Background Check Program FAQs 1. Why does UAB conduct background checks? The University is deeply committed to the safety of all of our students, faculty, staff, patients, visitors and constituents, as well as the physical security of our academic and medical campuses. A key component of our safety and security efforts is the new Background Check Program (BCP). The BCP will include all new faculty hires (full-time regular, part-time regular, full-time temporary, irregular), post-doctoral fellows and trainees, and credentialed credit course instructors. Employment background investigations will not be conducted on current employees, unless their employment status changes to a classification which is subject to background checks. 2. Who is subject to background checks? A pre-employment background investigation will be performed on individuals in the final stages of recruitment to UAB. This policy applies to all faculty and staff in the following assignment categories: Full-time regular, Part-time Regular, Full-time Temporary, Part-time Irregular Faculty, Credentialed Credit Course Instructors, Post-Doctoral Fellows and Post- Doctoral Trainees. For staff positions, the background investigation must be completed prior to an offer of employment. Due to the nature of faculty and post-doctoral appointments, the background investigation will be completed prior to final approval of employment. 3. What types of background checks are conducted? Criminal history checks Alabama statewide, nationwide federal, and national sex offender -- are conducted for all candidates. Motor vehicle related convictions (such as DUI convictions) appear on these records. Checks are also conducted in states or countries of other residence. OIG/GSA national databases. Education verifications are also completed for the candidate. 4. When does the policy take effect? Effective May 1, 2012, the university will begin conducting background checks on all faculty finalist candidates, postdoctoral fellows, credentialed credit course instructors. Volunteer faculty are not included in this process.
5. Does a candidate have to give permission or consent for a check to be conducted? Yes. If a candidate declines to give permission or fails to give all of the information required to run a background investigation, one will not be conducted. A person who fails to give permission or does not provide all the information needed cannot be employed since background checks are a condition of employment. 6. Does a finalist candidate have to disclose prior convictions? The UAB background check program does include a self-disclosure feature; which will be obtained by the Background Check Coordinator. Each offer letter states that employment is contingent upon a successful background check. 7. What if the finalist candidate is offered a position from an advertisement that appeared prior to the new policy? Finalist candidates who are selected based on a faculty recruitment advertisement that was in effect prior to the implementation of the university s background check policy will not be subject to a background check. For example, if your department opened a position for recruitment in October 2011 and placed an ad at that time; the candidate chosen from this ad will not be subject to a background check. 8. What happens if adverse information (a conviction or discrepancy) is revealed during a background check? The Background Check Coordinator (BCC) will contact the candidate to discuss details; the finalist candidate with be sent an adverse results letter. If the BCC finds that the information revealed on the initial screening is erroneous, an all clear will be issued and the hiring department will proceed with the hire.
9. Will candidate offer letters need to include background check information? Yes. All offer letters must include language to notify candidates that all faculty candidates are subject to a successful background check. The following statement(s) must be included. Please note that the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducts a review of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the General Services Administration (GSA) exclusions lists to establish eligibility for each faculty member (or postdoctoral fellow/trainee) to receive federal funding. These databases are maintained by the federal Government to identify individuals who are excluded from participating in payments by Federal programs or contracts. Additionally, the university conducts pre-employment background investigations on final candidates including postdoctoral fellows and trainees. The review includes a criminal history background check, degree (education) verification and employment history verification. You will receive information electronically requesting your consent to allow the university to conduct this investigation. In the event that the background check has not been completed at the time your appointment begins, your appointment will be conditioned upon receipt of a background check report that is acceptable to the university. Before a final decision is made to rescind an appointment because of a background check result, you will receive a copy of the background check report and you will have an opportunity to provide explanatory information. 10. Who obtains the background check consent from the finalist candidate the department, the Provost Office or HR? The finalist candidate will grant consent for a background check by completing and responding to an email consent request; which will be generated by the ESS system. The Background Check Coordinator will enter the preliminary information (name and email address) into the ESS system to initiate a request for consent. The hiring unit/department will request a background check by submitting a BACKGROUND CHECK FORM to the BCC; via email to: Facultybcc@uab.edu.
11. Who conducts the background checks? The university has contracted with a third-party agency, Employment Screening Services (ESS) of Birmingham to conduct all faculty and post-doc fellows and trainees background checks. 12. How long does it take to get the results of a background check? Two working days for domestic; international checks may take as long as two weeks to complete. The third-party vendor, ESS, is committed to processing employment background investigations for UAB within this timeframe. 13. Can a candidate begin work before the background check is complete? Yes. The offer letter states that employment is contingent upon a successful background check; if the background check results are adverse, employment may be terminated. 14. Does a previous criminal conviction automatically eliminate a finalist candidate from consideration for employment; or in the case when a candidate has begun work does it mean immediate dismissal? No. In consultation with the Background Check Coordinator and/or a review from the Office of the Provost, Chief HR Officer, Legal Counsel and the respective dean, a determination will be made as to whether the finalist candidate can be hired. 15. What should a candidate do if they experience technical issues or have questions while entering their information for consent into the ESS system? Candidates should contact ESS Customer Support (205-879-0143) with questions regarding the process for granting consent as well as any technical issues that they may encounter during the consent process. 16. What is the process for background checks for post-doctoral fellows? Postdoctoral fellows hired on or after May 1, 2012 will be subject to a preemployment background investigation. The Office of Postdoctoral Education will manage this process. Please contact their office for additional information.
17. Are background checks required for staff employees who transfer from staff- level positions to faculty positions? If the staff person did not undergo (choose another word) a background check upon initial hire into their staff position, the faculty candidate is subject to a background check, in accordance with university policy. 18. What if a faculty member or credentialed credit course instructor worked at UAB during the Spring of 2011, resigned in May 2011; but returns in the Fall of 2012, are they subject to background check. Yes. If the faculty member or credentialed credit course instructor has been separated from UAB for more than one-year; a background check will be required. 19. Are voluntary faculty subject to a background investigation? No. Voluntary faculty are not included in the background check program. 20. Do we have to include background check language in an offer letter dated May 1, 2012 or after for a recruitment that began prior to that date? No. In this scenario, the faculty recruitment ad that was used to recruit for this hire would not have included the specific background check language, therefore, this offer letter and hire is exempt from a background check. 21. For existing ads, which have been approved by the Provost s Office, will I need to place a new advertisement so that it includes the background check language? Ads that have been completely approved with faculty recruitment requests prior to May 1, 2012 will not have to be resubmitted or re-advertised, unless the following applies: Your recruitment advertisement is a general ad which runs continuously (annual cycle). a. For example, some School of Nursing General ads, Department of Pediatrics, and the Department of Surgery.
b. Your recruitment advertisement is set to expire and the department wants to renew or extend this recruitment request the renewal will need to include the background check language. 22. Where can I locate additional resource information about the Background Check Program? Policy information, specific language for recruitment advertisements and offer letters, along with frequently asked questions, and other useful links will be located at http://www.uab.edu/faculty 23. Is a background check required for a faculty member who retired or terminated (including Emeritus faculty) from UAB, but returns in an 04 irregular status? Yes. If the faculty member has been separated from UAB for more than oneyear; a background check will be required. 24. Is a background check required for a faculty member who terminated from UAB, but returns in a full-time regular, part-time regular, full-time temporary, CCCI, or irregular status? Yes. If the faculty member has been separated from UAB for more than oneyear; a background check will be required. 25. How will I know when the background check is complete; if it is okay to proceed with finalizing the hire/appointment of the candidate? The BCC will provide to the hiring unit (the requestor) and the Faculty Affairs Office an all clear to confirm that the hiring process can be completed for the finalist candidate. This will occur by email.
26. Exactly what information is included in an employment background investigation? The review includes a criminal history background check, degree (education) verification and employment history verification. 27. How do we obtain candidate consent for a background check? The BCC will communicate with the candidate via email to secure consent for a background check. 28. If a returning non-tenure track faculty member teaches every fall, for example, but doesn t teach in the spring or summer, is a new check required each year? If the faculty member has been separated from UAB for more than one-year; a background check will be required.