form submissions
Newsletter updates (with consent)
Academic collaboration opportunities

Comments and Academic Discourse

Our comment system is designed to foster meaningful theological and academic discussions. When you participate:

Email Verification: Required to prevent spam and ensure authentic engagement
Public Display: Your name and comments are publicly visible to encourage scholarly dialogue
Email Privacy: Your email address is never displayed publicly or shared with third parties
Threaded Replies: Our system tracks reply relationships to maintain conversation context
Moderation: Comments may be reviewed for appropriateness and academic standards

We believe in fostering respectful academic discourse while protecting the privacy of our scholarly community.

Third-Party Services

Wisp CMS:

Our content management and comment system is powered by Wisp CMS, which handles comment verification and storage according to their privacy policy.

Analytics:

We use privacy-focused analytics to understand how our academic content is being accessed and to improve the scholarly experience.

Social Media:

Social sharing buttons may load content from respective platforms. These services have their own privacy policies.

Data Security & Retention

Security Measures:

SSL encryption for all data transmission
Secure hosting infrastructure
Regular security updates and monitoring
Access controls for administrative functions

Data Retention:

Comments: Retained indefinitely for academic continuity
Contact forms: Retained for response and follow-up
Analytics: Aggregated data retained for site improvement
Search data: Temporarily stored for functionality

Your Rights and Contact Information

Your Rights:

Request access to your personal data
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of your data (where applicable)
Opt-out of newsletter communications
Request portability of your data

Contact Matthew Umbarger:

Office: McNeill 305, Newman University

Address: 3100 W. McCormick, Wichita, KS 67213

Academic Inquiries: Office hours MWF 9:00-10:45, T 1:00-2:00

Contact Form

Changes to This Policy

As our academic platform evolves, we may update this privacy policy to reflect new features or legal requirements. Any significant changes will be clearly communicated to our community, and the updated date will always be displayed at the top of this page.

Preparing your theological insights