REPORT DIGEST

 

EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

 

FINANCIAL AUDIT AND

COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION

(In Accordance with the

Single Audit Act and

OMB Circular A-133)

For the Year Ended:

June 30, 2008

 

Summary of Findings:

Total this audit                   8

Total last audit                 11

Repeated from last audit    7

 

 

State of Illinois

Office of the Auditor General

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND

AUDITOR GENERAL

 

 

 

To obtain a copy of the Report contact:

Office of the Auditor General

Iles Park Plaza

740 E. Ash Street

Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 782-6046 or TTY (888) 261-2887

 

This Report Digest and Full Report are also available on

the worldwide web at

www.auditor.illinois.gov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

 

¨      The University did not have adequate controls over bank reconciliations.

¨      The University did not have adequate control over the reporting and reconciliation of financial aid information.

¨      The University did not require all employees to submit time sheets as required by the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.

¨      The University did not ensure that its internal auditing program complies with the Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Expenditures and Activity Measures are summarized on the reverse page.}

 


                                                  EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

                             FINANCIAL AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION

                                                    For The Year Ended June 30, 2008

 

STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENSES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

FY 2008
FY 2007

OPERATING REVENUES

      Student tuition and fees, net...................................................................................................

..... Auxiliary enterprises, net.........................................................................................................

      Grants and contracts.................................................................................................................

      Sales and services of educational departments....................................................................

      Other............................................................................................................................................

            Total Operating Revenues................................................................................................

OPERATING EXPENSES

      Instruction............................................................................................................................

      Auxiliary enterprises...........................................................................................................

      Student services........................................................................................................................

      Institutional support.................................................................................................................

      Academic support.....................................................................................................................

      Operations and maintenance of plant...............................................................................

      Depreciation expense..........................................................................................................

      Public service.......................................................................................................................

      Student aid............................................................................................................................

      Research................................................................................................................................

      Total Operating Expenses......................................................................................................

Operating Loss...............................................................................................................................

NONOPERATING REVENUES (EXPENSES)

      State appropriations..................................................................................................................

      Payments on behalf of the University....................................................................................

      Other nonoperating revenues (expenses), net......................................................................

            Total Nonoperating Revenues (Expenses).....................................................................

Income Before Capital Contributions.........................................................................................

Capital appropriations, capital gifts and donated assets..........................................................

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS.......................................................................................................

Net assets, beginning of the year.................................................................................................

Net assets, end of the year............................................................................................................

 

    $66,225,748

      39,416,747

      16,018,262

        4,417,308

        2,752,203

    128,830,268

 

      80,496,843

      31,592,699

      19,132,739

      18,359,463

      14,354,957

      13,179,805

      12,008,453

        8,371,245

        5,886,312

        1,133,892

    204,516,408

   (75,686,140)

 

      49,189,200

      31,652,439

        1,563,485

      82,405,124

        6,718,984

        5,419,039

      12,138,023

    158,905,189

  $171,043,212

 

    $62,305,638

      37,943,403

      14,596,831

        4,221,724

        2,491,975

    121,559,571

 

      75,436,556

      29,867,003

      18,012,013

      17,730,818

      13,509,570

      11,458,348

      11,774,221

        7,922,071

        6,083,286

        1,111,083

    192,904,969

     (71,345,398)
 

      48,282,450

      27,545,752

        5,847,321

      81,675,523

      10,330,125

      18,567,108

      28,897,233

    130,007,956

  $158,905,189

SELECTED ACCOUNT BALANCES

JUNE 30, 2008

JUNE 30, 2007

Cash and investments....................................................................................................................

Capital assets, net of accumulated depreciation........................................................................

Accounts and notes receivable, net............................................................................................

Revenue bonds, notes payable, certificates of participation, and capital lease obligations....

Accrued compensated absences..................................................................................................

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities...................................................................................

Net assets.........................................................................................................................................

    $37,827,115

    206,552,679

      18,412,825

      57,813,399

      14,044,871

      13,081,432

 $171,043,212

    $45,858,409

    195,293,070

      15,392,361

      62,993,727

      14,943,370

      11,828,311

 $158,905,189

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (unaudited)

FY 2008

FY 2007

Employment Statistics

      Faculty and Administrative.....................................................................................................

      Civil Service................................................................................................................................

      Student Employees...................................................................................................................

              Total Employees...............................................................................................................

Enrollment Statistics (Fall term)

      Fall term enrollment – undergraduate.....................................................................................

      Fall Term enrollment – graduate..............................................................................................

      Fall term enrollment – extension..............................................................................................

              Total...................................................................................................

 

911

980

302

2,193

 

9,797

1,216

1,166

12,179

 

 

938

839

353

2,130

 

9,937

1,243

1,169

12,349

 

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

During Audit Period: Dr. William L. Perry

Currently:  Dr. William L. Perry

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reconciliations not timely

 

 

Checks outstanding more than 6 months

 

 

 

 


University said the reconciliations were late due to staffing issues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Withdrawal dates did not agree or were not reported

 

 

 

 

 

 


Reconciliations not performed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Error in system to extract data for reporting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Timesheets not maintained for salaried employees

 

 

 

 

 


No basis for allocating salary expenses to the University Related Organizations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

University disagrees with auditor recommendation

 

 

 


Auditor’s comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Internal audit did not perform any post implementation review of the University’s new Banner System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

INADEQUATE CONTROLS OVER BANK RECONCILIATIONS

 

      Eastern Illinois University (University) did not have adequate controls over bank reconciliations.

 

      During our review of the monthly bank reconciliations, we noted the following:

 

·        21 of 36 (58%) bank reconciliations were prepared 16 to 210 days after the month end. 

·        Long outstanding checks from the General Fund and Payroll disbursement accounts were not promptly investigated and disposed.  As of the June 30, 2008, there were 152 outstanding checks totaling $17,834 from the disbursement accounts that were issued more than 6 months prior to the date of the bank statement.

 

      According to University personnel, the bank reconciliation was late due to staffing issues.  (Finding #1, pages 21-22)  This finding was first reported in 2005. 

 

      We recommended the University establish procedures to perform and review bank account reconciliations in a timely manner.  In addition, long outstanding checks should be reviewed and disposed of promptly.

 

      University officials responded that staffing issues have been corrected and bank reconciliations were current at June 30, 2008.  (For the previous University response, see Digest Footnote #1.)

 

 

INADEQUATE CONTROL OVER REPORTING AND RECONCILIATION OF FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

 

      The University did not ensure timely and accurate reporting of information as required in the administration of Federal Title IV programs. In addition, the University did not ensure that direct loan information is reconciled on a monthly basis. During our testing, we noted the following:

 

·        During our review, the University records of withdrawal dates for 14 of 40 (35%) students tested did not agree with the withdrawal dates per National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) records.  In addition, 24 of 40 (60%) students tested who were determined as withdrawn per University records were not reported as such per NSLDS records. 

 

·        Monitoring procedures were not performed to ensure that the direct loan reconciliation against loan records of the Department of Education is made by a responsible employee for all months as required by Federal regulations. No loan reconciliation was performed for the months of July 2007 through March 2008. Also, cash drawdown reconciliations for the months of February and March 2008 were not prepared.

 

      According to University personnel, because the Registration Office is new with the reporting requirement, there was an error in the parameters that was set up in Banner System to extract student information to be reported to NSLDS.  Monthly direct loan reconciliations were not performed because of miscommunication and misunderstanding of the requirement of the Direct Loan School Guide.  (Finding #3, pages 25-26)  This finding was first reported in 2006. 

 

      University officials accepted our recommendation to establish procedures to ensure that reports are accurately filed as required by the Federal Financial Aid Program and to ensure that the employee responsible for the reconciliation is clear with the requirement to perform the reconciliation on a monthly basis.  (For the previous University response, see Digest Footnote #2.)

 

     

TIME SHEETS NOT REQUIRED

 

      The University did not require all employees to submit time sheets as required by the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (Act).

 

      We noted that the University’s salaried employees did not maintain timesheets in compliance with the Act.  Employees’ time is tracked using time rosters, which are filled out online by each employee or each department’s representative.  The time rosters used are effectively a “negative” timekeeping system whereby the employee is assumed to be working unless noted otherwise.  The employees documenting time to the nearest quarter hour were only Civil Service biweekly-paid and student employees.

 

      Since timesheets are not maintained for all employees, there was no adequate basis for allocating salary expenses between the University and the University Related Organizations (URO).  The UROs are the Foundation and the Alumni Association. 

 

      According to the University personnel they relied upon an opinion received from the Office of the Executive Inspector General and General Counsel for the Office of the Executive Inspector General that a system of “absence reporting” would be an appropriate method of time keeping under the Act.  (Finding #5, pages 29-31)  This finding has been repeated since 2005. 

 

      We recommended the University amend its policies to require all employees to submit time sheets in compliance with the Act.

 

      University officials disagreed with our recommendation based upon guidance received from the Executive Office of Inspector General. 

 

      In an auditor’s comment, we noted that a positive timekeeping system for State employees is required by the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act and necessary to provide a basis for allocating expenditures between the University and the UROs.  Despite the fact that the Act’s timekeeping requirements went into effect March 1, 2004, the University still is not obtaining timesheets from all of its employees and, consequently, this finding is being repeated for the fourth consecutive audit.  (For the previous University response, see Digest footnote #3.) 

       

 

     

DEFICIENCIES IN THE INTERNAL AUDITING DEPARTMENT

 

      The University did not ensure that its internal auditing program complies with the Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act.

 

      During our review of the Internal Auditing Department (Department), we noted no post implementation review was conducted of the University’s new information system, the Banner System (System) implemented during the last two fiscal years.  Four of the 5 modules were implemented in fiscal year 2007 while the last module was implemented in fiscal year 2008. There was no internal audit review of the design and operation of controls for any of the modules implemented.

 

      The Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act (30 ILCS 10/2003) (Act) requires that internal auditing program includes reviews of the design of major new electronic data processing systems and major modifications of those systems to ensure the systems provide for adequate audit trails and accountability.  (Finding #7, page 34)

 

      University officials concurred with our recommendation to perform a post-review of the information system modules implemented to timely detect whether system controls are operating effectively as designed.

 

OTHER FINDINGS

 

      The remaining findings are reportedly being given attention by the University.  We will review the University’s progress toward the implementation of our recommendations in our next examination.

 

 

 

 

AUDITORS' OPINION

 

      Our auditors stated the University's financial statements as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008 were fairly presented in all material respects.

 

 

 

 

 

____________________________________

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

 

WGH:JAF:pp

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

 

      E.C. Ortiz & Co. LLP were our special assistant auditors on this engagement.

 

DIGEST FOOTNOTES

 

 

#1:  INADEQUATE CONTROLS OVER BANK RECONCILIATIONS – Previous University Response

 

We agree that the bank reconciliation process is an important element of the University’s system of internal controls.  We have had difficulty in this area due to retirements and the training of new personnel.  This situation will be corrected.

 

#2:  INADEQUATE CONTROL OVER REPORTING AND RECONCILIATION OF FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION – Previous University Response

 

We concur with the auditor’s recommendation.  A delay in the issuance of regulations for the two new Federal programs, SMART and ACG, caused changes necessary in our software for Fall, 2006 to be delayed.  Once the software was updated, the required reporting was done.  We have modified our procedures and developed additional reports to insure accurate and timely reporting and reconciling. 

 

#3:  TIMESHEETS NOT REQUIRED – Previous University Response

 

The University assumed its procedures were in compliance with the time reporting requirements of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (the “Ethics Act”) based on guidance received from the Executive Inspector General.  The University received a memo from the Office of the Inspector General that states:  “it appears that a system of ‘absence reporting’ would be an appropriate method of time keeping under the Ethics Act.  Under this system, an employee would only report time during their normal work schedule that was not spent at work and provide the category of leave taken for that time away.”