Criminal Background Checks, Drug Screens — SGCS

Education Programs

All candidates for Illinois Teacher Certification through programs under the purview of Olivet Nazarene University Teacher Education Unit are required to submit to a fingerprint based criminal background check by the Illinois State Police prior to their initial field experience in the schools. The public schools require completion of a successful background check for the safety and security of their students.

Illinois State Law requires all teacher education candidates and other education candidates not employed by a school district to submit to a criminal background investigation. Placement in any initial field experience will be denied whether offenses and/or conviction occurred inside or outside the State of Illinois for the following: first degree murder; any Class X felony; juvenile pimping; soliciting for a juvenile prostitute; exploitation of a child; obscenity; child pornography; possession of harmful material; criminal sexual assault; aggravated criminal sexual assault; criminal sexual abuse; aggravated criminal sexual abuse; offenses set forth in the Cannabis Control Act; and crimes defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act.

If a candidate does not successfully pass the criminal background check, he/she may petition in writing the Teacher Education Executive Committee for any review/appeal. If the appeal is denied by the Teacher Education Executive Committee, the candidate may continue to take courses, but will not be placed for field experiences/student teaching. Thus, if the field experience/student teaching hours are not met, the candidate will not complete the Teacher Education Program.

Nursing Program

All prospective students entering the nursing program must submit to a criminal background check, as well as a drug screening prior to admission to the program. Nursing applicants may obtain more information from the program adviser.