Policy:

To comply with cprogram requirements, Health and Safety (SW-7 Health and Safety Requirements), background checks and drug screenings will be completed at the expense of the student.

Procedure:

Timing of the Background Check and Drug Screening

• Program requirements will determine the completion of a background check and/or drug screening.
• Students are provided instructions for the Clarkson College approved vendor to complete the background check and/or drug screening.
• Students must complete the required background check and/or drug screening prior to participation in degree or service experience.
• Students will not be allowed to progress in their course until the Program Director or designee reviews clearance documentation.
• Students must permit Clarkson College to review the results of the background check and/or drug screening to progress in their program by completing the Clinical FERPA Release. 
• Additional background checks and/or drug screening may be required with or without cause, as required by the clinical agency or Clarkson College, at the student’s expense.

Identification of Vendors

Background checks and drug screening results will only be accepted from a Clarkson College-approved vendor. All student information is kept confidential.

Allocation of the Cost                   

The student is responsible for the payment for any additional site-specific background check, drug screen, and all random drug screenings. 

Significant Findings in Background Check Report

Clarkson College cannot guarantee that students with significant findings in their background check will be permitted to participate in clinical rotations or be a candidate for licensure/certification in every state. 

Additionally, a prior conviction of a felony or misdemeanor may make a student ineligible for professional licensure, professional certification, or professional registration, depending on the specific regulations of the individual health profession and the state of practice.  

The student must meet the guidelines for prior criminal convictions of the agency where the clinical is scheduled. No special accommodation for alternative clinical placement will be made for the student.  

Alert on Background Check/Drug Screen            

Program Directors and/or designee have access to complete report details related to an alert on a background check and/or drug screen result. A Program Director and/or designee will counsel students with alerts on background checks to determine the outcome. Dilute negative drug screen results will require the student to repeat the drug screen. If the repeated drug screen has a dilute negative result, it will be the final result. Positive drug screen results will follow the steps referenced in the SW-15 Drug and Alcohol policy. This can be found in the Clarkson College Academic Catalog and Handbook. The College is not responsible for rectifying any inaccuracy in the student’s background check. 

Other Findings and Self-Reporting

Criminal activity while a student is enrolled at Clarkson College may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal, and will be addressed through the Clarkson College academic or disciplinary policies. The student must contact their Program Director and/or designee, and the Clinical Compliance Office within seventy-two (72) hours of any new charges against them involving criminal activity, including but not limited to theft, assault, and illegal drug/alcohol activity other than minor traffic violations, which could interfere with clinical placements or obtaining professional licensure.  

Failure to Report or Falsification

Failure to submit a background check or report a new charge(s) may result in suspension from all classes, clinical rotations, etc. until clearance documentation is provided in accordance with respective College procedures. Falsification of information, including omission of relevant information, may result in denial of admission or dismissal from the student’s program and will be addressed through Clarkson College’s academic and/or code of conduct policies. 

Confidentiality of Records          

A background check(s) and drug screening reports and all records pertaining to the results are considered confidential with restricted access.  

Request for access to records and reports outside of the Clinical Compliance Office must be approved by the Program Director and/or designee, prior to granting access. Information in the reports/records will not be shared with facilities participating in the clinical/service/externship experiences unless a legitimate need is demonstrated. Background check reports and other submitted information are confidential and may only be reviewed by Clarkson College officials and affiliated clinical facilities in accordance with the Family Educational Records and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

Recordkeeping

All records are housed in a vendor’s secured web portal used by Clarkson College. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain their records. The web portal is password protected.  

Review Process

The Program Director and/or designee will review background check reports for significant findings and make case-by-case determinations dependent on the type of offense/event in relation to the educational program. The offense/event will be reviewed for when the offense/event occurred, how old the student was, and if it was a repeated offense showing a pattern or a single event, along with the degree of the offense/event. The adverse finding may result in denial of admission or dismissal from the program. 

The Program Director and/or designee will meet with the student when the background check report includes significant findings and document or complete the Student Conference Form. Documentation/Student Conference form will be filed in the secured vendor portal.