Field Experience - Criminal Background Check Policy
Prospective teachers in Education programs at the University of Georgia must manifest the highest of professional standards. Such standards, which define the professional behavior of educators, have been written and adopted by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission as The Code of Ethics for Educators. The intent of the Code is to “protect the health, safety and general welfare of students and educators, and ensure the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability within the education profession…”
The first of these ethical standards states that “An educator shall abide by federal, state, and local laws and statutes. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to the commission or conviction of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude; of any other criminal offense involving the manufacture, distribution, trafficking, sale, or possession of a controlled substance or marijuana as provided for in Chapter 13 of Title 16; or of any other sexual offense as provided for in Code Section 16-6-1 through 16-6-17, 16-6-20, 16-6-22.2, or 16-12-100; or any other laws applicable to the profession. As used herein, conviction includes a finding or verdict of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been sought; a situation where first offender treatment without adjudication of guilt pursuant to the charge was granted; and a situation where an adjudication of guilt or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on the charge or the charge was otherwise disposed of in a similar manner in any jurisdiction.”
Please be aware that admission to the program and/or student teaching will have no effect as to whether the Professional Standards Commission will certify an individual for teaching. The Professional Standards Commission conducts and evaluates criminal background checks without regard to such review by an educational institution or whether an educational institution has previously evaluated an individual.
To order your criminal background check, please click on the Student Check link above.
