Prior Felony Conviction Policy

Approved by the President
9/13/2022

Policy Contact
Office of the Provost
(607) 436-2517
provost@oneonta.edu

Policy Statement

State University of New York (SUNY) policy prohibits SUNY campuses from including questions regarding criminal history on admissions applications. After acceptance, admitted students who are seeking campus housing; credit-bearing clinical, field experiences, or internships; or study abroad programs will be asked if they have been convicted of a felony as part of the application process for those programs/services. The information required to be disclosed under SUNY policy regarding such felony convictions shall be reviewed by the Dean of Students who chairs the Prior Felony Convictions Committee consistent with the legal standards articulated in New York State Corrections Law.

Rationale

To set forth the commitment and compliance of SUNY Oneonta to the principles of State University of New York policy 3200 entitled “Admission of Persons with Prior Felony Convictions” on SUNY Oneonta’s campus

Policy Elaboration

After an applicant has been accepted as a student, SUNY Oneonta shall inquire if the student has a prior felony conviction only if they are seeking:

Access to campus housing; or
Participation in study abroad programs; or
Participation in clinical or field experiences; or
Participation in internships

If a student replies “yes” to the question of whether they have ever been convicted of a felony in response to an application for any of the above listed activities, the campus standing review committee shall conduct a review of such application consistent with the standards articulated in the NYS Corrections Law, Section 753 of Article 23-A, available at https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/pio/correction-law-article-23a.pdf

Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. Some undergraduate and graduate programs require clinical/field experience or internship as part of degree completion. Students are advised to talk with their Faculty Advisor regarding any criminal history that may impede their academic progress, degree completion, or professional licensure.

Definitions

Felony: means a conviction or acceptance of a plea to any felony-level crime (defined as a crime for which one could be sentenced to more than one year in jail or prison in New York State or another jurisdiction where the student is charged with commission of the crime, even if such crime would not be a felony in the State of New York).

Study Abroad: means education that occurs outside of the country that results in progress toward an academic degree at the student’s home institution.

Internship: means applied learning experiences for which a student ear academic credit in an agreed-upon, short term, supervised workplace activity, which may be related to a student’s major field or area of interest. The work can be full or part time, on or off campus, paid or unpaid. Internships integrate classroom knowledge and theory with practical application and skills developed in professional or community settings.

Clinical or Field experience: means experiences that include hands-on application of academic theories occurring in an off-campus setting. These experiences are either required as part of an academic program or otherwise sponsored by the campus and are commonly occurring in medical, social work, teacher education and research programs.

Procedures

Students who indicate that they have been convicted of felonies will have their application for the activity reviewed by a standing review committee. The Chief of University Police has been designated as the campus liaison with parole, probation, and correctional alternatives offices, and holds a seat on the standing review committee.

The student must provide the required following documentation to the Dean of Students for the review process and who will determine if case goes to the Committee:

A copy of the unsuppressed criminal history record from the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, or the equivalent document for jurisdictions outside of New York State.
If currently on parole or probation status, references from the NYS Department of Correctional Services Division of Parole or the Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives.
A personal interview with the Dean of Students, and/or submission of additional information requested, if deemed it necessary.

It is incumbent on the student to provide all information in a timely manner, as failure to do so may delay or preclude participation in the requested activity/program. The Dean of Students may defer decision on a student’s application until all necessary information is received and reviewed.

The Dean of Students will:

Review the submitted information
Conduct a personal interview if deemed necessary
Evaluate all information
Make a determination regarding whether the participation in the activity will be granted or denied
If granted, make a determination regarding any conditions required for the participation
Notify the student and the impacted office in writing of the committee’s determination
The determination of the committee is final and not subject to appeal. However, students may submit a new request if circumstances change.
Student will also be referred to Academic Advising to discuss alternative academic options, if necessary.

Contacts

Students who have questions about this policy are advised to contact:

Office of the Provost
(607) 436-2517
provost@oneonta.edu

Effective Dates

Approved by the President’s Cabinet on 9/13/2022