Archive of Internal Audit Reports

(documents are PDF files unless otherwise noted)

System-wide Studies

• College, University and System Affiliated Foundations
  - Released September 16, 2008
  In fiscal year 2007, 43 foundations were affiliated with the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU). These foundations generated over $20 million of program benefits. From a donor perspective, cumulatively, 83% of the spending by these foundations went into program benefits – surpassing the expectations of donor watchdog groups. From the perspective of the Board of Trustees, overall, it cost 39 cents to raise $1 of public benefits – also surpassing the expectations of current board policy. The board, though, may wish to reconsider whether its current policy provides a sufficiently robust test for operational efficiency.
• Student Success Measures Report
  - Released October 17, 2007
  The audit focused on (1) testing student success measurements, which are a component of the system-wide accountability framework, and (2) implementation of MnSCU systems intended to facilitate student academic progress for transfer and degree completion.
• System-wide Fraud Awareness Project
  - Released June 20, 2006
  This Internal Auditing project was scheduled as part of the fiscal year 2006 audit plan approved by the Board of Trustees in June 2006.  The board approved Policy 1C.2, Fraudulent and Other Dishonest Acts, in June 2002. The successful implementation of this policy was dependent on employees being aware of their responsibilities to report evidence of dishonest acts. Accordingly, the board was interested in whether sufficient actions had been taken to create an adequate such an awareness among employees.
• Capital Construction Administration Audit
  - Released May 8, 2006
  To gain further assurance about the capital construction administration management, the Vice Chancellor /CFO requested an audit from the Office of Internal Auditing. During calendar year 2005, representatives from the Office of Internal Auditing visited all 37 colleges and universities and gained an understanding of their capital construction administration procedures. The auditors conducted detailed testing on 56 of the projects.  Testing was concentrated on the larger projects, so the testing covered over $246 million of capital construction expenditures.
• Monitoring Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients
  - Released October 2003
  Chancellor McCormick requested that the Office of Internal Audit assess the risk of satisfactory academic progress problems occurring at colleges and universities.
• Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program
  - Released July 17, 2001
  In July 2000, the audit committee approved the Office of Internal Auditing to conduct a system-wide study of Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. The Office of Internal Auditing conducted a comprehensive study of the program to serve as a basis for possible program improvements.
• MnSCU Network Security
  - Released February 21, 2001
  This study examined the security of about 60 local area networks connected to the MnSCU wide area network. This report contains a series of recommendations to trustees, the chancellor, and presidents to protect the organization's information technology resources from external attacks and internal sabotage.
• Incumbent Workforce Training Programs
  - Released June 20, 2000
  Incumbent Workforce Training Programs (often known as customized training or continuing education programs) represents a growing and dynamic aspect of MnSCU educational services. The report analyzes issues related to organizational structure, finances, and operations.
• Reliability of MnSCU Financial Data
  - May 19, 1999
  The primary purpose of this report was to analyze financial accounting data to determine if it was complete, accurate, timely and consistent.
• The Year 2000 Computing Problem
  - July 1998
  The primary purpose of this project was to assess the readiness of MnSCU and its colleges and universities for the Year 2000 computing problem.
  

Annual Reports

Board Policy 1D requires an annual report from the Office of Internal Auditing.

• Fiscal Year 2007 - Issued December 2007
• Fiscal Year 2006 - Issued March 2007
• Fiscal Year 2005 - Issued September 2005
• Fiscal Year 2004 - Issued September 2004
• Fiscal Year 2003 - Issued September 2003
• Fiscal Year 2002 - Issued September 2002
• Fiscal Year 2001 - Issued October 2001
• Fiscal Year 2000 - Issued October 2000

Annual Audit Plan

According to Board Policy 1D.1, Part 6, the Office of Internal Auditing must submit an annual audit plan to the Audit Committee.  Professional internal auditing standards require that the audit plan be based on a risk assessment to ensure that audit resources are focused on the most critical projects.

• Fiscal Year 2008 - Issued May 2007
• Fiscal Year 2007 - Issued June 2006
• Fiscal Year 2006 - Issued June 2005
• Fiscal Year 2005 - Issued June 2004
• Fiscal Year 2004 - Issued June 2003
• Fiscal Year 2003 - Issued June 2002
• Fiscal Year 2002 - Issued June 2001
• Fiscal Year 2001 - Issued June 2000
• Fiscal Year 2000 - Issued June 1999
• Fiscal Year 1999 - Issued June 1998

Other Reports

• iSeek Solutions Audited Financial Statements
  - issued September 5, 2007
  The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Office of Internal Auditing audited the financial statements of iSeek Solutions for fiscal year 2007.
• Independent Validation of the Internal Auditing Self-Assessment
  - Issued March 21, 2007
  The Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing require a periodic external quality assessment of the internal auditing activity. The Office of Internal Auditing contracted with the Twin Cities Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditing to conduct an independent validation of its self-assessment of compliance with the Standards.
• Minnesota State University, Mankato - Review of Student Athlete Reporting
  - issued June 17, 2004
  The Office of Internal Auditing reviewed the Minnesota State University, Mankato athlete reporting for fiscal years 1999 to 2004. An internal working group at the university discovered potential errors in previous counts of men and women athletes, and reported those potential errors to the U.S. Department of Education. The university initiated an independent review of the corrected reports.
• Alliss Grant Program
  - issued August 6, 2004
  Review of the Alliss Grant Program that is administered by the Office of the Chancellor. The review focused on activities conducted by the Office of the Chancellor related to accounting and grant reporting to the donor organization. Financial activity from fiscal year 1999 through 2004 was examined.
  

Office of the Legislative Auditor Reports

• For a complete list of OLA Reports, visit the Office of the Legislative Auditor's web site (www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/)