Longwood University Chief Administration and Finance Officer:  Human Resources  201 High Street, Lancaster 335, Farmville, VA  23909            Phone: 434.395.2074        Fax: 434.395.2666

Policy 5203
APPLICANT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS

I.     PURPOSE

While good reference checking is always a benefit, there are positions on a college campus which require additional due diligence to avoid creating unnecessary risks for the institution.

II.     APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to full-time, wage, temporary and seasonal employees of the institution seeking
to occupy positions that are determined to require a state criminal background investigation.

III.     DEFINITION

Criminal Conviction: a criminal conviction is an adjudicated wrong that violates a state, federal or 
military statute.

IV.     POLICY

State criminal background investigations will be conducted for all final applicants for positions that 
meet the criteria in Section IV. A satisfactory result will be required before an offer of employment is
extended. Investigations revealing false application statements relating to criminal convictions will result 
in disqualification from the recruitment process.

A. Relevancy: The conviction must be relevant to the nature of the work of the position for which the applicant has applied. In other words, there has to be a nexus between the nature of the offense and the risks posed by the position. For example, a fraud conviction would be relevant to a cashiering position. A conviction for disorderly conduct would not.

B. Severity: Generally all felony convictions are severe and may result in disqualification from further consideration.

C. Recency: A conviction for flag burning in 1968 would be generally irrelevant to a position being applied for presently.

D. Identification of Positions Requiring Criminal Background Investigations:

1. Financial positions which:

a. have substantial access to cash or negotiable securities;

b. carry authority for executing or approving substantial expenditures or contracts; or

c. have responsibility for creating, collecting, or accounting for substantial levels of accounts receivable.

2. Inventory control positions which:

a. include significant volumes of Institution owned inventory, including receipt and release of inventory.

3.  Sensitive information positions which:

a. have access to sensitive data or critical processing system.

4. High student contact positions which:

a. have significant contact with large student populations; or

b. have regular, unsupervised key access to private living spaces of students.

5. Campus Police and building security positions; 

6. Commercial Vehicle or Heavy Equipment Operator positions.

V.     PROCEDURE

A. Identification: At the beginning of the recruitment process, the criteria described in Section IV should be applied to determine if the position will be subject to state criminal background investigation requirements. Financial positions, information technology positions, police officers, coaches, resident education coordinators and heavy equipment operators/drivers are the most likely to fall into this category.

B. Position Advertising: All forms of advertisement for positions subject to state criminal background investigations will require the following language: 

"Offer of employment is subject to satisfactory completion of a state criminal background
        investigation."

C. Costs: The Department will bear costs, if any, associated with the investigation.

D. Requests: Requests for state criminal background investigations shall be made in writing by the Office of Human Resources to the Chief of Campus Police. The Chief will process the request and furnish the Office of Human Resources with written notice as to whether or not the investigation was satisfactory or adverse. Any printouts or other writings generated by the investigation shall be shredded subsequent to notice of satisfactory completion being received by the Office of Human Resources. The Chief of Campus Police shall keep adverse reports on file for twelve (12) months.

Approved by the Board of Visitors December 1, 2001.
Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, September 7, 2002.

Back to the Table of Contents                                                                        Next Policy