Oregon State University took a step to improve safety this month by enacting a policy that will require students to self-report felony convictions and registered sex offender status before enrolling.

It’s an imperfect solution to a problem that doesn’t have a perfect solution. And although Luke Heimlich’s name is not mentioned in the OSU announcement, the policy is an attempt to best handle situations like his.

Heimlich is a university baseball team pitcher. He has been one of the best in the country. The Oregonian revealed last year he had a conviction for molesting a 6-year-old when he was 15. Heimlich had pleaded guilty and served his time. After the revelation of his conviction, Major League Baseball teams passed him by in the draft. OSU allowed him to remain on the team. He pitched again for OSU last week.

Heimlich’s story drove questions about how Oregon State and other schools treat athletes who have committed felonies as juveniles. The NCAA had been silent. That left colleges to set their own standards.

What should the university do?

In some ways, OSU was in a no-win situation.

Students who have committed serious crimes may have turned their lives around when they applied for college. But how are schools to judge if any change is genuine? Do people deserve a second chance? Should they be banned from participating in sports? Where should the line be drawn?

While the requirement to disclose may be new to OSU students, it’s far from a new idea. Many colleges ask about criminal histories on applications. The “Common Application” includes such questions and is used by the University of Oregon.

Oregon State does not ask about criminal history on applications, and its question will come after a student has been admitted.

The school already receives reports from Oregon State Police when registered sex offenders apply to OSU. If a student fails to report a past problem and the school becomes aware of it, students face the possibility of discipline for violating OSU’s code of student conduct.

Some won’t be satisfied with OSU’s policy. They don’t believe people who are convicted of felonies or who are registered sex offenders should play on college sports teams — maybe not even get into college. But if the justice system has decided a student has paid his or her debt to society, it’s hard to see how a student should not be able to develop skills and contribute more.