GRAND FORKS N.D.
A new law that gives the North Dakota University System
wide-ranging authority to conduct FBI criminal background checks could affect
as many as 4,000 students and 800 employees in the state, officials say.
The law passed by the Legislature earlier this year affects
a number of agencies, ranging from the real estate commission to the racing
commission.
A tentative list of university system positions where
applicants would be required to undergo background checks includes employees
who handle financial information, computer records or medical records; workers
with extensive access to buildings such as custodians; employees with extensive
contact with students such as counselors and coaches; and top university
administrators.
Background checks are being considered for students in
fields dealing with vulnerable populations, such as education, physical therapy
and social work, university system officials said.
Stacey Holte, an elementary education major at the
University of North Dakota, said she isn’t bothered by the idea of the
fingerprint-based check.
“In any job where you’re going to be working with
children, it’s a good thing to keep them safe, and this doesn’t really hurt
anyone,” Holte said.
