Fingerprint Law Could Snare College Profs Those With High School Students Face Checks

Dozens of college professors at North Idaho College and the University of Idaho may have to consent to fingerprinting and criminal background checks unless a new law is clarified.

Idaho Board of Education committee members Monday vowed to correct what they are calling “unintended consequences,” of last year’s legislation requiring background checks for public school employees.

The law - as written - also applies to vocational-technical educators at the college level, and professors teaching high school students on campus, or via the Internet or other distance technology.

State board officials fear that college professors, already hesitant to draw public school students into their scope of responsibilities, are likely to balk at the controversial FBI background checks.

“This could seriously jeopardize the seamless education and building bridges between public and post-secondary education,” said Robin Dodson, Idaho Board of Education’s chief academic affairs officer.

Legislative Affairs Committee Chairman Curtis Eaton of Twin Falls said Monday the state board was never informed that the law could potentially apply to college professors. The committee will recommend the state board seek a repeal of some of the law, or clarification of to whom it applies, he said.

The law’s potential reach onto college campuses raises a number of troubling new questions, said State Board President Judith Meyer, of Coeur d’Alene.

New legislation allows high school students to dual-enroll, or get both high school and college credit for college-level courses. The intent was to give high school students a running start on a college education. The result might be unexpected regulations for college professors who teach minors.

At the UI, 24 high school students take a variety of classes, including foreign languages, theater, music and art. At NIC, the 57 high school students are enrolled in a wide array of classes, from world religion to English and math.

NIC Dean of Instruction Jerry Gee said he is requesting clarification of the law. Because it applies to “certified teachers,” NIC began requiring checks of all new employees in certified vocational-technical fields like drafting, welding, nursing, and culinary arts. The cost of such a requirement is a concern, Gee said, since educators must pay a $40 fee plus fingerprinting costs. The impact on local law enforcement is also significant, he said.

Plus, it’s not clear whether the law applies to faculty teaching public school students on a college campus, Gee added.

“The question is should we have every faculty member at NIC go through this process or not?”

UI President Robert Hoover said news of any mandatory fingerprinting would be “jarring” to faculty in Moscow, who he predicted would receive it poorly.

He noted it would be one more roadblock hampering efforts to embrace the seamless system of education the state board has been encouraging.

“I fully understand why we are doing it for people involved with public high school students,” Hoover said. “But I also know the difficulty of getting university professors to think about these things and put them on their agenda.”

Not all professors oppose background checks, however. NIC Faculty Assembly Chair Rhena Cooper said she’s not against criminal checks for professors. “We have a very upstanding faculty here and have nothing to hide,” Cooper said. “It is a gray area.”

But UI faculty council chairman William Voxman predicted UI faculty would philosophically oppose what some consider an intrusive government practice.

“It’s one of the healthy aspects of our society that we don’t unduly infringe on people that way,” Voxman said.

Attempts to limit the law’s scope may run into opposition from the State Department of Education, however. During Monday’s committee meeting, Chief Deputy State Superintendent Darrell Loosle cautioned the board against trying to exempt any instructor teaching public school students. State Board committee members agreed to seek input from faculty representatives state-wide before asking the board to pursue formal action.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: EARLY START Idaho high school students can dual-enroll or get both high school and college credit for college-level courses. At the University of Idaho, 24 high school students are taking advantage of the program; at North Idaho College, 57 high schoolers are enrolled.