Criminal Background Checks for New Employees
Policies and Procedures | Human Resources

After consultation with University insurance representatives upon the advice of our auditors, and effective immediately, the University is requiring criminal background checks of the finalist candidates for open administrative and clerical union budget-line positions (not student part-time employees) in the following administrative areas: Human Resources, Business & Finance, Business Office, Student Accounts, Financial Aid, Registrar, Security, Information Technology and Physical Resources. To screen more carefully prospective employees who will have control of or access to the University’s financial and physical assets, including finance and student records, any offer of employment you make must be contingent upon a satisfactory criminal background report. No prospective employee with such access or control may start work without this background clearance.

The procedures are as follows:

• Inform candidates you interview that employment is subject to a criminal background check by the University.
• Each serious candidate must complete and sign an official University application form.
• When you are ready to make an offer of employment, again advise your finalist candidate that the offer is contingent upon a satisfactory criminal background report. Give the finalist the release forms to sign.
• Forward the application form and the signed release forms to Human Resources as soon as possible.
• Process the routine paperwork for the appointment.
• HR will forward the release to our background check company.
• When we have received a clearance on the background check, we will notify you and process the other hiring paperwork you have already sent us.

At a minimum, for a local candidate, the University will be checking court records of Cook and two other metro-area counties in the background check process. The extent of the checking may be expanded due to the residential history of the candidate and other factors. A local background check normally takes 48 to 72 hours. Please anticipate the time needed to complete the background check in setting the candidate’s hire date. It is very important for you to send the information on your finalist to Human Resources, as soon as you make your decision, in order to minimize the delay.

If you have any questions about the implementation of this new policy, please contact Toyia K. Stewart, Director of Employment at ext. 2137 or her assitant, Sabrina Elms at ext. 2306.

Human Resources | Policies and Procedures