Chicago State University - College of Education

Background Check

Announcement – October 20, 2009

Don't wait until January to start the background check process!
Effective October 1, 2009, the Criminal Background Check (CBC) process for students enrolled in education classes with field experiences can be fully implemented. A limited set of on-campus sessions for students to get their fingerprint scanned is available through early November. After the last scheduled on-campus date, students will need to go to an alternate location. Questions may be directed to the Dean’s Office <coefingerprint@csu.edu>.

General Procedure to Obtain Criminal Background Check
The College of Education has arranged for Accurate Biometrics Company to conduct the Criminal Background Check (CBC) process that will access the State of Illinois and the FBI Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) databases. Candidates registered for courses tied to field experiences that require being placed in a school, or in direct contact with a minor, must undergo a background check. Courses requiring field placement are noted in the CSU Catalog. As of October 1, the candidate should do the following:

(1) Download the Fingerprint Application Form.

(2) Plan ahead to arrange payment of the $52.00 fee to Accurate Biometrics by Cash, Company Check, Money order, Cashier's Check, or MasterCard/Visa. NO PERSONAL CHECKS ACCEPTED.

(3) Take your completed Fingerprint Application Form, your selected fee payment option, and your Driver’s License or Government-Issued Identification to an Accurate Biometrics location. (Call 1-866-361-9944 or visit http://www.accuratebiometrics.com for an up-to-date list of locations). Alternatively, send an email to coedu@csu.edu to set an on-campus appointment. Appointment dates will be posted on the COE Calendar page [http://www.csu.edu/CollegeOfEducation/coecalendar.htm].

Procedure After the Background Check is Obtained
Once the candidate has completed the criminal background check, he/she is required to:
(1) Provide written proof of the criminal background check to the CSU faculty member in whose class he/she is enrolled.

(2) Depending on the placement site’s requirements, an additional criminal background check may be required prior to candidate placement. The College of Education’s CBC does not preclude a placement site from conducting its own criminal background check (including fingerprinting), depending on the site’s operational policy. Furthermore, if a placement site changes policies regarding background checks, the candidate may be required to comply with additional checks.

(3) If a placement site changes background check policies after a candidate begins clinical experiences at that site, the candidate may be required to comply with additional checks in the timeframe designated by the placement site in order to complete the field experience or to begin the next placement at that site.

(4) Attach written proof of the criminal background results to your College of Education application.

Proof of a CBC must be provided prior to the candidate receiving the following forms:
·     Clinical Observation Report
·     Student Teaching Assignment Letter
·     Tutoring Timesheet

Candidates may be required to conduct an additional criminal background check if criminal activity is reported to the University by a law enforcement agency or other reliable source. In which case, the candidate will assume all required fees pertaining to additional criminal background checks. Information regarding additional verification of a candidate’s criminal background check can be obtained from the Office of Field Placement.

Procedure in Case of a Report
(1) The Director of the Office of Field Placement and the Dean of the College of Education (or his/her designee) will review all findings of criminal activity reported on CBCs on a case-by-case basis.

(2) Candidates will not be placed in schools, or in other tutoring or observation experiences, with individuals under the age of 21, if the background check determines that he or she has been convicted of criminal behavior that, by law, prohibits employability in a school setting.

(3) If criminal activity is reported, the Director of Field Placement will refer the case to the COE Admission and Standards Committee, as appropriate.

(4) The Admission and Standards Committee will review the case (for COE majors only) within one month after the disclosure or discovery of the information. The Committee will use the statutes in the Illinois State School Code, the Chicago State University Code of Student Conduct, the College of Education Code of Conduct and other applicable University and collegiate policies to educate themselves prior to making a decision.

(5) The Admission and Standards Committee will provide a formal, written recommendation to the Dean of the College of Education as well as to the candidate within two weeks after the case is reviewed. The content of the recommendation will include the committee’s findings and recommendations, the process undertaken by the committee, the basis upon which the committee came to a recommendation and the recommendation itself.

(6) Recommendations from the Admission and Standards Committee may be any of the following:

     A. Recommendations regarding continued matriculation at Chicago State University
          a) Allow the candidate to proceed in the academic program without restriction;
          b) Allow the candidate to proceed in the academic program with specified terms and conditions; or
          c) Drop/dismiss the candidate from the academic program.

     B. Recommendations at time of application to the College of Education
          a) Allow the candidate to continue his/her application for entry into the College of Education without restriction; or
          b) Discontinue the candidate’s application for entry into the College of Education,   prohibiting the candidate from further matriculation in the College.

(7) The Admission and Standards Committee decision is not grievable.

Disclaimer: The criminal background check process does not guarantee the safety of students, clients, faculty, or staff. The College does not guarantee, based on an acceptable criminal background check that candidates will be eligible to continue toward completion of their respective programs and/or to obtain a certification upon graduation.

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