Allied Health Programs
The clinical, internship, practicum, or externship sites associated with the college’s allied health programs require background investigations on incoming students to ensure the safety of the patients treated by students in the program. Therefore, all students enrolled in programs that require students to be placed in practicum/lab courses or be placed in any clinical, internship, externship, or practicum setting will be required to have a criminal background investigation conducted by a college-approved firm specializing in background investigations for healthcare workers. Criminal background checks are valid for one year if the student maintains continuous OFTC enrollment unless the clinical, internship, practicum, or externship site requests a new check. The student will be assessed a non-refundable fee for the cost of the background investigation as part of his/her semester matriculation fees by OFTC. Additional costs may be incurred for criminal background investigations processed outside of the state of Georgia. Students must place their order online through the approved vendor when their instructor gives notice. By signing the consent agreement, the student releases Oconee Fall Line Technical College from liability. Any students submitting a premature or duplicate request will be charged the fee for all requests processed.
Students should not submit results of criminal background investigations to any Oconee Fall Line Technical College faculty or staff member.
Students who are advised by the clinical, internship, practicum, or externship site that they have been denied acceptance at the site should contact the vendor to discuss Adverse Action steps. Adverse Action is the procedure established by the Fair Credit Reporting Act that allows students to see the report and to dispute anything reported.
Notification
Students must agree that criminal history record information can be provided to those persons with a need to know at the affiliate clinical, internship, practicum, or externship institutions. The privacy of individuals having criminal background investigations conducted will be maintained consistent with the policies of Oconee Fall Line Technical College. The program instructor will be responsible for providing the roster of students to the clinical, internship, practicum, or externship institution for consideration. The affiliate clinical/internship/practicum/externship institution will review the results to determine whether the students meet requirements of the affiliate clinical/internship/practicum/externship site. Students with unsatisfactory results will not be accepted at the affiliate clinical, internship, practicum, or externship site and will not be allowed to complete the course or program at Oconee Fall Line Technical College. Failure to follow the policies contained herein will result in dismissal from the affiliate clinical/practicum site and dismissal from the program for one semester. It is the procedure of Oconee Fall Line Technical College that any student who is currently registered in an allied health clinical course who violates any of the provisions set forth in this procedure will be administratively withdrawn from current occupational courses with a “W.” However, the student may continue to be enrolled in a general education or core allied health course during the term that he/she is tested.
A clinical, internship, practicum, or externship facility has the right to exclude any student if, in the opinion of the site, the student could pose or potentially pose a danger to patients. The clinical, internship, practicum, or externship institution makes the sole decision whether students are accepted at its clinical, internship, practicum, or externship site. There is no OFTC appeal process for an unsatisfactory criminal background investigation.
Behavior that Constitutes a Refusal to a Criminal Background Investigation
Failure to submit to have a criminal background investigation conducted within the required time frame constitutes a refusal and will be viewed as an unsatisfactory result. Students with a refusal will be administratively withdrawn from current occupational courses with a “W.” Students may continue to be enrolled in their general education courses for the remainder of the term.
Fees
Fees made payable for drug screens and criminal background investigations are nonrefundable. Students are assessed fees for the drug screen and criminal background investigation, and fees must be paid by the college purge date.
Failure to pay fees by the required date will cause the student to be dropped from the registered course(s).
School Contact
Should you have any questions regarding this procedure, please contact the following:
Ann Morton, Instructional Coordinator
Oconee Fall Line Technical College
560 Pinehill Road
Dublin, GA 31021
478-274-7840
amorton@oftc.edu
Withdrawal or Dismissal from Allied Health Program
Students who withdraw or are dismissed from a program that requires criminal background investigations and who wish to reapply must follow the competitive selection process and must have another criminal background investigation if the student’s break in service from OFTC is greater than one semester or if the clinical site requests an up-to-date background check. This requirement also applies to students who transfer to a program and whose criminal background investigations are older than one year.