Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Level 2 Background Screening (fingerprinting) | University of West Florida
Skip to main content
University of West Florida lettermark University of West Florida logo University of West Florida logo

Level 2 Background Screening (fingerprinting)

UWF is required to screen employees and volunteers for positions that involve care, instruction, or supervision of minors, elderly persons, or other vulnerable populations during camps, classes, or events, and employees in positions designated as Special Trust. Volunteers in positions of Special Trust that are not working exclusively with vulnerable populations are required to complete a Level 1 background screening.

Positions of Special Trust

Individuals occupying a Position of Special Trust must undergo a successful Level 2 Background Screening (fingerprinting) prior to being hired. This includes volunteers working with vulnerable populations, student employees, and OPS employees.

These positions are considered Positions of Special Trust:

  • Those designated by the President, Vice Presidents or designee to be a position of special trust or responsibility.
  • Positions in the classifications of President, Vice President, Provost, or identified as Executive Service.
  • Positions required by granting agencies for grants or contracts.
  • Those positions as required by federal or state law.
  • Positions in the following departments (if not already covered by the Positions of Special Trust list):
    • Aquatics, Controller's Office, Counseling and Psychological Services, Enrollment Affairs (including Registrar, Admissions, Financial Aid, Argo Central), General Counsel, Graduate School, Human Resources, Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Research, Intercollegiate Athletics, Internal Auditing and Compliance, ITS, Military and Veterans Resource Center, Office of Campus Culture and Access, Parking Services, Pensacola Museum of Art, Post Office, Research Administration and Engagement, Student Accessibility Resources, Student Health Center, Title IX, UWF Foundation Inc., UWF Police Department, and UWF SBDC

Positions with the following types of responsibilities are considered Positions of Special Trust at UWF:

  • Works with minors, or other vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or those with disabilities.
  • Access to, or control over, cash, checks, credit/debit cards, and financial account information, including accounts receivable.
  • Assigned a PCard.
  • Updates, prepares, generates, or enters a transaction that will result in one of the following: refund, wire transfer, money transfers, fiscal and PCard transactions or vendor changes.
  • Control over fiscal operational processes either through functional roles or system security access (e.g., ability to process a payment, print or distribute checks, or process payroll corrections).
  • Significant inventory control responsibilities, including the receipt and release of inventory.
  • Persons authorized for a grand master or building master key and/or equivalent UWF building access.
  • Access to sensitive, confidential, and personally identifiable information on students, faculty, staff, customers, research subjects or alumni (e.g., UWF ID numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, financial numbers, etc.). This includes anyone conducting surveys where personal data is collected.
  • Work with hazardous or regulated materials. This includes medical and biohazardous waste/substances such as bodily fluids. Exception: Undergraduate laboratory assistants supervised by Level 2-approved graduate student or faculty instructors do NOT have to undergo Level 2 screenings.

Level 2 background screening (fingerprinting) should not be requested earlier than 60 calendar days before beginning employment or volunteering.

Level 2 Background rescreening is required every five years, or when there has been a break in service longer than 90 calendar days.

DCF and ERCCD Screening Image

Explore childcare background screenings for employment in the ERCCD and summer camps which includes fingerprinting, sex offender registry, and out-of-state checks. Learn about volunteer exemptions and provisional hiring options during pending checks and access required forms and detailed instructions to navigate the screening process.

Information on DCF Level 2 Screenings for ERCCD and Summer Camps
FBI Screening Image

Discover how UWF uses state and federal criminal history checks via the FDLE and FBI to safeguard vulnerable populations and positions of Special Trust. Fingerprinting is required, with HR and vendor appointments available. Utilize provided forms and instructions to efficiently initiate and complete the VECHS background screening process.

Information on VECHS Level 2 Screenings

Assessing Results

Human Resources will review conviction information on a case-by-case basis for Level 1 and Level 2 background screenings. Information taken into account:

  • The nature of the offense(s);
  • The time that has passed since the offense had occurred;
  • The rehabilitation record, actions, and activities of the individual since the conviction including subsequent work history; and
  • The nature of the position sought.

The existence of a conviction does not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment. Each case will be judged on its own merit with respect to the above factors. However, the candidate must have given a truthful and comprehensive disclosure of the conviction for employment consideration. Guilty verdicts, guilty pleas, and pleas of nolo contendere (no contest) must be included in the disclosure. Candidates will have an opportunity to provide relevant information for consideration in making any employment decision.

If a criminal history background screening reveals any convictions of a felony or a first degree misdemeanor and the candidate failed to disclose on the UWF Background Screening Request form, in HireRight, or on the VECHS Waiver Agreement and Statement, the offer of employment may be withdrawn.