• Beginning Spring 2025, all students at St. Norbert College who apply for admission to teacher education (Arch 1) must undergo a federal and state background check through our vendor, ViewPoint Screening. St. Norbert College Teacher Education is unable to accept background checks completed by other providers. Students who apply for admission and have passed the background check process are eligible for admission to teacher education, pending other admission requirements. 

• Starting Spring 2025, all students at St. Nobert College who apply for admission into student teaching (Arch 2), must undergo a federal and state background check through our vendor, ViewPoint Screening. St. Norbert College Teacher Education is unable to accept background checks completed by other providers. Students who apply for admission and have passed the background check process are eligible for student teaching, pending other admission requirements. 

• Faculty and/or The Director of Teacher Education will help initiate the background check procedure for admission into the program. The Associate Director of Clinical Experiences will also assist in initiating this procedure for student teaching. 

• Student applicants are responsible for all fees required to complete the background checks.

• Students completing their background checks must answer all questions truthfully and honestly. Falsification, omission, and misrepresentation on any form may constitute grounds for denying admission into the program, program progression (dismissal), or admission into student teaching. 

• St. Norbert College reserves the right to request an additional background check at any point in a student’s program of enrollment in teacher education. 

• Results of criminal background checks may be shared with school districts where students are placed for clinical field experiences. 

Note: Some districts may require additional criminal background investigations beyond what is required by St. Norbert College and these additional requirements might include additional costs to students. 

St. Norbert College Teacher Education has selected ViewPoint Screening as the vendor authorized to provide this service. The cost is $50 or $33 depending if it is the first time you are using ViewPoint or the 2nd time (recheck). It usually takes 48-72 hours to receive the results. You will need to pay via credit card or debit card.  The appropriate course instructor, Associate Director of Clinical Experiences, or Director of Teacher Education will tell you when to complete this step.  ONLY When instructed to do so, complete the following steps to create an account and submit your order:

Student Directions

1. To complete your required background check, please go to the following website: https://www.viewpointscreening.com/snc 

2.  If you are using ViewPoint Screeening for the first time, you will need to select Background Check which should cost $50. 

3.  If this is the second time you are using ViewPoint Screening, you will need to select ReCheck Background Check and it will only cost $33

Please use the following handout to help you complete your background check:  CLICK HERE

Teacher Education students must self-report any alleged criminal misconduct charge they receive after their federal & state background check for program admission and/or student teaching admission is completed. This is true regardless of where the alleged criminal misconduct occurs: on campus, off campus, in-state, or out-of-state. 

Minor traffic incidents (speeding violations, parking tickets, etc.) are not required to be reported; however, any and all other legal violations should be reported to the Teacher Education program as soon as possible. When in doubt, it is better to report information than to find out later that it should have been reported. 

Failure to report one’s alleged criminal misconduct may result in the termination of the student from the Teacher Education program. 

Charges/convictions must be reported to the Director of Teacher Education and the Associate Director of Clinical Experiences as soon as possible, but no later than five business days after the incident. If a student intends to report to a school for a field placement, the student must contact the Director of Teacher Education and the Director of Field Placements and Licensure BEFORE attending the placement. 

Failure to report any incident may result in dismissal from The Teacher Education program or failure of the candidate’s education courses.

• A criminal background check response that has NO records 

• A criminal background check that includes records that are not automatic denials by the Department of Public Instruction (see automatic denials below) 

• A criminal background check that includes records, but, after further review are not deemed to meet the definition of immoral conduct (see description in "flagged" section). 

The existence of criminal charges and/or a criminal record (misdemeanor or felony) does not automatically preclude candidates from admission to the program, program progression, admission to student teaching, or endorsement for licensure. 

Each individual circumstance will be evaluated by the Review Committee which includes the Director of Teacher Education, the Associate Director of Clinical Experiences, and the Teacher Education faculty/staff.

***Note: Even though a teacher candidate might be allowed to continue in the program, it is possible that some school districts might not allow the candidate to complete a field placement in their schools. 

 The following offenses, however, will result in an automatic denial of a licensure application from the Department of Public Instruction as directed in Wisconsin Statute Chapters 115 and 118. Therefore, if candidates’ records indicate any of the following items, the candidate will be dismissed from the Teacher Educator program immediately: 

• Applicant is certified “delinquent” by the WI Department of Revenue for paying taxes 

• A Class A, B, C, or D felony under ch. 940 or 948, except ss. 940.08 and 940.205, for a violation that occurs on or after September 12, 1991.

• A Class E, F, G, or H felony under ch. 940 or 948, except ss. 940.08 and 940.205, for a violation that occurs on or after February 1, 2003.

•  Any of the following, if the violation occurs on or after March 24, 2024:

  • 1. 1. A violation of s. 942.08, 942.09 (2), 948.098, 948.10, or 948.11 (2) (a).

       2. A felony violation of s. 943.20 if the property belonged to the school district.

       3. A violation of federal law or the law of any other state or jurisdiction that would be a violation of subd. 1. or 2. or par. (a) or (b) if committed in this state.

Additionally, the following may result in denial of a licensure application from the Department of Public Instruction as directed in Wisconsin Administrative Code PI 34: 

• Applicant is “incompetent” 

• Candidate has engaged in “immoral conduct” as defined in Wisconsin Statute Chapter 118. Immoral conduct means conduct or behavior that is contrary to commonly accepted moral or ethical standards and that endangers the health, safety, welfare or education of any pupil. “Immoral conduct” includes the intentional use of an educational agency’s equipment to download, view, solicit, seek, display, or distribute pornographic material. 

***Note: Even though a teacher candidate might be allowed to continue in the program, it is possible that some school districts might not allow the candidate to complete a field placement in their schools. 

The Director of Teacher Education and The Associate Director of Clinical Field Experiences in consultation with the Dean of Health and Human Services will review all cases where any records are found, and where “incompetence” or “immoral conduct” are a concern. 

A written decision will be issued to the teacher candidate within two weeks of receiving background check results that exhibit records (i.e. has been flagged). 

Review Committee: Teacher Education faculty and staff members including the Director of Teacher Education and the Associate Director of Clinical Experiences will meet to review the student’s self-reporting statement, and decide on the student’s progress/continuation in the Teacher Education Program. 

Further Review or Termination: The student, the student’s advisor, the Director of Teacher Education, and the Associate Director of Clinical Experiences will be notified in cases where further review is required or where termination is necessary. 

Appeal: To appeal the committee’s decision, a student must contact the Dean of Health and Human Services to initiate an appeal in writing.