Background Checks
All employment offers to final candidates for all searches are contingent upon the successful completion of the University’s background checks, which includes two reviews, one at the national level and one at the state level (Virginia). These reviews will normally include employment verification, a social security trace, and criminal records checks at the local, state, national levels, and sex offender registry. Volunteers and others in designated roles must have a successful background check completion. Please see the University of Mary Washington’s Background Check Policy and Procedures.
UMW’s background check applies to the final candidate identified for volunteer, wage, classified, administrative/professional and faculty teaching positions, including adjunct and professional development positions.
This also applies to current employees who move into positions designated as sensitive as defined in the University’s background check policy, or whose current job duties are expanded to include those of a sensitive nature.
Part 1: UMW uses TrueScreen, a third-party vendor, to conduct national background checks. The charge for these checks is dependent upon a variety of factors (the number of localities the employee lived in over the last 7 years, the number of employers that must be checked, etc.), so the cost will vary.
Part 2: The Virginia State Police statewide criminal records checks are initiated by HR, and provide conviction information from all jurisdictions in Virginia, including where an individual may have been employed but not resided.
Virginia requires an individual to complete the background check authorization in the presence of a notary, which is not a viable process for third party vendors. These reports will be run concurrently with the TrueScreen requests and should not add any more time to this portion of the hiring process.
The cost per report will be a standard rate of $20.00.