Contractor Authorization
Table of Contents
At Calvin University, we believe that every employee, student and guest is entitled to a safe and healthful place to work, learn, and live. We are committed to protecting ourselves and the environment, as well as complying with governmental regulations. Because a contractor’s work on university premises can potentially affect the safety of Calvin students, staff, faculty, neighbors and property, the university is committed to hiring contractors who take the safety of our community and environment as seriously as we do.
With this in mind, we are implementing an amended safety policy in an effort to better understand who is on our campus, and when they are here. The following changes will be implemented for contracted service providers working in specific areas of campus:
- All service providers will be required to check in with the Campus Safety office prior to the start of work (staffed 24x7), either in person or by phone, to inform Campus Safety where you will be working and for how long
- Individual service providers will be subject to criminal history checks, with immediate authorization (completed during business hours)
We understand there may be concerns regarding the new process and if it will impact anyone’s ability to work on campus. We would like to pre-emptively address some of those concerns:
Frequently asked questions
Will I (service provider) need to be checked every time I am on campus?
No. The background check and authorization process only needs to be completed once. After you have been authorized, that will be documented for any future visits. In the future, you will only need to check in with Campus Safety, either in-person or via phone/email.
Can I be checked/authorized before I get to campus?
Yes! If you complete the Background Check Authorization form and send it to Campus Safety in anticipation of your visit, we will perform the check ahead of time and let you know when you are authorized.
Completed forms can be delivered to Campus Safety by:
- safety@calvin.edu
- Fax: (616) 526-6011
- Calvin University
ATTN: Campus Safety
3201 Burton Street SE,
Grand Rapids, MI 49546 - Drop-off: Mail Services Building 2nd floor – directly next door to (west of) Service Building/Facilities
If I have a criminal history, does that mean I can't be on campus?
Criminal history will NOT bar anyone from working on Calvin's campus, but it does add some complexity. We value the skills, knowledge and abilities you are able to offer our campus, so we will ask anyone with a criminal history to provide a letter of explanation to provide context to the charges and explain any steps taken to leave any criminal activity in the past.
Any results, along with the letter of explanation, will be submitted to the Director of Campus Safety or the Director of Human Resources for review. Either director may choose to authorize the individual to perform services on campus based on type of charge, severity of charges, personal advancement or other factors.
Even if an individual is not outright authorized to work on campus, this does not stop the service provider from offering their services. Any non-authorized service provider may still work on campus, as long as they are accompanied by a Calvin escort (Calvin staff or faculty member) for the duration of their time on campus.
What if I arrive on campus outside of business hours and haven't been authorized yet?
Any service provider may work on campus as long as they have checked in at Campus Safety and have completed the background check authorization form. Once the form is complete and turned in to the Campus Safety office, you are free to continue to your work site. The background check process will completed when a Campus Safety staff member is available to perform the check. You will be notified of the results once the check is complete.
What if I'm only working on university grounds and not near a building?
Service providers working on general campus grounds or roadways still have a significant chance of interacting with Calvin students, faculty and staff. We still ask those working on general grounds or roadways to follow our standard safety procedures.
However, there may be some exceptions. Please work in conjunction with your on-campus contact as well as the Campus Safety department to discuss any extenuating circumstances.
If my organization sends a large crew, or rotates through who we send, do we need to have every one of them checked?
Not necessarily. If your organization performs background checks as part of the hiring process, we can authorize your organization as a whole. Please reach out to the Campus Safety (contact info below) office to discuss authorizing your whole organization.
Documents
Please direct all completed documents or questions to the Campus Safety department safety@calvin.edu or call (616) 526-6451. Thank you for your continued assistance in keeping our campus secure!