Pre-Employment Background Investigation Policy

Authority: Business Affairs
Date Enacted or Revised: Enacted February 2016; Revised May 17, 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide information concerning pre-employment background investigations.

Policy Statement

An official pre-employment criminal history background investigation is a University-required component of the hiring process.

All new full-time and part-time classified and unclassified hires at the University, including teaching graduate assistants, are required to provide information through a website portal to begin the background investigation. Any other position, whether full-time or part-time, student or non-student, where there is interaction with students or minors may also require a criminal history background investigation.

Current regular employees are exempt from this process with the following exceptions:

  • When an employee terminates employment with the University for any amount of time and is being rehired into a regular position, a background investigation must be completed regardless of whether an investigation was done previously; or
  • Current employees transferred, promoted, or reassigned or that have disclosed a conviction may be required to complete a background investigation if the background investigation was not completed in a previous role.        

Procedure

The University of Louisiana System and McNeese State University authorize General Information Services, Inc. to conduct the pre-employment criminal history background investigation process. This process consists of the following components in a standard package:

• Social security number trace;
• County/parish criminal history search for misdemeanor and felony convictions;
• State sex offender search;
• Office of Foreign Assets Control search; and
• Enhanced nationwide criminal search.

In addition, a credit report check is required for all cash handling positions. Any adverse action notices required by law will be prepared by General Information Services and issued by the director of human resources and student employment.

All background investigations are processed in the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment through email invitation to the top candidate for a position. The candidate has 72 hours to reply to the email invitation and submit the required information to process the investigation. 

The director of human resources and student employment receives all pass or fail results, electronically, from General Information Services and informs appropriate University personnel.

A written offer of employment may not be made until the background investigation is complete.

Record Keeping and Retention

All personal information provided by applicants is filed and stored electronically in a secure database by General Information Services. All information is confidential and protected in the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage and all University hiring plans.