The University of Oregon conducts job-related background checks prior to employment. Criminal and other background checks do not take the place of reference checks and verification of employment history, which should also be conducted before a final hiring decision.

UO contracts with a third-party provider to conduct the background checks. In rare instances, a criminal background check may be completed by an outside organization, such as a search firm, on the University’s behalf. Staff in Human Resources administer the policy and coordinate with the background check provider to conduct the applicable background check(s). Departments are not charged for the cost of background checks.

Request a Background Check

No hardcopy forms required.
Background checks are completed through an online process. No hardcopy forms are used to complete the process.

Hiring process determines request method.

• MyTrack Hires
  Employees hired through MyTrack receive automated background check instructions through the hiring process once a contingent offer is accepted.

• Non-MyTrack Hires and Volunteers
  Employees hired outside of MyTrack and volunteers use the same online process.
  Departments submit a request for a background check via email to backgroundcheck@uoregon.edu providing the following required information:

  • Person’s full name and contact email address.
  • Email address of department representative to be contacted when background check is completed.
  • Purpose/type of request (volunteer, student employee, graduate employee, temporary employee, or other (specify)).

Please include the above information in your email, or use this link (SUBMIT A REQUEST) to open a template email to complete and send.

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Conducting a Background Check

For most positions, a statement notifying potential applicants of the requirement for appropriate job related background check(s) was included in the individual job postings. Search committees for tenure-track faculty positions will inform candidates of the university’s background check requirements during the selection process. HR provides language for notifying a candidate about the background check process below.

Suggested Language for Candidate Notification

The university conducts job-related background checks prior to hire in order to ensure a safe and secure work environment in which university faculty, staff, students, resources, and assets are protected, while protecting the integrity and confidentiality of information gathered during the evaluation.

Background checks are normally conducted on the finalist only following the issuance of a contingent offer of employment. At this point in the hiring process, you would be asked to authorize the university to conduct the background check. You would be provided with online authorization and disclosure forms that require identifying information, including other names used, Social Security Number and birthdate, current address, and contact information.

For more information about the background check process, including evaluation of results, visit the Background Checks page on the HR site. Candidates with questions are also invited to contact the Director of Talent Acquisition in Human Resources at 541-346-8007.

Once a department has made a contingent offer of employment and set the applicant’s status to “Contingent Offer Accepted” in MyTrack, Human Resources staff will coordinate the background check submission to the vendor. If the applicant status remains in "Background Check Pending" in MyTrack for an exended period of time (more than two weeks), please email backgroundcheck@uoregon.edu for an update. Human Resources will change the applicant’s status to “Background Check Complete” in MyTrack once the background check has successfully cleared.

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Background Check Process and Evaluation

For complete information about the background check process, including processing time and evaluation of results, visit the Background Check webpage provided in the Careers section. This webpage is an excellent resource to share with candidates and includes Frequently Asked Questions to further clarify the background check process.

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Policy

The UO Policy: Criminal, Credit and Related Background Checks on Applicants for University Positions policy describes the applicability of background check practices, types of checks, and handling of information obtained during the background check.

University policy and Collective Bargaining Agreements state that positions will be designated as subject to background check based on an analysis of the position’s access and responsibilities.

Based on the presumption that the following categories meet one or more of the tests set forth in policy, the following positions are subject to a criminal background check prior to hire:

• Tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty, including Pro-Tempore, Clinical (Professors of Practice), and Visiting Faculty; Instructors, Lecturers, and Librarians, and faculty serving in administrative roles
• Post-Doctoral Scholars and Fellows
• Research Associates/Assistants
• Graduate Employees
• Classified Staff
• Officers of Administration, including those in interim or fixed-term assignments
• Executives