Clinical education sites require background checks and/or drug screenings for employees, as well as for students who come to their facilities. All Northeastern University students will need to have background checks/drug screenings completed if their assigned clinical placement requires it. The college contracts with third-party vendors (such as Universal Background Screening, American DataBank, etc.) to perform these checks and screenings. These companies charge fees to conduct background checks/screenings, depending on the type of background check/screening needed. Students are responsible for any fees charged by companies conducting background checks/screenings.
All background check information is confidential. Results are posted to the company website in a secure, protected environment. A student may view their results online using a password. A student will be contacted by their program director, chair, or assistant dean if there is a question about the results. Neither a student nor the company is required to reveal the actual results of the background check to the clinical site. However, a student may be unable to be placed at that clinical site based on the site’s requirements.
If an assigned clinical site requires a student to have a background check/screening, the on-campus clinical coordinator/clinical placement office will post the requirements and provide instructions and a deadline for completing the check. To ensure adequate processing time prior to the start of the clinical experience, it is crucial that the check be completed in advance of the deadline given. Failure to complete the check in a timely manner could jeopardize progression in the academic program.
These policies and/or procedures apply to Bouvé’s undergraduate and graduate students.