Applicants to South Florida State College’s Health Sciences programs that have affiliations with health care facilities must submit to a Level 2 Fingerprinting Background Check for compliance with Florida Statutes, Chapter 453. Students who qualify for admission to a program must be free of offenses that disqualify them from participating in clinical experiences in health care settings and must have their civil rights intact.
Program Disqualification Due to Past Convictions
Convictions of offenses, regardless of adjudication, or an entered plea of nolo contendere to the following crimes disqualifies applicants from being admitted to SFSC’s Health Sciences programs:
- Crimes of Violence – including, but not limited to: murder, manslaughter, criminal sexual assault, sexual battery, crimes involving the use of deadly force, simple assault, assault and battery, criminal domestic violence, kidnapping, false imprisonment, abuse/neglect, or arson
- Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude – including, but not limited to: breach of trust, fraud, identity theft, prostitution, lewd/lascivious behavior, theft, robbery, or exploitation (excluding misdemeanors not deemed to raise a substantial question as to the qualification and fitness of the applicant)
- Crimes Involving Illegal Use, Possession, or Distribution of Drugs – including, but not limited to: driving while intoxicated, driving under the influence, selling or intent to sell illegal substances, or possession of illegal substances
Additionally, adverse information related to verification of social security, residency history, nationwide sexual offender registry search, nationwide healthcare fraud/abuse scan, or the Patriot Act are grounds for disqualification.
Students are responsible for notifying the director of their program of any arrests, regardless of adjudication, that occur after they have been accepted or while they are enrolled in the program. Disqualifying offenses may result in a student being dismissed from the program. A student’s failure to promptly notify the program director of offenses occurring after admission is considered grounds for dismissal.
Background Check Appeal Process
Each applicant with disqualifying background information will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Consideration will be given to the nature, severity, recentness of offense(s), rehabilitation, and other factors brought to light during the appeal process.
If you feel you should be considered for admission to a Health Sciences program, even though your background check reveals evidence of disqualifying factors, you may make a formal appeal to the dean of Health Sciences, consisting of these documents:
- A letter written by you explaining your arrest history, role in each arrest, disposition of each offense including sentencing/requirements of the court for each arrest, and reason why SFSC should consider you as an applicant.
- Official notarized state documents verifying the disposition of the offense, court findings, completion of court sentencing/requirements, and other rehabilitation activities
- Three letters of support on letterhead from employers, teachers, and respected community leaders, describing how long they have known you and why they feel your character is appropriate for the health care profession.
The appeal decision will be made by the dean of Student Services, dean of Health Sciences, and the appropriate program manager.
Being accepted into a Health Sciences program does not guarantee that the applicant will be accepted for future employment in the community.
