St. Olaf College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for its students, staff and faculty, and to protecting the material resources of the College. As part of our strategy to achieve this goal, the College conducts background checks on all new St. Olaf staff and faculty, on those employees who move to a substantially different position on campus, volunteers, and students in certain positions. Background checks are conducted to confirm the accuracy of the information received and to ensure that the College has taken reasonable care in selecting its new staff and faculty and in placing students and volunteers.

Who needs a background check?
Background checks are conducted for the following individuals prior to the beginning of their assignment:
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- New employees
- Returning employees: (a) after a one year break in service or (b) those not previously subjected to a background check
- Current employees beginning a substantially different position
- Current employees working during summer camps and programs or those who have the potential to interact one-on-one with minors
- Leaders or assistant leaders of Off-Campus Study or Alumni and Family Travel programs
- Volunteers
- Students working in Residence Life, Public Safety, or have the potential to interact one-on-one with minors
- Paid and unpaid individuals interacting with or overseeing minors in program activities or recreational or residential facilities.

Information Collected
Background information collected by St. Olaf may include a criminal background check, verification of educational credentials, employment history, social security number, credit report, and professional references. Employees who operate a College‑owned vehicle and/or transport either people or materials for the College will also be subject to a motor vehicle and driving record check. The College reserves the right to make the sole determination concerning the significance of information received from these checks and any employment decisions arising from them. If a candidate refuses to authorize a background check or has falsified or withheld information during the hiring process, St. Olaf reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify candidates from further consideration or immediately terminate an employee whose employment has commenced.