Beginning in Spring 2006, all students enrolled in Introduction to Education (ED 2111) will be required to go through a criminal background check process. A student must be cleared through their background check before they will be allowed to begin their 12-hour classroom observation experience for Introduction to Education and continue in the course. Refusal to submit to background check will result in student being withdrawn from Introduction to Education.
If the student background check is clear, the student will be notified in writing and individual observation assignments will be made so the student may begin their observation experience.
If the student fails the background check, that student will receive notification by certified letter and will be required to drop Introduction to Education and not reenroll until the background check process clears them. It should be noted that students must complete Introduction to Education course before taking any other professional education courses.
It is emphasized that the only persons who will have knowledge of the results of the student background check are the Director of Educator Preparation, the Chair of the School of Education, the Administrative Assistant in Educator Preparation, and the student’s faculty advisor. All results will be held in strict confidence and on a “need to know” basis. It should be noted that if the student transfers to another major here in SNU, results of the background check could be shared with that particular department’s chairperson. A copy of the individual background check results will be provided to the individual student upon written request to the Director of Educator Preparation.
Transfer students into the SNU’s Educator Preparation program will also be subject to the background check at the point of entrance into the program.
The current fee for the background check is $25.00 per student. The implementation in Spring 2006 will be a pilot program; therefore, the fee will be covered by SNU funds. Beginning in the Fall 2006, students will be responsible for the $25.00 fee that will be automatically added to the student’s account as a lab fee for Introduction to Education.
*Note: If the fee increases, the exact fee required will be only what is charged to students.
The background check will be conducted through ACCUFAX Screening Services, a national background check organization utilized by numerous state and national institutions.
Approved:
V.P. Academic Affairs (1/06)
Teacher Education Council (1/06)
ADDENDUM TO BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY
In addition to the background check policy implemented in Spring 2006, beginning in Fall 2006, all teacher candidates expecting to student teach will be required to submit to a criminal background check during Student Teaching Seminar of the semester they plan to student teach. Results must be obtained and on file in the Office of Educator Preparation before a student teacher will be allowed to report to their first student teaching assignment. If the teacher candidate fails the background check or refuses to submit to background check, the teacher candidate will be denied the opportunity to student teach. This denial notification will be made to the teacher candidate via certified letter. It should be noted that the teacher candidate shall be denied future student teaching opportunities until a subsequent background check clears them.
The $25.00 background check fee will be added to the teacher candidate’s account as a Student Teaching Fee beginning in Spring 2007.
*Note: If the fee increases, the exact fee required will be only what is charged to students.
Results of the background check and procedures following will be the same as stated in the original policy. These results will be shared with the particular school district where the student teacher is assigned only if requested by that particular district.
Addendum Approved:
University Provost (8/06)
Teacher Education Council (8/06)