Volunteer and Background Check

Background Check Disclosure

All persons, including faculty, academic appointees, employees, students, and volunteers who supervise a covered program or have direct contact with children in a covered program are subject to the screening requirements described in this section. “Direct Contact” means to provide instruction, care, supervision, guidance to or oversight and/or control over children through a covered program. The screening normally will include, at a minimum, College student discipline records, criminal history, and registered sex offender checks, records of which must be created and maintained for a minimum of three years.

The Office of Human Resources will conduct the screening of all Program Staff working in College-run programs and will maintain records of completed background checks, and these records will only be accessible through the HR office consistent with established policies and protocols. For information relating to criminal background screening, contact the Office of Human Resources at (847)-735-5036.

It is the responsibility of the director or supervisor of each Covered Program to ensure that Program Staff have background checks on file. It is recommended that background checks be updated every three years.

After completion of an initial background check, all Program Staff are expected to disclose any new arrests or convictions to their program director or supervisor within 72 hours of the occurrence and to cooperate in providing information necessary to evaluate the circumstances of the arrest and/or conviction.

Program Staff working in non-Lake Forest College sponsored programs will not be permitted to work with minors in a Covered Programs unless and until the director or supervisor of the program certifies in writing to the sponsoring department that criminal background checks have been conducted. The director or supervisor must also undertake to conduct and evaluate criminal background checks on any future Program Staff before they are hired or engaged.