5.2 Criminal Background Check


(Adopted 10-7-2013; Revised 6-13-2022)

East Central College is committed to providing a safe environment for students, employees, and members of the public. As part of this effort, the College will require criminal background checks of employees in accordance with this Policy.

Procedures

5.2.1 Employees (Revised 6-13-2022)

The College shall conduct a criminal background check on all new full-time and part-time employees before they are employed. This requirement extends to applicants who were previously employed by the College.  The College reserves the right to require any current employee to submit to criminal background checks or to rerun background checks for any employee at any time at the College’s expense. Any offer of new employment or continued employment is contingent upon the satisfactory outcome of the criminal background check, when required. The College has the sole and absolute discretion to determine whether the outcome is satisfactory for employment.

For purposes of this Policy, a “criminal background check” includes but may not be limited to investigating criminal history for misdemeanors and felonies on the county, state, and federal levels and reviewing sex offender registries nationwide.

Employees who have been hired prior to the implementation of this procedure may be subject to a criminal background check based on the position and/or teaching requirements and location.

Mandatory criminal background checks are required for the following categories of positions:

  • Employees performing College work at a site located in a public school district
  • Head coaches and assistant coaches
  • Full-time faculty and adjunct instructors in designated academic/technical programs including but not limited to Health Science Programs, Teacher Education, Health Information Management, and Computer Information Systems

5.2.2 College Notification (Revised 6-13-2022)

As a condition of continuing to work within the College, an employee must notify the Director of Human Resources if the employee is convicted or otherwise found guilty of any felony, regardless of the imposition of sentence. This notification must be made as soon as possible, but no later than two (2) working days after the event.

5.2.3 Confidentiality

Information received by the College pursuant to a criminal background check is confidential. The College will only use this information for internal purposes in determining the suitability of an applicant or employee. The College will keep this information in a location that is only accessible to persons who need to know the information to carry out their responsibilities with the College. The College will comply with all applicable laws regarding criminal background checks.

5.2.4 Consequences

Any offer of new employment or continued employment is contingent upon the outcome of the criminal background check, when required. The College will provide applicants or employees whose criminal background checks contain information upon which the College might base an adverse employment action an opportunity to explain or dispute the relevant information.  In all cases, the College has the sole and absolute discretion to determine whether the outcome is satisfactory for employment.

The College President or designee is directed to exclude any person from employment who refuses to submit to a background check or to take disciplinary action for current employees refusing to submit to a background check.

The College President or designee is directed to exclude any person from employment based upon the position, or to take action to terminate employment based upon the position, whose criminal background check reveals that they have exhibited behavior that is violent or harmful to others.