Pre-Employment Screenings

Policy number: 7.3

Policy section: Human Resources

Revised Date: January 2, 2019

1. Policy Statement

The University will conduct pre-employment screenings, including criminal background checks, on all finalist candidates for faculty, staff, and part-time positions. All employment offers are contingent upon the finalist's successful completion of the pre-employment screening process.

2. Purpose

Pre-Employment screenings are necessary to provide a secure and safe environment for University employees, students, and others, and to protect and safeguard the assets and resources of the University.

3. Applicability

As a condition of employment, the University requires all prospective employees to provide written consent to pre-employment screening of background information relevant to their potential employment and position. The pre-employment screening may include verification of the candidate’s education, criminal record, and credit history. The University may also require any temporary employment agencies, vendors, or subcontractors, to conduct pre-employment screenings on any applicant or candidate who will be providing or performing services on behalf of the University, or on any SMU campus.

4. Department Administrative Rules, Procedures, and Guidelines

The Department of Human Resources, under the purview of the Vice President for Business and Finance, has oversight and administrative responsibility for this policy and shall promulgate departmental rules, procedures, and guidelines pursuant to this policy. Detailed information regarding verification of education credentials and criminal history can be found in Appendix A below.

5. Questions

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Department of Human Resources at hradmin@smu.edu.

Appendix A: Verification of Education Credentials and Criminal History

The Department of Human Resources is responsible for verifying education credentials and criminal history.

  1. Prospective employees who have received a conditional offer of employment must complete a consent form before the University will begin any pre-employment screenings. The University will provide information to a contracted third-party vendor who will conduct the pre-employment screenings, in compliance with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.Verification of credit history will be conducted if the position has financial responsibilities as defined by the University.
  2. The Department of Human Resources will review and evaluate all adverse results on criminal or credit history reports. The Department of Human Resources will consult with other University officials as needed during the review process. Together, a determination will be made on eligibility for hire. The risk to the University and the impact on the ability of the individual to perform the essential duties of the position will be evaluated.
  3. All information pertaining to adverse results and investigations is considered confidential and will be kept secured in the Department of Human Resources. The Department of Human Resources will also monitor hiring decisions to ensure consistent application of criteria used to deny employment.
  4. An SMU hiring official may conduct additional pre-employment screening measures, as deemed necessary and appropriate, in consultation with (and subject to the approval of) the Department of Human Resources.
  5. Prospective employees who have received a conditional offer of employment must complete a consent form before the University will begin any pre-employment screenings. The University will provide information to a contracted third-party vendor who will conduct the pre-employment screenings, in compliance with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
  6. Verification of credit history will be conducted if the position has financial responsibilities as defined by the University.

Revised: January 2, 2019

Adopted: June 1, 1994

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