All graduate students seeking employment with the University must pass an extensive background check as a condition for appointment starting Jan. 1, 2014.
The recently adopted policy will require all graduate student employees, including those paid by the hour, to go through checks similar to the ones required of most university employees.
"We are interested in creating a safe environment for our students... We want to provide protection," said George Crandell, associate dean of the Graduate School. "Currently, Auburn University requires background checks for its faculty and other employees.
"The only group that has not been included has been graduate students, and we thought it would be appropriate to bring all groups into the same process. When you look around the country, you see universities similar to Auburn have adopted these same policies."
When asked why graduate students have not always been a part of Auburn's employee background checks, Crandell said there seemed to be less concern for graduate students in years past. However, recent events at other universities have created cause for concern nationwide.
"Graduate students are in direct contact with undergraduate students, and they work in research laboratories," Crandell said. "They are important to the university's mission. We are working towards a safe environment for all students, graduate and undergraduate."
According to the new policy, the background report will include information on any former residences, aliases, state criminal history, county criminal history and sex offenses.
The basic background report, provided by national screening company Verified Credentials, will cost $35. Additional driving records will cost an extra $15.
Crandell said graduate students currently employed with the university will not be required to go through the background checks.
Individual departments can either pay for the background checks or have students charged for the service.
"The fact is there is a number of departments that require faculty, staff and already some graduate students to have background checks, and they are willing to cover those costs," Crandell said.
Crandell said the response from graduate students and departments has been generally positive, although there have been some questions raised about the procedure of the checks.
"Graduate students and faculty here at Auburn believe in the importance of campus safety, and the policy has received a lot of support already," Crandell said.
Anyone with questions about the new policy is asked to contact Crandell at crandgw@auburn.edu or Julie Reece at reeceju@auburn.edu.
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