School of Health Sciences Criminal Background Check Policy

PURPOSE

This policy is designed to protect the Greenville Technical College community of health care consumers from services provided by students who have documented illegal and unethical behaviors. These requirements also allow the programs within the School of Health Sciences to comply with the clinical/externship affiliation agreements.

POLICY

Some programs in the school are required to have an acceptable criminal background check according to the guidelines below. Students are responsible for the cost of pre-admission and any additional required background checks.

PROCEDURE

  1. A multi-state record check will be conducted for all students for at least seven years prior to admission.
  2. Upon acceptance into a program, students will receive instruction forms in their college email account. The student is required to complete this online registration in its entirety. Failure to comply with instructions or the completion deadline will affect the student’s ability to start in the program.
  3. Convictions of, pleas of guilty, pleas of nolo contendere (no contest), or possibly any pending criminal charges during the past seven years may prevent the student from meeting the CBC requirements. Additionally, regardless of the timeframe in which a student is convicted (even if greater than seven years), of crimes involving violence against a person including but not limited to: murder, manslaughter, use of deadly force, assault and battery (other than simple), sex crimes, abuse, neglect, mistreatment and/or abandonment of children and/or the elderly, abduction, or robbery and/or any crimes involving cruelty against animals including but not limited to: neglect, mistreatment, abandonment, fighting or baiting, stealing animals, or malicious injury at any time may prohibit a student from being enrolled in or continuing to progress in programs.
  4. If the results document a criminal record, they may be sent to the school’s primary clinical facility to be reviewed for a determination of whether the student will or will not be allowed in clinical. The healthcare facility will send, in writing, a statement to the school whether the student has approval to attend clinical rotations. The school applies this ruling to all clinical sites unless other clinical sites have requested a review due to more stringent standards. Students are required to meet standards of all clinical sites frequented by students within the program. Programs who do not participate in hospital based clinical rotations will rely on professional regulations and standards for CBC review.
  5. Any convictions that qualify for expungement must be expunged prior to applying to a program and are preferable to pardons. Pardons from the governor do not remove convictions from the criminal record. Pardons are not accepted by all facilities. This can prevent students from entering a program.
  6. The school will inform any student with an unacceptable CBC of their status and options.
  7. Although violations on a CBC may not prohibit program acceptance/progression, they may not be acceptable for certification/licensure within the discipline. It is the student’s responsibility to verify eligibility to meet professional requirements of their chosen discipline prior to starting the program by contacting the appropriate professional certification/licensing agencies. If the student is unsure of how to contact licensing or registry boards, they should contact the Academic Program Director or Department Head in writing to request contact information.
  8. Each student must report within three business days to the Academic Program Director and the Dean’s Office for the school any arrests and/or criminal charges or convictions filed subsequent to the completion of the CBC. Failure to report may result in the administrative withdrawal from the program.
  9. Any student who changes programs or is not enrolled in a program for at least 12 months may be required to complete a new CBC upon re-entry.
  10. All background results of currently enrolled students will be made available to clinical/externship agencies upon request. Some agencies require submission of the criminal background reports prior to the student’s start of clinical/externship rotation.
  11. If a clinical/externship agency refuses to allow a student to participate in clinical/externship experiences, the student will not be able to progress in his/her program and may be dismissed from the program.