01 Who we are
Nestrel ("Nestrel," "we," "us," or "our"), at nestrel.org, is a campus life platform for verified Caldwell University students, providing clubs and organizations, events and event recaps, a student marketplace, textbook and free-item exchange, housing listings, and messaging.
Nestrel is operated by KR, doing business as Amahle Digital Creatives, an unincorporated business currently operating as a sole proprietorship. References to "we" mean this operator. If and when the business is formally registered as a legal entity, these Terms will be updated to name that entity as the operator.
Nestrel is a student-run project. It is independent and is not owned, operated, or endorsed by Caldwell University. We use the university's name only to say who Nestrel is for. Nothing on Nestrel is an official university communication unless it is clearly marked as coming from the university.
These Terms are a binding agreement between you and us. You accept them by ticking the boxes when you create your account, and by using Nestrel. How we collect, use, share, and protect your information is explained in our Privacy Policy, which is part of these Terms.
02 The beta
Nestrel is in open beta: it is live and in real use while we are still building it. That means two things at once.
Everything on it is real
- The students you meet are real, verified Caldwell students. The listings are real items and real places, the prices are real money, and the messages go to real people.
- Any deal, rental, sale, gift or meet-up you arrange through Nestrel is a real arrangement between you and another student, with real consequences.
- Every rule in these Terms applies in full during the beta. "It's only a beta" is not an excuse for anything you post or do.
The product is still being built
- Features may be added, changed, or removed at any time, sometimes without notice.
- There will be bugs. Parts of Nestrel may be slow, unavailable, or not work as described.
- Information may be lost or fail to save. We work to prevent it, but during the beta we cannot guarantee backups. Keep your own copy of anything important — for example, photos you upload, or details you agreed with another student.
- We may pause, reset parts of, or end the beta. If we ever shut Nestrel down, we'll tell you in the app at least 30 days before, so you can ask for a copy of your information.
- Nestrel is free. If that ever changes, we'll tell you first, and you will never be charged for something you haven't agreed to.
A product test, not a research study
The beta is how we test and improve Nestrel. It is not an academic research study: we don't run experiments on you, and we don't publish findings about individual students. We look at totals and counts (for example, how many listings were posted) to decide what to fix and build. If we ever want to run a study — a survey for a class, or anything meant for publication — we'll ask you separately, with its own consent, and taking part will be optional.
03 Eligibility & accounts
- You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use Nestrel.
- You must be a current Caldwell University student with a valid
@caldwell.eduemail address. - You sign up with your
@caldwell.eduGoogle account ("Continue with Google"). Google confirms the address is yours; we never see your Google password. Caldwell's IT department manages those Google accounts, and Google's own terms apply to them. You also set a Nestrel password, so you can log in with your email. - You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for all activity under your account. Tell us right away if you think someone else has used it.
- One person, one account. Accounts are personal and may not be shared, sold, or transferred.
- You agree to provide accurate information — your real name — and to keep it current. If you misstate your age or student status, we will close your account.
- If you graduate or leave Caldwell, your account stays open until you ask us to close it or we close accounts we can no longer verify. We'll tell you in the app before we close yours.
04 Student verification
Access to Nestrel requires verification of your Caldwell student status through
confirmation of a valid @caldwell.edu email address. Only verified students
may post listings, save items, send messages, follow or join clubs, vote in polls, or RSVP to
events. We may end access if we can no longer verify your eligibility (for example, after
you graduate or leave the university), though we are not obligated to monitor this
continuously during beta.
We use your @caldwell.edu email only to confirm you're eligible, run your
account, and contact you about it. See
Privacy Policy, section 03.
05 You're accountable for what you post and do
Nestrel hosts what students post; the student who posts something is responsible for it, legally and otherwise. That includes your listings, photos, messages, reviews, club posts, and how you behave when you meet someone you found here.
- The law applies. If something you post or do breaks the law — fraud, theft, threats, harassment, discrimination, selling prohibited goods — you are personally liable for it, not Nestrel.
- Caldwell's rules still apply. Using Nestrel doesn't change your obligations under Caldwell University's Student Code of Conduct or other university policies. Nestrel doesn't enforce those policies, but we won't shield anyone from them.
- We act on what we learn. We can remove content and suspend or permanently ban accounts (section 12). We keep records of our moderation decisions.
- We report serious harm. If we believe someone is in danger, or a crime involving threats, violence, fraud or exploitation has happened, we may share the relevant information with law enforcement or Caldwell's Campus Safety (see Privacy Policy, section 05). We respond to valid legal requests, such as subpoenas and court orders.
- Zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material. Any content that sexualises minors is removed, the account is banned, and we report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), as U.S. law requires.
06 Acceptable use
You agree not to use Nestrel to:
- Post false, misleading, fraudulent, or scam listings, or ask for payment for something you don't have.
- Sell or offer anything illegal, stolen, counterfeit, recalled, or prohibited by Caldwell University policy — including but not limited to weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping products, prescription medication, or academic dishonesty services (e.g., completing coursework or exams for others, or selling exam answers).
- Harass, threaten, stalk, bully, impersonate, or abuse other users — including impersonating a club, a university office, or Nestrel.
- Post content that is hateful, defamatory, sexually explicit, violent, or that invades another person's privacy — including sharing someone's personal information, address, schedule, or photos without their permission.
- Discriminate against anyone because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
- Spam, advertise unrelated commercial products, run pyramid schemes, or scrape or harvest data from the platform.
- Use another student's account, or create an account for anyone else.
- Manipulate polls, event ratings, RSVPs or counts — for example with extra accounts, or by pressuring someone to change how they rated or voted.
- Attempt to break, probe, or circumvent the platform's security, verification, or access controls.
- Upload malware or interfere with the platform's normal operation.
You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users.
If you run a club or event
Depending on their permissions, club officers can see information about other students that ordinary users can't — such as the names and emails of people who RSVP, who checked in, member lists, and individual poll votes. If you have that access, you agree to:
- Use it only for your club's own activities — for example, contacting attendees about that event.
- Not copy, export, sell, or share it outside your club's officers, or use it for unrelated purposes such as promoting other groups or businesses. Sharing totals, such as a headcount, is fine.
- Not try to work out who left anonymous event feedback.
- Stop using it once you're no longer an officer.
Officers can also publish for their club — posts, polls, a logo and cover photo, and photos from events (recaps). When you do, you agree to:
- Only post photos and other material you have the right to share.
- Not post photos that embarrass, sexualise, or single out a person, or that show anyone somewhere they'd reasonably expect privacy.
- Take a photo down promptly if someone in it asks you to. If they ask us instead, we'll remove it.
Breaking these rules can lead to losing officer access or your account (section 12).
07 Housing listings
If you post a room, sublet, or roommate listing, you agree that:
- You follow fair-housing law. The federal Fair Housing Act and New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination make it illegal to publish a housing ad that limits who can apply because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, marital or civil-union status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, source of lawful income, or other protected characteristics. The person who posts a listing is responsible for what it says. Describe the place, not the person you'd prefer.
- You're allowed to offer it. If you're subletting or taking over a lease, you confirm your lease and your landlord allow it.
- It's accurate. The price, the place, the dates and the photos are real and current.
Nestrel is not a landlord, broker, or real-estate agent, and doesn't inspect or approve any housing. See a place in person before paying anything, and never send a deposit to someone you haven't met.
08 The marketplace — we are not a party to your transactions
Nestrel is a venue that connects students. When you buy, sell, give away, or trade an item, arrange housing, or agree to any exchange, that agreement is solely between you and the other user. This is the most important thing to understand about how Nestrel works:
- We are not a party to any transaction, agreement, or arrangement between users.
- We do not process, hold, or handle payments. Any payment is arranged directly between users using their own chosen method.
- We do not verify, inspect, guarantee, or take responsibility for the quality, safety, legality, or accuracy of any item, listing, or housing arrangement.
- We do not guarantee that any buyer or seller will complete a transaction, show up, pay, or behave honestly.
- We provide no escrow, no buyer protection, no seller protection, and no dispute resolution. Disputes between users are between those users.
Meet safely. For in-person exchanges, we strongly encourage meeting in public campus locations during daytime, bringing a friend, and trusting your judgment. You accept all risk associated with meeting and transacting with other users.
Offering a service
If you offer a service — tutoring, hair, photography, moving help, or anything else — you agree that:
- You're allowed to do it. You have any skill, licence or permission the work needs, and doing it doesn't break Caldwell University policy, including its residence-hall rules.
- Tutoring means teaching. Helping someone understand their coursework is welcome. Doing it for them — writing papers, completing assignments, taking quizzes or exams — is academic dishonesty and is not allowed (section 06).
- It's accurate. Your price, what's included and your experience are described honestly.
- The arrangement is yours. Like everything in this section, a service is agreed between you and the other student. Nestrel doesn't vet providers, handle payment, or guarantee the result.
09 Clubs & events
- Events on Nestrel are organised by clubs and university offices, not by Nestrel. The organiser is responsible for the event, including following Caldwell's rules for student organizations and events.
- You attend any event, and meet anyone, at your own risk.
- Some events link to outside services — for example, a payment app for a ticket or dues. Those services are not ours, have their own terms, and any payment is between you and the organiser.
- An RSVP is not a ticket or a guarantee of entry. Events can change or be cancelled; we'll try to tell you in the app when that happens, but the organiser is responsible for it.
10 Your content & feedback
You keep ownership of the listings, photos, messages, and other content you post ("Your Content"). Content you publish for a club as an officer — posts, polls, event details and photos — counts as Your Content too. By posting, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, and distribute Your Content within Nestrel for the purpose of operating the platform. This license ends when you delete the content or your account, except for copies that remain in backups until they're replaced, and moderation records we keep for a limited time, as described in Privacy Policy, section 07.
You are responsible for Your Content and confirm you have the right to post it. We may remove content that violates these Terms, but we are not obligated to review or monitor content and are not responsible for content posted by users.
Feedback. Ideas, suggestions and bug reports you send us about Nestrel are welcome. You agree we can use them to improve Nestrel without owing you anything for them. We won't publish your name with your feedback without asking.
11 Copyright & takedowns
Only post photos, text and other material you created or have permission to use. If you believe something on Nestrel infringes your copyright, send a notice to our copyright agent with:
- your name, contact details, and your physical or electronic signature;
- the work you believe is infringed, and where on Nestrel the infringing material is (a link or clear description);
- a statement that you believe in good faith the use isn't authorised by the owner, its agent, or the law; and
- a statement, under penalty of perjury, that your notice is accurate and that you are the owner or authorised to act for the owner.
If your content was removed and you believe that was a mistake, you can send a counter-notice to the same address. We remove material that is the subject of a valid notice, and we terminate the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe others' copyrights.
12 Reports, moderation & appeals
To report a listing, use the Report option on it. To report a conversation, use Report in the chat. Reporting a conversation lets our moderators read it, up to the moment you report it (see our Privacy Policy, section 05). To report anything else — a person, a club post, a photo, or an event — email us at amahledigitalcreatives@gmail.com and tell us what happened (a screenshot helps). We review reports as quickly as we can, but Nestrel is not monitored around the clock.
We may, at our discretion, remove listings or content, and warn, suspend, or permanently remove accounts that violate these Terms or that we reasonably believe pose a risk to other users. Where we remove a listing as an administrator, we aim to record a reason, and you can appeal from the app. Suspension hides your listings from other users; if a suspension is lifted, your listings are restored to their prior state. Creating a new account to get around a suspension or ban is itself a violation of these Terms.
13 Your safety
- In an emergency, call 911 or Caldwell's Campus Safety. Don't rely on Nestrel to get help.
- If another student has sexually harassed or assaulted you, you can report it to Caldwell's Title IX office as well as to us.
- Keep conversations in Nestrel until you've met someone and feel comfortable sharing more. You never have to share your phone number.
14 Disclaimers
Nestrel is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. As a beta product, Nestrel may contain bugs, may be interrupted or unavailable, and may lose or fail to save data. We do not warrant that the platform will be secure, error-free, or continuously available. We do not vet users beyond confirming their school email, and we are not responsible for what users say or do, on Nestrel or off it.
15 Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, KR (doing business as Amahle Digital Creatives) and Nestrel will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, profits, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the platform — including, without limitation, any dispute, transaction, injury, loss, or damage arising between you and another user.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability to you for any claim relating to Nestrel will not exceed USD $100. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.
16 Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless KR (doing business as Amahle Digital Creatives) and Nestrel from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your use of the platform, Your Content, your transactions or interactions with other users, or your violation of these Terms or of the law.
17 Termination
You may stop using Nestrel at any time, and ask us to delete your account by emailing us
from your @caldwell.edu address (see Privacy
Policy, section 08). We may suspend or terminate your access at any time if you violate these Terms or if we discontinue the
platform. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including your
accountability, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and indemnification) will survive.
18 Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms as Nestrel develops. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date above. Material changes may also be communicated in the app — and if a change affects how your information is collected, used, or shared, we'll tell you in the app before it takes effect and say plainly what is changing. Continuing to use Nestrel after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.
19 Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be brought in the state or federal courts located in New Jersey, and you consent to their jurisdiction.
20 General
- Whole agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the whole agreement between you and us about Nestrel.
- If part doesn't hold. If a court finds any part of these Terms unenforceable, the rest still applies.
- No waiver. If we don't enforce a rule once, we can still enforce it later.
- Transfer. You can't transfer your account or these Terms. We may transfer them if Nestrel is transferred — for example, once the business is formally registered.
- Agreeing electronically. Ticking the boxes when you create your account is your electronic signature, and it binds you just as a signature on paper would. We keep a record of when you agreed and to which version.
- Messages from us. You agree we can contact you electronically — in the app or by email — about your account, these Terms, and the service.
- No partnership. Using Nestrel doesn't make you our employee, agent, or partner.
21 Contact
Questions about these Terms, a report, or a legal notice? Reach us at amahledigitalcreatives@gmail.com. Nestrel's website is nestrel.org.