REPORT DIGEST

 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

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                12

Total last audit                  9

Repeated from last audit   5

 

 

Release Date:

March 26, 2009

 

 

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 the Full Report are available on

the worldwide web at

http://www.auditor.illinois.gov

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

      The Financial Statement Audit for the year ended June 30, 2008 was previously released on January 29, 2009.  That audit contained seven audit findings pertaining to significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting.  These seven findings are also included in the Compliance Examination report.

 

      This report addresses federal and State compliance findings pertaining to the Single Audit and State Compliance Examination. 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

¨      P-Card transactions were not always handled in accordance with University of Illinois Office of Business and Financial Services Policies and procedures.

 

¨      Review of users access rights within the University’s financial systems was not performed on a regular and recurring basis.

 

¨      Contracts and real estate leases were not filed with the State of Illinois, Office of the Comptroller and Secretary of State on a timely basis.

 

¨      Contracts and real estate leases were not in accordance with guidelines of the State of Illinois, Office of the Comptroller.

 

¨      The University did not report certain automobile accidents involving University vehicles to the Department of Central Management Services in a timely manner. 

 

¨      A Department at the Chicago Campus had inadequate internal controls in place over travel expenses.

 

 

{Financial Information and Activity Measures are summarized on the next page.}

 

 

 

 

 

 


UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Single Audit and Compliance Examination

For Year Ended June 30, 2008
 

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS

FY 2008

FY 2007*

OPERATING REVENUES

 

 

        Tuition and fees, net..........................................................

                    $662,464,000

                    $617,812,000

        Federal grants, contracts and appropriations................

                      607,465,000

                      604,164,000

        State and private gifts, grants and contracts.................

                      221,037,000

                      197,592,000

        Hospital and medical activities.........................................

                      648,708,000

                      568,514,000

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

                      330,309,000

                      304,094,000

        Educational activities.........................................................

                      234,549,000

                      206,316,000

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

                      141,784,000

                      129,537,000

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

                 $2,846,316,000

                 $2,628,029,000

OPERATING EXPENSES

 

 

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

                    $758,676,000

                    $703,540,000

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

                      568,946,000

                      561,876,000

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

                      342,840,000

                      326,348,000

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

                      249,000,000

                      236,561,000

        Hospital and medical activities.........................................

                      470,345,000

                      431,762,000

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

                      261,408,000

                      234,751,000

        On behalf payments for fringe benefits...........................

                      441,480,000

                      376,657,000

        Operation and maintenance of plant................................

                      259,068,000

                      218,028,000

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

                      178,572,000

                      167,172,000

        Depreciation........................................................................

                      199,609,000

                      191,679,000

        Scholarships and fellowships...........................................

                      199,197,000

                      198,016,000

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

                      109,277,000

                        98,397,000

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

                 $4,038,418,000

                 $3,774,787,000

Operating Income (Loss)...........................................................

            $(1,192,102,000)

            $(1,116,758,000)

NONOPERATING REVENUES (EXPENSES)

 

 

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

                    $680,503,000

                    $665,752,000

        Capital appropriations, gifts and grants..........................

                          8,393,000

                        20,828,000

        Private gifts and endowments..........................................

                      130,202,000

                      128,852,000

        On behalf payments for fringe benefits...........................

                      357,637,000

                      305,047,000

        Other, net.............................................................................

                      (45,140,000)

                        42,150,000

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS..........................

                    ($60,507,000)

                      $45,871,000

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

                 $2,415,856,000

                 $2,369,985,000

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

                 $2,355,349,000

                 $2,415,856,000

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)

FY 2008

FY 2007

Employment Statistics

        Chicago................................................................................

 

                               13,968

 

                               13,848

        Springfield............................................................................

                                    948

                                    914

        Urbana-Champaign.............................................................

                               15,489

                               14,788

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

                               30,405

                               29,550

Enrollment Statistics

        Undergraduate --

                Chicago........................................................................

 

 

                               15,672

 

 

                               15,006

                Springfield....................................................................

                                 2,863

                                 2,758

                Urbana-Champaign.....................................................

                               30,895

                               31,472

                        Subtotal................................................................

                               49,430

                               49,236

        Graduate –

                Chicago........................................................................

 

                               10,075

 

                                 9,638

                Springfield....................................................................

                                 1,992

                                 2,003

                Urbana-Champaign.....................................................

                               11,431

                               11,266

                        Subtotal................................................................

                               23,498

                               22,907

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

                               72,928

                               72,143

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

 

 

During Audit Period and Currently: Dr. B. Joseph White

* Certain reclassifications have been made to the 2007 amounts to conform with the 2008 presentation.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


P-Card transactions not handled in accordance with University policy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5,700 active cards with transactions totaling $116,181,802

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some transactions were reconciled by the system instead of an employee

 

Sales tax was paid on some transactions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Access rights not performed on a regular and recurring basis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Journal Voucher entry authority

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Security access rights were not generally reviewed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filing with State Comptroller up to 1,812 days late

 

 

 


Filing with Secretary of State up to 236 days late

 

 


State law requires filing of contracts and leases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leases executed after lease term began

 

 

Contracts executed after the performance of services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Accidents were not reported timely

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receipts were not maintained

 

 


Business purpose of the travel not documented

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

      The Single Audit and Compliance Examination is contained in two report documents.  One report contains compliance findings disclosed by our tests and certain supplemental information.  The other report contains supplementary financial information and special data requirements.

 

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

NEED TO IMPROVE CONTROLS OVER UNIVERSITY P-CARD USE

 

      P-Card transactions were not always handled in accordance with University of Illinois Office of Business and Financial Services Policies and Procedures.

 

      The University uses a credit card, referred to as a P-Card to simplify small dollar purchases.  University employees may be issued a P-Card with the approval of their Department Head or Fiscal Officer.  The P-Card works like any personal credit card and is billed monthly to the University.  Vendors are paid directly by the issuing bank and the University pays the bank with a single monthly payment.

 

      Purchases are tracked through the P-Card web based computer software and are automatically posted to the University’s general ledger system.  The University’s P-Card program has six defined roles: 1) department head, 2) department card manager, 3) cardholder, 4) software reconciler, 5) software approver, and 6) financial statement reconciler.  The University has established a Corporate Card Office to provide management over the University P-Card Program. 

 

      The University has approximately 5,700 active P-Cards and the year-to-date volume of P-Card transactions totaled $116,181,802.

 

      We examined 66 P-Card transactions from all areas of the University.  Some of the problems we noted are as follows:

 

·        41 transactions with conflicting P-card roles, that included 8 transactions that had the cardholder established as the software reconciler of their own transactions and 25 transactions having the same individual as the financial statement reconciler and the software reconciler.

·        4 transactions were shown in the P-Card web based computer software as automatically reconciled by the system, rather than by an employee.

·        5 transactions included sales tax paid by the University.

·        1 transaction was for a purchase made by someone other than the cardholder. (Finding 3, Pages 16-17) This finding was first reported in 2006.

 

      We recommended the University review the segregation of duties surrounding P-Card transactions and emphasize the importance of a timely and adequate review, approval, and reconciliation of all transactions.  We also recommended that the University ensure that the Policies and Procedures, including all modifications, are clearly understood and followed by all personnel involved in the P-Card Program.

 

      University officials accepted our finding and recommendations and stated they will continue to emphasize the importance of segregating duties and performing timely and adequate review, approval, and reconciliation of all transactions. (For the previous agency response, see Digest footnote #1.)

 

NEED TO ENHANCE SYSTEM ACCESS CONTROLS

 

      Review of user access rights within the University’s financial systems (e.g. accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, fixed assets, etc) was not performed on a regular and recurring basis. 

 

      Three units (Payroll, Academic Computing and Communications Center, and College of Medicine) indicated that either they did not perform a user security access rights review or maintain documentation of a review.  The following details were discovered while reviewing users with journal voucher entry authority:

 

·        The University had approximately 2,300 users with journal voucher entry authority.

 

·        All users with journal voucher entry authority had entry limits of $999,999,999.99 or less without regard to specific job duties.

 

·        The University had created five charts of accounts.  Approximately 400 of the users with journal voucher entry authority also has access to the University Administration chart of accounts.

 

·        Four users with journal voucher entry rights were identified with substantial modification authorities for the security rule codes of the system.  Two of these users were designated as Unit Security Coordinators.

 

·        At least 23 users had both journal voucher entry rights and the rights to modify two security rule codes.

 

      Even though an internal audit recommended that user access rights be reviewed at least annually by unit security coordinators, such reviews were not performed.  Our testing of compliance on three units indicated security access rights were not generally reviewed.  (Finding 5, Pages 20-21)

 

      We recommended that the University perform recurring, documented reviews of user access within the University’s financial systems.  Specifically, the University should review individual access rights; limit dollar entry limits to those commensurate with job responsibilities; segregate journal voucher entry capability from the capability to modify the chart of accounts; and segregate journal voucher entry capability from the capability to modify associated security rule codes.

 

      University officials accepted our finding and recommendations and stated they will develop improvements to procedures to address the recommendations noted in the finding.

 

CONTRACTS AND REAL ESTATE LEASES NOT FILED TIMELY

 

      Contracts and real estate leases were not filed with the Illinois Office of the State Comptroller and Secretary of State on a timely basis.

 

      Our testing of 49 contracts and real estate leases revealed that 21 (43%) were not filed timely with the Office of the State Comptroller.  The late filings ranged from 1 to 1,812 days late.

 

      Our testing of 25 real estate leases revealed that 14 (56%) were not filed timely with the Secretary of State.  The late filings ranged from 5 to 236 days late.

     

      The Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/20-80(b)) and the Statewide Accounting Management System (Procedure 15.10.40) require State agencies to file contracts for professional and artistic services exceeding $5,000 and all other contracts and leases exceeding  $10,000 with the State Comptroller within 15 calendar days after execution.  In addition, the Illinois State Finance Act (30 ILCS 105/9(a)) requires State agencies to file all real estate leases with the Office of the Secretary of State within 15 calendar days after execution. (Finding 8, page 24) This finding was first reported in 2004.

 

      We recommended the University revise its procedures to ensure all applicable contracts and real estate leases are filed with the Office of the State Comptroller and Secretary of State in accordance with State statutes and related guidelines.

 

      University officials accepted our finding and recommendation.  (For the previous agency response, see Digest footnote #2.)

 

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH GUIDELINES FOR CONTRACTS AND REAL ESTATE LEASES

 

      Contracts and real estate leases were not in accordance with guidelines of the Illinois Office of the State Comptroller.

 

      We examined 24 contracts and 25 real estate leases from all areas of the University.  The following problems were noted:

 

·        6 leases were executed after the lease term began.  The lease executions ranged from 2 days to 42 days late.

 

·        6 contracts were executed subsequent to the performance of services.  The contract executions ranged from 12 days to 115 days late.

 

·        7 leases omitted the federal identification number for the lessor.

 

·        1 lease did not include a completed, signed and notarized Real Estate Disclosure form. (Finding 9, pages 25-26) This finding was first reported in 2003.

 

      We recommended the University establish appropriate procedures to ensure all contracts and leases are completed, approved, and executed prior to the start of the services and lease term.  Further, the University should review procedures to ensure all appropriate clauses and certifications are obtained prior to execution for all real estate lease agreements.

 

      University officials accepted our finding and recommendations and stated that they will continue to examine and improve its procedures to ensure that contracts and leases are approved and executed prior to the start of the services and lease terms. (For the previous agency response, see Digest footnote #3.)

 

USE AND MAINTENANCE OF UNIVERSITY VEHICLES

 

      The University did not report certain automobile accidents involving University vehicles to the Department of Central Management Services in a timely manner.  The University also did not maintain appropriate documentation for all individuals allowed to drive University vehicles and did not properly maintain all University motor vehicles.

 

      During our testing of the operation of University vehicles, we noted the following exceptions:

 

·        The University reported 120 accidents involving University vehicles to the Department of Central Management Services during fiscal year 2008.  Of the 94 accidents reported by the Urbana Campus, 81 (86%) were not reported timely and ranged from 1 to 73 days late.  Of the 26 accidents reported by the Chicago Campus, 16 (62%) were not reported timely and ranged from 2 to 104 days late.

 

·        We tested five departments that were assigned University vehicles on an ongoing basis at the Urbana Campus.  Of those, two departments allowed employees to use the vehicles without maintaining the required Departmental Driver Approval Form.

 

·        Of the three University vehicles selected on the Urbana Campus for maintenance documentation testing, one of the vehicles did not have regular oil changes.  (Finding 10, Pages 27-28)

 

      We recommended that the University improve procedures to ensure that accident reports are submitted to the Department of Central Management Services in a timely manner.  We also recommended that the University ensure that the policies and procedures are clearly understood and followed by all personnel responsible for the oversight of University vehicles within each department.

 

      University officials accepted our finding and recommendations and stated they will improve procedures to ensure that accident reports are submitted timely and that the policies and procedures are clearly understood and followed by all personnel responsible for University vehicles.

 

 

INADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO TRAVEL

 

      A Department at the Chicago Campus had inadequate internal controls in place over travel expenses.

 

      We examined 25 travel expense transactions totaling $16,294, from a single University department with total travel expenses of $157,052 and noted the following:

 


·        11 transactions did not have supporting receipts for airline charges totaling $5,604.

 

·        Of the 14 transactions in which receipts were provided, 7 transactions did not have the business purpose of the travel documented totaling $4,592.

 

      The University of Illinois Office of Business and Financial Services Policies and Procedures addressing P-Card travel transactions provides that the P-Card transaction number be documented on a copy of the ticket or itinerary and attached to the travel voucher form.  Additionally, the specific purpose of the travel must be documented. (Finding 12, Page 30)

 

      We recommended that the University review the business purpose of travel and accompanying documentation for this department and ensure that the Policies and Procedures are clearly understood and followed by all personnel involved.

 

      University officials accepted our finding and recommendations and stated they will work with the department to ensure that Policies and Procedures are clearly understood and followed.

 

 

OTHER FINDINGS

 

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

 

 

 

 

AUDITORS’ OPINION

 

      The financial audit reports were previously released.  Our auditors stated the June 30, 2008 financial statements were fairly presented in all material respects.

 

 

_____________________________________

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

 

WGH:TLK:pp

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

 

      Clifton Gunderson LLP were our special assistant auditors.

 

DIGEST FOOTNOTES

 

#1 University P-Card – Previous University Response

Accepted.  In order to improve the understanding of the Policies and Procedures by all personnel involved in the P-Card program, the University has implemented a mandatory retraining program for all existing cardholders and a mandatory training program for all new cardholders.  The training will also be required for P-Card renewals, which occur once every two years.  All trainings and retrainings must be completed by each employee prior to the issuance of their P-Card.

 

 #2 Contracts and Real Estate Leases Not Filed Timely – Previous University Response

Accepted.  The University continues to monitor and examine its procedures to ensure contracts and leases are filed in compliance with State statutes and related guidelines.

 

#3 Real Estate Leases Not In Accordance With Guidelines – Previous University Response

Accepted.  The University will continue to examine its routing procedures to ensure that contracts and leases are approved and executed prior to the start of the services and lease terms.  The University Office of Real Estate Planning and Services now use standard lease templates which include all appropriate clauses and certifications, and the certifications and clauses on the lease templates will be reviewed and updated at least annually.