Evolution of a Background Check Policy in Higher Education

This article is the first of a short series of works designed to articulate the results and research approach I utilized in my dissertation Analysis of Background Check Policy in Higher Education. Results of my literature review on this topic demonstrated that in the higher education environment, lack of agreement about background checks between campus community members, fueled by unresolved tensions between security and privacy, has led many universities to adopt a patchwork of fragmented background check policies. In response to these unresolved tensions, fragmented policies, and an overall lack of systematic studies of background check policy in higher education, my dissertation broadly addressed the following: within Georgia Institute of Technology, what important documented campus events influenced and challenged the campus to consider, adopt, modify, and improve a formal background check policy? This was achieved through interviewing relevant constituents and analyzing all available/related official policy documents associated with Georgia Tech’s Pre-employment Background Check Policy and Program and presenting a chronological account of the events and influences associated with its adoption and revision. Results of this study offer valuable insights about background check policy development in order to assist higher education policy makers and HR professionals at other universities in making more informed decisions regarding same, or similar, policy.