As a result of the recent cadaver scandal, prospective
university employees may incur greater scrutiny before they are
hired.
The increased attention to new employees stems from questions
surrounding the background and credentials of Henry Reid, the
ex-director of UCLA’s Willed Body Program, who was arrested
early last month.
Reid and another man, Ernest Nelson, who is not affiliated with
the university, were arrested for profiting from the sale of body
parts donated to the university.
Since the arrests, questions have arisen regarding Reid’s
background and whether he lied about some of his educational
credentials.
In a deposition in 2002, Reid said he had earned a
master’s degree from Cal State Fullerton, according to a Los
Angeles Times story printed last month. However, university
spokeswoman Paula Selleck said Cal State Fullerton’s records
show Reid never attended school there.
According to the Times story, Reid made other false claims such
as graduating summa cum laude from Cypress College ““ a
distinction the university does not bestow.
Reid was hired in 1997 to reform the Willed Body Program that
had been tainted with lawsuits and allegations of illegal and
immoral practices.
When hired, Reid received an FBI check and his references were
checked as well, but that might not have been enough.
“With the benefit of hindsight, since it turned out that
it’s alleged that he’s a criminal, wouldn’t it
have been nice to have done more?” said Chancellor Albert
Carnesale in an interview with the Daily Bruin in March.
Positions that are determined to be sensitive or critical are
the primary recipients of background checks.
According to university policy, department heads, or people whom
they designate, are responsible for determining whether a position
is critical or sensitive, and the person responsible for hiring an
employee is supposed to assure that the check is conducted.
Some determinants of sensitivity are whether the person has
access to controlled or hazardous substances or has the authority
for committing university financial resources.
Other factors that may qualify a position as sensitive include
whether the employee has direct access to or responsibility for
information affecting national security, or is responsible for the
care, safety and security of people.
The checks may include drug testing of the employee,
confirmation of a person’s identity and verification of
educational degrees. The checks may also call for reviews of
criminal conviction records, credit history and Department of Motor
Vehicles records, the policy states.
Lynne Thompson, director of employee and labor relations on
campus, said in her experience background checks have sometimes
been an effective vehicle in helping determine whether an employee
should be hired.
Carnesale said intensifying background check practices may be
necessary, but that the costs of the checks have to be weighed.
“There is no question that there will be greater scrutiny
in the future. Whether it will be cost-effective or not is a
different question,” he said.
“In tough budget times, how much do you want spent on
every employee? … You have to pay for these checks, right?”
Carnesale said.
He added that issues such as checking on a person’s
educational history and degrees should be possible
nevertheless.