Revision Responsibility: Vice President of Academic Affairs

Responsible Executive Office: President/CEO

Purpose: To verify the accuracy of information on an employment application that has been provided by final candidates for specified positions or employees who are promoted, reclassified, or transferred to specified positions to ensure that individuals are selected or retained who possess the qualifications to perform the duties of the position most effectively and who are best able to serve the college. 

Policy:

Application of Policy to Applicants and Current Employees:

Platt College requires background checks of nursing faculty recommended for specified positions in allied health, including, but not limited to all part and full-time nursing/clinical faculty and clinical scholars. 
Circumstances may arise for which background checks of current employees would be necessary in order to determine whether their employment status with the College should be changed.

Individuals subject to background checks will be made aware of this practice at the earliest possible stage in the process.  All notices for recruitment, advertisements, job descriptions, and position vacancy announcements shall include a statement indicating that applicants may be subject to background checks.

The College President or his designee shall indicate positions within the college requiring background checks.

Restrictions:

Background checks may include, but are not limited to, confirmation of the individual’s identity; credit information; verification of required degree, certification or licensure for the specified position; employment and reference verification; motor vehicle record; or criminal conviction record, if any.

Initial appointment or continued employment to a specified position is contingent upon the completion of an acceptable background check. Written offers of employment shall contain notice of this contingency.
Background checks are to be completed prior to appointing a person to the position.  However, should a background check be initiated or the results provided after employment has begun, the results shall be used to assess the employee’s suitability for continued employment.

Employment contracts shall state that continued employment is contingent upon an acceptable background check.

The College will only consider criminal convictions or pleas of nolo contendre in determining the applicant or employee’s suitability for employment. Detention and/or arrest without conviction do not constitute valid grounds for employment decisions and cannot be considered in the decision-making process.

The College President is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the background information.  If the background check report contains information upon which it is determined that the candidate or employee does not possess the qualifications or characteristics necessary to perform the duties of the position most effectively or would not be the best candidate to serve the institution in the specified position, an offer of employment, promotion, reclassification, or transfer will not be made.

If adverse action is to be taken based in whole or in part on the information obtained from the background check, additional provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) shall be followed. Prior to taking adverse action, the College President and/or his designee must provide the candidate or employee with a copy of the background check report, along with a summary of rights.  (See Pre-Adverse Action Notification Form and Retraction of Employment Form)

Types of Background Checks:

• Felony and Misdemeanor Record
• Statewide-Central Repository
• Education Verification
• Employment Verification
• Financial Report
• Motor Vehicle Record
• Credential or Licensure Verification

Fees:

The background-checking agency conducting the background check will charge a fee for each check conducted.  Fees charged by the background-checking agency will automatically be charged to the College.

Procedure:

Background Checks:  

The Executive Administrative Assistant is responsible for completing the Background Investigation Request Form indicating the background checks to be conducted on each interviewee.  The Executive Administrative Assistant will send the background check request to the background-checking agency.

The Administrative Assistant will notify the Dean and/or Associate Dean of Nursing of the job-related results.

In all instances where information is obtained that would disqualify the candidate or employee, or make him/her a questionable risk for hire, promotion, reclassification, transfer, or continued employment, the Dean of Nursing will discuss the information with the College President and Vice President of Academic Affairs to ensure the decision is fair and legal, based upon the information obtained.

Maintaining Background Release Forms:

The Dean, School of Nursing will serve as custodian of the records for background check results.

Results on individuals who become employees of the college will be kept in the employee’s personnel file.

Background checks on individuals who were final candidates for a specified position but were not hired will be filed with the search materials.

Education Verification:

The Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for ensuring that valid official college transcripts are received for all full and part-time faculty employees.

Official college transcripts showing the applicable degree are also required for part-time (adjunct) faculty.

The Vice President of Academic Affairs and the selection committee are responsible for ensuring that prior employment and reference checks are completed on applicants for employment.  Written offers of employment must contain notice that appointment to the position is contingent upon completion of an acceptable background check.

Timeframe and Application:

Valid and cleared background checks that have been previously completed will only be accepted within six months of the employee’s official start date.All background checks must be completed through American DataBank.

Revised: August 4, 2009 Revised: January 17, 2011 to reflect revised organizational chart