Body
Questions
- Can Bowdoin see my Claude chats?
- Does Anthropic use my Bowdoin Claude conversations to train its models?
- Who owns and manages the data in my Bowdoin Claude account?
- Is my Bowdoin Claude account private?
- How long is my Claude data kept?
- What can Bowdoin administrators access?
- How is this different from a personal Claude account?
- Where can I ask about Bowdoin's specific Claude data policies?
Environment
This article applies to Bowdoin community members using a Bowdoin-managed Claude account (a Claude for Work / Team or Enterprise plan), not a personal Free, Pro, or Max account.
- Who: Students, faculty, and staff signed in to Claude through Bowdoin.
- What: How your data is handled, who manages it, and how it differs from a personal account.
- Not in scope: Personal Claude accounts, which are governed by Anthropic's consumer terms.
Resolution
Is my data used to train Claude?
No, not by default. On commercial (Work) plans, your prompts, uploads, and Claude's outputs are not used to train Anthropic's models by default.
Who manages the data?
Bowdoin's designated Primary Owner manages the Bowdoin Claude account and all associated data. This means Bowdoin can:
- Request access to user data through data exports, which may include your conversations, uploaded files, and usage patterns.
- Determine which Claude services and features are available, and limit certain functionality.
- Remove access to the account if necessary.
Rule of thumb: Treat work in your Bowdoin Claude account like other Bowdoin-managed systems (such as Bowdoin email or Microsoft 365) — it is College data, not private personal data. Use a separate personal account for genuinely personal use.
What role does Anthropic play?
For a Work plan, Anthropic acts as a data processor on Bowdoin's behalf, and use is governed by the agreement between Anthropic and Bowdoin. Anthropic's consumer Terms of Service do not apply to the Bowdoin-managed account.
How long is data kept?
Retention is set at the organization level. On Enterprise plans, administrators can configure a custom retention period (a minimum of 30 days), and retention changes are recorded in audit logs.
For Bowdoin-specific policies — exactly what is retained, who the Primary Owner is, and what internal usage rules apply — contact Bowdoin IT. Anthropic's help articles describe the platform defaults, not Bowdoin's configuration.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
Additional Resources
AI-assisted content: This article was drafted with the assistance of an AI writing tool and reviewed by Bowdoin IT staff for accuracy.