REPORT DIGEST

ILLINOIS STATE
UNIVERSITY

FINANCIAL AND
COMPLIANCE AUDIT
(In Accordance with the
Single Audit Act
Amendments of 1996, and
OMB Circular A-133)
For the Year Ended:
June 30, 1998


Summary of Findings:

Total this audit 5
Total last audit 4
Repeated from last audit 2


Release Date:
May 20, 1999




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
Attn: Records Manager
Iles Park Plaza
740 E. Ash Street
Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 782-6046 or TDD (217) 524-4646

This Report Digest is also available on
the worldwide web at
http://www.state.il.us/auditor

 

 

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

  • The University did not have controls in place to prevent duplicate payments to vendors. In testing refund receipts we identified where the University received $3,754 for duplicate payments made to vendors.
  • The University did not accurately and timely submit two required travel headquarters reports to the Legislative Audit Commission.

 

 

 

{Financial Information is summarized on the reverse page.}


ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
FINANCIAL AND COMPLIANCE AUDIT
For The Year Ended June 30, 1998

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS (CURRENT FUNDS)

FY 1998

FY 1997

REVENUES
Appropriations
Student tuition and fees
Grants, contracts, and gifts
Sales and services of educational departments
Auxiliary enterprises
Other
Payments on behalf of the University
   Total 
EXPENDITURES AND MANDATORY TRANSFERS
Instruction
Research
Public Service
Academic support
Student services
Institutional support
Operation of plant
Staff benefits
Student Aid
Auxiliary enterprises
Mandatory transfers
Payments on behalf of the University
    Total


$75,539,325
65,726,710
23,995,515
4,750,694
47,622,407
8,007,389
23,317,765
$248,959,805

$64,945,030
11,811,497
8,022,928
15,174,524
22,562,602
17,437,799
19,321,888
995,647
15,453,200
36,907,225
10,275,135
23,317,765
$246,225,240


$72,640,299
60,669,540
21,877,686
4,510,286
43,155,356
6,993,306
20,107,378
$229,953,851

$60,635,646
12,974,852
6,353,737
13,880,139
21,963,578
16,609,790
16,383,150
1,753,262
13,802,293
34,598,136
8,491,611
20,107,378
$227,553,572

SELECTED ACCOUNT BALANCES (ALL FUNDS)

JUNE 30, 1998

JUNE 30, 1997

Cash and short-term investments
Investments
Buildings, land, and equipment
Accrued compensated absences
Revenue bonds payable
Fund balances (deficit):
  Unrestricted
  Restricted
  Loan
  Net investment in plant

$1,637,130
62,445,480
394,205,788
22,532,208
61,381,017

4,933,946
3,334,991
9,792,703
364,324,349

$4,433,987
57,291,967
382,238,507
22,319,691
62,583,932

1,543,385
2,505,806
9,781,124
351,058,432

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

FY 1998

FY 1997

Employment Statistics (Full Time Equivalent)
Appropriated funds:
  Faculty/administrative
  Civil service
  Student employees and miscellaneous contracts
Nonappropriated funds:
  Faculty/administrative
  Civil service
  Student employees
    Total Employees
Selected Activity Measures
Annual full-time equivalent students
Full-time equivalent costs per student, based on
education and general expenditures from current
appropriated funds



1,217.3
745.0
325.3

348.3
570.6
418.1
3,624.6

17,148


$7,369



1,165.5
762.7
293.1

353.6
566.3
402.4
3,543.7

16,403


$7,270

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
During Audit Period: Dr. David A. Strand
Currently: Dr. David A. Strand

















Fifteen of 59 refund receipts tested, totaling $3,754.30, were for refunds of duplicate payments made to vendors



Lack of controls resulted in overpayments to vendors and inefficient use of State funds










Travel headquarters reports not accurately and timely submitted.







Employee was paid $2,057 to commute from his residence in Michigan to Chicago Metropolitan area












Employee included on report no longer worked for the University since July 1997

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Our audit of Illinois State University is issued in two reports. The Compliance Audit Report contains the audit findings and the supplementary financial information including the federal single audit disclosures. The Financial Audit Report contains the opinion on the financial statements.

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

DUPLICATE PAYMENTS TO VENDORS

During our testing of the University’s refund account, we noted that 15 of 59 (25%) receipts, totaling $3,754.30, were refunds of duplicate payments made to vendors. University employees pick up merchandise from the vendor and submit the voucher to the respective department for payment. The vendor also sends an original invoice to the department, which in turn forwards it to the Comptroller’s Office to be paid.

Prudent business practices require controls to be in place to ensure that vendors are only paid once for services rendered. Failure of the departments to implement controls to avoid duplicate payments has resulted in overpayments to vendors and inefficient use of State funds. (Finding 98-2, page 14)

We recommended the University establish procedures to ensure that vendors are not paid twice for the same charge. University management agreed with our recommendation.

INACCURATE COMPLETION AND UNTIMELY FILING OF TRAVEL HEADQUARTERS REPORTS

The University did not accurately and timely submit two required travel headquarters reports (TA-2) to the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC). During our testing we identified the following exceptions:

The TA-2 forms were received by the LAC on January 20, 1998 and July 24, 1998, 5 days and 9 days late respectively.

One employee’s residence in Michigan was listed as the official headquarters when most of his University time was spent in the Chicago metropolitan area. This employee was reimbursed $2,057 to commute back and forth from his residence to the Chicago metropolitan area.

One person listed on the report was no longer employed by the University and had not been employed there since July 1997.

Four employees spent the majority of their time in Champaign but had their headquarters listed as Normal.

Reports are required to be accurately completed and filed with the LAC by the 15th day of July and January of each year. Exceptions in designating an employee’s official headquarters should be based on whether or not such an exception will promote the efficient and economical conduct of the employee’s duties. (Finding 98-3, page 15)

We recommended the University personnel ensure the LAC receives accurate TA-2 forms by the reporting deadline. Additionally, we recommended the University personnel review travel to ensure that State funds are not used to pay commuting expenses.

University management agreed with our recommendation.

OTHER FINDINGS

The remaining findings and recommendations were less significant and have been given appropriate attention by University management. We will review progress toward implementation of our recommendations during our next audit.

University responses were provided by Mr. Ron Jones, Assistant Vice President and Comptroller.

AUDITORS' OPINION

Our auditors state the June 30, 1998 financial statements of Illinois State University are fairly presented.

 

_____________________________________
WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

WGH:RPU:pp

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

Olive LLP were our special assistant auditors for this audit.