Background checks: Process
Table of Contents
Student employees, volunteers, and contractors
Faculty and other academic employees
Last updated: August 18, 2025
This webpage outlines the processes for requesting a criminal conviction history background check by employment type.
Staff process
UW Human Resources (UWHR) reviews candidate-disclosed convictions (if any) to determine final candidate referrals. Campus departments will then:
1. Complete the recruitment, evaluate candidates, and select the final candidate.
2. Campus users, submit the Initial Offer request in Workday, which will initiate the sexual misconduct disclosure process. (Medical Centers Recruiting will coordinate this for units).
3. Make an offer of employment to the final candidate contingent on obtaining a satisfactory criminal background check.
4. If the candidate accepts the offer of employment, campus users should complete the Extend Verbal Offer to do in Workday. This step will initiate the vendor background check, if needed.
5. Your HR recruitment team member will then run the criminal conviction history background check. Emails to the finalist will come from noreply@hireright.com.
- If the candidate is eligible for employment, your HR recruitment team member will initiate the hire.
- If the candidate is not eligible for employment, the HR recruitment team member will inform you that the candidate has a disqualifying criminal conviction history, but will not reveal the details of the criminal conviction information. HR will also notify the candidate of ineligibility for employment via email.
Student employees, volunteers, and contractors
Student employees, volunteers or contractors working on campus who perform duties that meet one or more of the security/safety sensitive criteria are required to complete a criminal history background check. Background checks for student employees, volunteers or contractors are run by Sterling.
Once you have identified the student employee or volunteer, you will initiate the background check using the online Student and volunteer background check request tool. Please email ttmchbc@uw.edu to request access.
Requests may be added individually or through a mass load by using a template provided within the request tool. For a step-by-step description of this process, view the Student and Volunteer Background Check Request Tool (PDF).
To submit a request you will need:
- the student’s or volunteer’s name.
- their email address. If they are a UW student or employee, you will need their NetID (not a personal email address).
- the name of the Procard holder.
After you submit your request, the following will occur:
- Your applicant will receive an email from ttmchbc@uw.edu that includes instructions and a link for completing the online Criminal History Disclosure and Authorization (CHD). The student will receive reminder notices every 4 days until the CHD is complete, unless you send an email to cancel the background check request.
- After the CHD is completed and cleared, you and the applicant will receive an email from ttmchbc@uw.edu saying that the background check has been initiated with Sterling, the UW’s background check vendor, and that your applicant should watch out for an email from Sterling with further instructions.
- Your applicant will receive a time sensitive invitation from Sterling (no-reply@uss.sterlingcheck.app). They must follow the instructions and submit the requested information. Sterling will send a reminder every 2 days and the invitation will expire after 10 days.
- The applicant will receive confirmation from Sterling (no-reply@uss.sterlingcheck.app) when the background check is complete and cleared. Both you and your applicant will receive a notice from ttmchbc@uw.edu that the background check is clear. The applicant’s notice will include instructions for accessing their background check.
- Your Procard holder will receive an invoice from accountsreceivable@fadv.com. For additional information about costs and billing see Background checks: Costs and billing.
UWHR will contact the candidate and the department if the background check results return a disqualifying conviction.
Faculty and other academic employees
Academic Human Resources provides information about the background check process for academic personnel.
Positions having access to select agents
UW Environmental Health and Safety notifies employing units of the background check and suitability assessment requirements and processes.
Criminal Conviction History Background Check (CCHBC) requirements for UW and Third Party led Youth Programs
UW requires all employees and volunteers who have duties that fit the criteria for designation as authorized personnel to complete a CCHBC in accordance with Administrative Policy Statement 10.13 Protecting Youth at the University of Washington.