Policy

St. Norbert College conducts background checks, including criminal checks, on all finalists for employment and volunteer positions. This helps ensure a safe and secure workplace, and ensures all employees and volunteers are qualified to perform their roles.

Before St. Norbert extends an offer of employment (including internal hires) or a volunteer role, its hiring authority or designee will verify the finalist’s:

• Professional references
• Employment history and past performance
• Professional license or certification, if required

Human Resources will also arrange the following record checks:

• Educational credentials for faculty and director-level and above positions for staff (highest degree earned)
• Commercial driver’s license, if applicable
• Motor vehicle (for roles in which driving is an essential function)
• Criminal background
• Credit history (for roles that manage significant funds or handle cash/credit cards)

Procedures

Permission to Conduct a Background Check
Employment and volunteer finalists will be asked to provide at least three professional or work references and to complete the Authorization of Disclosure and Release of Information form.

1. The hiring manager will conduct and document professional reference checks.
2. Human Resources will request a third-party background check provider to verify the identity, address and educational credentials of all finalists, plus review criminal and driving records (if necessary). The background check may include a credit report if the position requires significant financial accountability.

Assessing Background Check Results
If a finalist is found to have been convicted of a criminal offense, Human Resources will consider:

1. The relevance of the criminal conviction to the job or volunteer duties
2. The date of the most recent offense, and the finalist’s employment history since the crime was committed
3. The nature of the offense
4. The accuracy of the information the finalist provided on the disclosure form
5. Whether the finalist was treated as an adult for prosecution purposes if the finalist committed the felony as a minor.

Material Misrepresentations and Omissions
Any material misrepresentations or omissions on application materials, including the job application, résumé and curriculum vitae, may be grounds to reject the application or terminate any subsequent employment with the college.

Compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act
A third-party background check provider may uncover information that disqualifies a finalist from an employment or volunteer position. If that occurs, the college will notify the finalist of the information and give them a minimum of five days to refute, explain or correct the information.

Confidentiality
Any information obtained through this process will be kept confidential by Human Resources and released only in accordance with applicable law.

Background Checks for Children’s Center Employees and Volunteers: Special Provisions
Wisconsin’s Caregiver Law requires St. Norbert College, with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, to conduct a background investigation on anyone applying for an employment or volunteer position in a child-care center. At St. Norbert, this requirement applies to those working in its on-site Children’s Center. These background checks must be conducted every four years, and will be managed by Human Resources.