THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

 
 

To:	Deans and Directors, Division of Academic Affairs Deans and Directors, Division of Health Affairs
From:	Richard J. Richardson,  Provost
Re:	Policy on Fraudulent Disclosure and Willful Nondisclosure of Employment Information for EPA Employees
Date:	December 15, 1999

 

        The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the established policy on falsification of credentials for new hires. The Policy on Fraudulent Disclosure and Willful Nondisclosure of Employment Information for EPA Employees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been in existence since 1988. During our last audit, several units were discovered not to be in compliance with established procedures for verifying representations made about credentials and other qualifications pertinent to employment. In response to the auditors' concern, my office has designed standard forms (OP1, OP1a) for credentials verification. Effective January 1, 2000, the attached form OP1 should be completed for each new EPA Faculty or EPA Non-Faculty hire, and maintained in the unit's personnel file. All verifications must be completed within 90 days regardless if the position is full-time, part-time, salaried or non-salaried. In order to assure that the records of personnel actions maintained by your unit are complete, a block should be typed in on the AP-2 form in section 15 to signify that each Dean/Director acknowledges the credentials verification requirement and that the verification is underway.

        The following information must be considered when verifying credentials:

• Only credentials and other information "significantly related to job qualifications" must be verified The credentials that would be "significantly related to job qualifications" have been interpreted to include only those mentioned in the position advertisement. For example, if a faculty position calls for minimum qualifications of a Ph.D. and four years of faculty experience, only those two items of information must be checked.
• Telephone contacts: form OP1 should be completed and signed by the individual conducting, a telephone interview. The name, title, and name and title of the immediate supervisor should be obtained for each contact.
• Verification letters - oftentimes are needed to secure information from universities outside the State system to verify claimed credentials or degree(s) awarded. Form OP-1a must accompany such letters to institutions/outside agencies.
• Date of verification
• Name of the person requesting the verification
• Name of the person or entity responding to the request
• Any documents obtained in connection with the verification process, photocopies should be maintained.

If falsification of credentials is discovered prior to employment, the applicant must be disqualified from any further consideration for the position in question

If falsification of credentials is discovered after employment, the discipline imposed shall be based upon the circumstances of each case, except where the employee was determined to be qualified and was selected for a position based on false representations about credentials for the position. In that case, the employee must be dismissed.

The employee's performance in the position, whether satisfactory or unsatisfactory, should not be considered in determining the level of sanction. In every case, however, the discipline imposed must be taken in accordance with existing University disciplinary procedures.