Criminal Background Checks

As an applicant to the Division of Dental Hygiene at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, all accepted candidates, prior to matriculation, will be required to submit to a criminal background check (CBC). A final decision about matriculation will be made after a review of the applicant's CBC.

The rationale for performing criminal background checks:

• to foster patient safety and well being.
• to bolster the continuing trust of the public in the dental profession.
• to ascertain the ability of accepted applicants and enrolled dental students to eventually become licensed as dental hygienists, and
• to minimize the liability of dental schools and their affiliated clinical facilities.

The criminal background check will not be a component of the application, interview, or selection process but will be a mandatory component of the pre-matriculation process. The final decision regarding matriculation of an applicant will be based on the self-reported information in the candidate's application and information in the CBC report. Factors involved in the final decision may include, but are not limited to:

• the nature, circumstances, and frequency of any reported offense(s).
• length of time since the offense(s).
• available information that addresses efforts at rehabilitation
• the accuracy of the information provided by the applicant.

The information obtained through a criminal background check will not become part of a student's academic file and will remain confidential unless the findings result in an institutional action by the School of Dentistry.

Only candidates offered class positions and alternate-list candidates will be asked to provide a criminal background check prior to matriculation.

Candidates will be responsible for the cost of the CBC.