Terms of service.

Who this covers

These terms apply to anyone using mnlcn.org or any service hosted under that domain, including school administrators, educators, survey respondents, and casual visitors.

Membership

Schools become MLCN members by self-signing up and getting verified by MLCN staff. Membership unlocks the survey tool, the member directory, and member-only resources. Membership is free for the 2026–27 school year; sliding-scale annual dues begin in 2027–28, and no school is turned away for inability to pay.

Acceptable use

• Don't upload roster data you don't have permission to upload.
• Don't use the survey tool to administer instruments you don't have rights to.
• Don't attempt to deanonymize free-text comments or circumvent the suppression thresholds in the reporting layer.
• Don't use any part of the platform to discriminate, harass, or target individuals or groups.

Content you submit

You retain ownership of everything you upload (school profiles, rosters, project showcases, free-text reflections, etc.). By submitting it to the platform, you grant MLCN a limited license to host, display, and process it for the purpose of operating the network. Anything you mark as public (showcase entries, member directory profile) may be shown publicly.

Termination

You can cancel your membership at any time by emailing info@mnlcn.org. MLCN reserves the right to suspend access for material violations of these terms.

Disclaimer

The platform is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. MLCN does not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure. We'll do our best, and if you find a problem we'll fix it — but we can't guarantee it.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, MLCN and its directors, staff, and volunteers will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, arising out of or relating to your use of the platform. MLCN's total liability for any claim relating to the platform will not exceed the amount of membership dues you paid to MLCN in the twelve months before the claim arose. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless MLCN and its directors, staff, and volunteers from any claims, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from data you upload without authorization, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party — including any failure by a member school to obtain a consent or provide a notice required for a survey administration.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Minnesota, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

Student data & school districts

For survey administrations involving student data, MLCN's handling of that data is described in the privacy policy and, where a district requires one, governed by an executed Data Privacy Agreement — typically the National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA), the Minnesota/SDPC standard — which controls over any conflicting language in these terms with respect to that data.

Privacy

Data handling is governed by the privacy policy, which is part of these terms by reference.

Changes

These terms will evolve. Material changes will be communicated via the member dashboard and reflected here in the “Last updated” date.

Contact

Questions about these terms: info@mnlcn.org.