Student Employment | University of Colorado at Boulder

Background checks for student hourly and work-study employees

CU-Boulder has adopted a policy requiring pre-employment background checks for security sensitive positions. Links to the following documents are available at Human Resources' -Polices and Procedures- web page at http://www.colorado.edu/humres/policies/.

-Background Checks for Security-sensitive Positions and Officers
-Guidelines for Requesting and Reviewing Background Check Data

As noted in the policy, the Student Employment Office will provide guidance to appointing authorities on the types of undergraduate student employee (versus student faculty) duties and responsibilities that should be designated as Security-sensitive. Appointing authorities will determine which positions meet the criteria for Security-sensitive designation.

The list below is not intended to be exhaustive. Some of these duties trigger a mandatory background check, and those are indicated with an asterisk (*). CU-Boulder encourages Criminal and/or Financial Background Checks for positions determined by campus appointing authorities as reasonable given the responsibility of the position. You are not limited to the duties in this list; it is the appointing authority that must make the final determination as to which position(s) meet the criteria outlined in the policy.

Responsibility for providing patient care, or child care in a child care center as defined by state law *
Access to keys to residential facilities *
Access to “select agents and toxins,” or “controlled substances” as defined under state and federal law *
Requires a valid driver’s license *
Operates a university vehicle *
Access to master keys for any CU-Boulder facility
Access to student/employee personally identifiable information including but not limited to access to SIS and HRMS
Cash handling or authority over large sums of money
Responsibility for providing personal security, like a security guard or safety escort

The Human Resources Department provides pre-employment background check services to campus appointing authorities at no charge. Because use of federal and state law enforcement databases for conducting employment related background checks is prohibited, the Human Resources Department uses a third party vendor called HireRight, to conduct the background checks. Contract background check agencies obtain information through commercial agreements with court reporting systems in each state.

Departments are asked to forward background check request applications to the Human Resources Department. The Background Disclosure and Authorization application form and a document outlining process for submitting the application are available on the Human Resources Policies and Procedures page: http://www.colorado.edu/humres/policies/