| Show Audit Report Explains Funds by Dennis Jensen JensenI I During D ring Winter Quarter was under the scrutiny of the Legislative Auditor General Wayne Welsh CPA C.P.A. The auditor generals general's report just recently released responded to concerns about management practices at The report by the Legislative Fiscal Analyst shows that ranks very high when compared to other state s ate institutions on the percentage of both budget and ad spa space e allocated to instruction Of the nine institutions in Utah ranks highest in In the percent of its budget going to in instruction spends of the total budget u g t on instruction while the state average is only also ranks ran s third In in instructional space utilization with of its space space being used for instruction while the state average is I The audit identified no inappropriate activities limited to in the areas of concern co cen The auditor general does not recommend a scale full-scale audit of at this time The Te l lack ck of well defined well policy in n th the higher education system regarding institutional foundations presidents president's s residences and presidents president's discretionary funds appears to be bethe the major cause of many of the concerns directed at management As a result Welsh feels that these policy areas should be reviewed by the Board Bard of of Regents R gents and an the Higher Education Interim Study Committee The auditor is IS concerned about the general propriety of a number of state colleges being involved involved in what is alleged to be a fraudulent insurance fraudulent insurance plan The I agent involved I is now u under der investigation for fraud by both the insurance underwriters and the State Insurance Commissioners Commissioner's office When W en the state auditor ti attempted to investigate they were informed b by the i U UT-ech U T Foundation that they li reservations vat about auditors auditor authority th rit to conduct such a audits Due to the lack of cooperation by y the UTe h Foundation the members of the Audit Subcommittee were unable to investigate totally their concerns concerns about the insurance plan The report from the auditor recommended that the Board of Regents study all institutional foundation to avoid future problems for the state institutions connected with them The auditors auditor's report showed that the presidents president's house was constructed with little control and raised questions about current Board of Regents policy on college presidents president's homes Welsh recommends taht the Board of Regents study presidents president's residences throughout higher education and establish appropriate standards for design and cost Fund policy The question The report touched on the Presidents President's Discretionary was asked What is the interest that is earned on the money from the state used for and What latitude does the president have with so-called so discretionary funds The report states that this fund is virtually funded from interest earned by investing state funds allocated to the institution bi Sources of the Presidents President's Discretionary Fund for the last five years were shown in inthe inthe inthe concluded that President Carnahan has the report The subcommittees report operated wholly within the guidelines established by the Board of Regents for the use of funds Welsh that the guidelines may be overly broad The auditor recommended that th the Board of Regents conduct a detailed study of the use of such funds at all institutions to determine policy adjustments resignation was also questioned in the The cause of the presidents president's report It said that the former president Laurie Guiver resigned members of the because of irreconcilable philosophical differences with other Executive Council and with the student government advisors What is the money from parking fines used for The report listed the total as being for fiscal year 1983 Of this was spent on personnel was spent on the new parking lot was spent on maintenance and was put into current expenses The report also questioned the whereabouts of the donated by OC Tanner The money has doubled in interest and will be used for a fountain in the center of the Quad on the campus Construction of the fountain foun tain is expected to begin this summer The Audit Subcommittee Report also explained the reason for two phases of remodeling the executive office have undergone and the inequities in holding that there has been down funds for schooling supplies The report concluded misunderstandings at various levels in the college about the availability of funds When asked to comment on the report from the auditor Senator Barton replied in what kind of out that be restrictions be-restrictions I 1 think the audit pointed latitude college president should have Barton also said that the auditors auditor's a Barton that the audit hopes report pointed out weakness in the system Senator will bring more accountability to all colleges the time and other college officials President Carnahan was out of town at were unavailable for comment about the auditors auditor's report |
