The College of Education and Human Service Professions requires that all students who
participate in internships with children and vulnerable adults must complete a background check
through the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). In addition, off-campus internship sites
may require additional background checks for students wishing to complete internships in their
organization. You must pass the requisite background check(s) in order to participate in the
internship course. The University of Minnesota has a contract with General Information
Services, Inc. (GIS), to perform its background checks. This background check is designed to
meet State school district guidelines governing adults with responsibility for children. UMD
students who are assigned to a clinical and/or field placement must have a background check
completed and on file with UMD.
Background checks at UMD are coordinated by the Department of Human Resources and
Equal Opportunity (HR&EO). Your department will notify HR&EO of your need for a
background check. The background check request usually includes a review of your motor
vehicle record. If you do not have a driver’s license, immediately notify your CEHSP
department staff so that a background check without that element can be requested. HR&EO
will then request GIS proceed with your background check. You will receive an email from
Big10@geninfo.com (GIS), not UMD. You will be asked to create a user name and password in
order to enter the GIS system. Your user name is the email address used to receive the email
(typically this is your UMD email address). You must respond to the email request within 5 days
of the request or the link will expire.
Students without a social security number should use 999-99-9999 as their SSN when
prompted for that information on the GIS form.
You will be asked to provide all names used in the past 7 years. You will confirm your
name and add any aliases. You can edit your name if it was mistakenly spelled incorrectly when
the request was ordered.
You will be asked to provide 7 years of address history, which can include international
addresses. You must provide at least 7 years of address history or you will not be allowed to
proceed. Students who report an international address will be required to complete additional
documentation. GIS will subsequently email the applicable documents to you, and must be
completed and returned to GIS in order to proceed with your background check.
For students living in Minnesota (or Oklahoma or California), if a copy of the
background check is desired, you must check the “report copy” box in order for a report copy to
be mailed to you. If you have an address in any other state, you must contact GIS in order to
have a report copy mailed to you. You will need to contact GIS at (877) 590-4012 and provide
the work order number associated with your background check (or your social security number)
to request that a report copy be mailed to you. CEHSP strongly recommends you obtain a copy
of your report and save it for your future reference.
If you experience difficulties while completing the background check, contact GIS at
855-626-7345.