UND police: Free fingerprinting

UND Chief of Police Eric Plummer sits in his office. Photo by Nick Nelson/The Dakota Student.

Getting a background check at UND has become less messy over the past two years.

Students required to get fingerprinted for their degree may have noticed no ink is required.

On Jan. 2 the UND Twitter page @myUND updated a status revealing a picture of a thumbprint and a tweet “#UNDidYouKnow: @UNDPoliceDept does FREE fingerprints for your majors/licensing during business hours!”

“Approximately two years ago the UND Police Department upgraded the fingerprinting system, which traditionally used ink, to a new electronic fingerprinting system,” UND Police Chief Eric Plummer said. “This system is faster and provides higher quality prints without using the traditional ink which proved to be messy.”

This upgraded system has made it easier for students to get their fingerprints. These students are required in law, education and other degrees that do require fingerprinting.

“Although not all degrees require background checks and fingerprinting, many different programs that require licensing do such as education and nursing,” Plummer said. “These required background checks are crucial to ensure the safety of the communities in which these students will serve.”

Director of Career Services at the School of Law Trish Hodny explained the process for law students.

“Along with the bar examination for all graduating students of the law school, students are required to undergo a moral character application,” Hodny said.

As well as taking the bar examination to practice law in any state, some states, are required to have their applicants take a fingerprint examination as part of their background check.

“It is an extensive background check that is a comprehensive overview of the student’s job, education, criminal background and a credit check,” said Hodny. “Some jurisdictions require fingerprinting for the moral character application, though North Dakota doesn’t require fingerprinting for the application”

At the request of people affiliated with the UND campus, police officers take their fingerprints. This includes an agreement made with the UND Education Department in which more than one hundred teacher candidates are fingerprinted each year.

“The UND Police Department has been providing fingerprinting service to the University for approximately 20 years,” Plummer said with the affirmation that UND will continue to provide free fingerprinting.

Colin Johnson is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].