Background Checks | Children and Youth Safety at Cornell

Policy 8.8 requires that all individuals who have direct contact with minors clear a criminal background check and sex offender registry search prior to having direct contact with minors in programs.

Procedures for Procuring Background Checks:

Ithaca, Geneva, and Cornell Tech:

Students and Volunteers:

Background checks will be completed by CYS via Sterling, a third-party vendor.

Background checks are initiated when the student or volunteer is attached to an upcoming youth program in the youth program registration system. Sterling will email the student or volunteer directly with instructions for completing the background check.

If the email is not found and a new one is required, please contact us.

Program directors: you will know the background check has cleared when the individual shows a green check mark that says "Compliant" rather than a red X that says "Not Compliant."

The Ideal-Logic registration system will automatically initiate background checks for any individuals who are set to expire during a youth program they are actively participating in.

Students and volunteers must clear a background check annually while having direct contact with minors in youth programs.

University Employees:

Background checks for employees will be conducted by Human Resources.

If the Ideal-Logic registration system does not have a record of the employee's background check, the system will send an email to the employee prompting them to reach out to their HR representative and request a criminal background check and sex offender registry search so that they may participate in a youth program. The clearance date of this background check must be provided to [email protected]. Once the date has been entered into the system, the employee will show a green check mark that says "Compliant."

The Ideal-Logic registration system will automatically generate an email to any employees whose background check is set to expire while they are participating in a youth program. This email will prompt the employee to reach out to their HR representative to procure a new background check.

Employees must clear a background check every three years to work with minors.

Weill Cornell Medicine-NYC:

Coming Soon!

Third Parties:

Criminal background checks and sex offender searches must be completed for all individuals who will have direct contact with minors under the age of 18. These results do not need to be shared with Cornell University, but the program director will attest within the program registration that this has been completed.

Compliance:

Programs found to have violated the compliance elements of this policy may be subject to a delay in program start, removal of authorized persons from positions which include interaction with minors, cancellation of the program, or revocation of the ability to hold such programs in the future. Student organizations found to be noncompliant with this policy also risk the loss of organizational funding and/or recognition from Campus Activities and Sorority & Fraternity Life.

Camps:

For children's camps, as defined by New York state, the state and county Department of Health may enforce additional requirements for background checks in addition to the above under the Public Health Law. Both sets of requirements must be met for camp staff as privacy laws prevent background check results from being shared.

Adverse Information:

A small, specialized committee will review any findings in background check results to determine that individual’s eligibility to work with minors. Adverse information in a background check does not automatically preclude individuals from working with youth in a Cornell program. The nature and gravity of the offense, the time that has passed since the offense, the circumstances surrounding the offense, the age at the time of conviction, rehabilitation efforts, and character references will be taken into consideration.

Confidentiality:

All background check-related materials are considered confidential and will be shared only with those with a business need to know. Background check-related materials are never stored within academic records.