For Volunteers and Volunteer Service Units

Background Checks Home
FAQs

Overview

Individuals are required to complete a background check prior to beginning volunteer service or taking on new volunteer service responsibilities.

Timing

After an individual completes the vendor's steps, the background check process typically takes:

  • Three to five (3-5) business days for individuals that have consistently resided and worked in Oregon for seven or more years.
  • Five to ten (5-10) business days for individuals that have resided and worked in Oregon for less than seven years.

The time periods provided above are estimations. There are various factors that may impact the length of time that a background check takes to be processed, including if a volunteer's background check has additional requirements and if there are factors outside of our vendor's control. See the General section on the FAQs page for additional information.

Confidentiality

Details of a volunteer's background check will not be shared with the volunteer service unit or any other unit that does not have a business need to know. If it is determined that an individual is ineligible for a volunteer opportunity, the volunteer service unit will only be notified that the individual is ineligible to volunteer in that specific capacity.

What to Expect

Volunteers

Act on any OSU and vendor invitation emails as soon as possible. Any delay in doing so may impact when you can begin your volunteer opportunity. If you do not receive these emails in a timely fashion, please reach out to the volunteer coordinator.

  1. You will receive an email with a link to OSU’s background check authorization and release form. The subject line will be CHC Release Volunteer [Your Name]. 

  2. Shortly after you complete the authorization and release form, you will receive an evite and instructions from our vendor Sterling.

  3. If the volunteer opportunity requires driving, you will also receive instruction to request your official/certified driving history. An overview of how to request your driving history is located in the Motor Vehicle History Checks section on the FAQs page.

A visual representation of the process is available at this link.

Results

If your background check returns satisfactory results, the Background Check team will notify the volunteer service unit that your background check is complete. You will then receive information about the next steps from the volunteer service unit.

If your background check returns results that required additional review and are relevant to volunteer service at OSU, you will receive outreach from the Hiring and Service Risk Assessment Committee (HSRAC) with instructions for the next steps. A final decision will be made by the designated Employee and Labor Relations lead. Additional information about this process is available on the Background Check home page in the Review of Background Check Results and Employment / Service Eligibility Determination section. 

If it is determined that you are ineligible for a specific volunteer opportunity, the HSRAC will let you know the decision via email. Such decisions can be appealed, and instructions for how to appeal will be in the decision email.

NOTE: A previous conviction does not automatically prevent an individual from volunteering for OSU. "Satisfactory results" may include a history of conviction(s), which would have gone through the HSRAC individualized assessment review process and resulted in a determination that the conviction(s) did not disqualify an individual for the specific volunteer opportunity.

Volunteer Service Units

  1. Complete your volunteer recruitment process and select your volunteer(s).

  2. Provide the volunteer(s) with the Conditions of Volunteer Service form.

    • If the opportunity has critical or security-sensitive access, let the volunteer know that the opportunity is contingent on a satisfactory background check.

      If the opportunity requires driving as part of the regular responsibilities, let the volunteer know that the opportunity is contingent on a satisfactory motor vehicle history check.

  3. If a volunteer is:

    • Eligible for a volunteer service opportunity, the Background Check team will notify you via email and the unit can proceed with next steps. 
    • Not eligible for a volunteer opportunity, the Background Check team will notify you via email that the volunteer is ineligible for the volunteer opportunity, but will not reveal the details of the ineligibility. The Background Check team will also notify the individual of ineligibility for the volunteer opportunity via email. 
  • Remember: a previous conviction does not automatically prevent an individual from volunteering for OSU.

A visual representation of the process is available at this link.

  • Tell your volunteer to look for an email message from [email protected]. The subject line will be CHC Release Volunteer [Volunteer's Name]. 

  • If the volunteer opportunity includes a motor vehicle history check, let the volunteer know that the volunteer opportunity is contingent on satisfactory results from it as well.

  • Tell your volunteer to look for an email message from Sterling after they complete the form in the email referenced above.

  • Instruct the volunteer to notify you if they do not receive one or both of these emails. If this occurs, notify Human Resources immediately.

  • Encourage the volunteer to act on the emails immediately, as any delay in doing so may delay when they can begin their volunteer opportunity.

Current Volunteers

Self-Report Requirement

Volunteers are required to notify Employee and Labor Relations in Human Resources if they are convicted of a crime and/or major traffic offense after they begin volunteer service. Failure to report relevant convictions may result in removal from volunteer service.

Volunteer service units that are made aware of convictions/major traffic offenses that occur after a volunteer begins services must also notify Employee and Labor Relations for further investigation.

A new background check may be required if the university receives a report of a conviction and/or major traffic offense, that is relative to employment, in order to confirm the report. Failure to report relevant convictions/major traffic offenses may result in disciplinary action, up to and including separation from the university.

For additional information or to self-report a conviction and/or major traffic offense, please visit the Self-Report Requirement section of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) page.

FAQs

Please visit the General and Volunteers sections of the Background Check FAQs page.

Policies and Additional Resources