The purpose of a criminal background check is to identify incidents of sexual and abusive behavior, which would prevent safe interaction with various constituencies. This policy does not exclude the possibility of rehabilitation, and serves as a means of opening conversation and opportunity for healing for potential students.

The criminal background check policy is written to work toward the goal of creating the safest campus possible for our students, employees and related communities.  Bethany Theological Seminary takes into consideration all of the application materials when making admissions decisions, yet reserves the right to deny admission based on information obtained through the background checks.

Instructions:

1. Complete an FBI Fingerprint Form at your local law enforcement office. Alternatively, you may have your fingerprints taken at the time of the campus visit here in Richmond, IN. Please choose whichever is most comfortable for you.  The sooner you can take care of this, the sooner the final report will be received.
2. Complete the National Background Check Request Form in the presence of a notary public You’ll find this form online with the online application materials, or it can be sent to you from our office. This also can be done at Bethany at the time of the campus visit. This form allows the FBI to send the report directly to the Admissions Office, where it is handled with care, according to the Policy Statement on Student Records, as found in the Student Handbook.
3. Deliver both the completed fingerprint form and the National Background Check form to:

Bethany Theological Seminary
Amy Ritchie, Director of Student Development
615 National Road West
Richmond, IN 47374