Operations Manual

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2.4-2
BACKGROUND CHECK AND REFERENCE CHECK POLICY

Purpose

The University seeks to provide a safe learning and working environment for students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. Background and reference checks for job applicants are a valuable tool in identifying potentially troublesome or unqualified individuals.

Policy

Certain offers of employment are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check. Background checks will be conducted on all newly hired, administrative/professional, faculty and support staff members and on all employees who are promoted to a new position within these categories, as may be deemed necessary. Background checks may also be conducted on other employee groups including student employees as deemed necessary. Searches which may be performed include, but are not limited to:

Social Security - Validates the applicant's social security number, date of birth and former addresses.
Educational Verification - Confirms the applicant's claimed educational institution, including the years attended and the degree/diploma received.
Prior Employment Verification - Confirms applicant's employment with the provided companies, including dates of employment, position held, and additional information available pertaining to salary/wages, performance rating, reason for departure, and eligibility for rehire. This will be run on past two employers or 10 years, whichever comes first.
Multi-County Criminal - Reveals felony and/or misdemeanor records. Will be run on counties that applicants have listed on the release form and will be compared with results of the social security search. This will include counties of past residence for a period of up to seven years.
Federal Criminal History - Checks district courts for any crimes committed in violation of Federal Law in district of current residence.
Personal and Professional References - Calls may be placed to individuals listed as references by an applicant.

The following additional searches will be required if applicable to the position:

Motor Vehicle - Provides a report on an individual's driving history in the state requested. This search will be run when driving is an essential requirement of the position.
Credit History - Confirms candidate's credit history. This search will be run for positions that involve management of University funds and/or handling of cash.

Procedure

After a verbal employment offer is made, the chosen candidate must complete the Pre-Employment Certification/Release form and fax it to Employment & Compensation Services (Human Resources) at (989) 964-7066. It is the responsibility of the hiring manager to ensure that the Pre-Employment Certification/Release form is completed and returned to Human Resources after a verbal employment offer is made. Human Resources will notify the hiring manager upon receipt of the signed release. The chosen candidate is not to begin work prior to the hiring manager receiving approval from Human Resources.

Human Resources will order the background check upon receipt of the signed release form, and an employment screening service will conduct the check. The Coordinator of Employment will review all results.
The Coordinator of Employment will notify the hiring manager regarding the results of the check. In instances where negative or incomplete information is obtained, the appropriate management and the Director of Staff Relations will assess the potential risks and liabilities related to the job's requirements and determine whether the individual should be hired. If a decision not to hire or promote a candidate is made based on the results of a background check, there may be certain additional Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requirements, which are applicable. The Coordinator of Employment will be responsible for handling such FCRA requirements as necessary.
The University will follow all applicable Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requirements throughout the background check process. Any questions regarding FCRA may be directed to the Director of Staff Relations at (989) 964-4109.
Background check information will be maintained in a file separate from employees' personnel files.

The University reserves the right to modify this policy at any time without notice.

If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at (989) 964-4112 or (989) 964-4108. You may also e-mail questions to hr(at)svsu.edu.