audit Archives - Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for March 21, 2017

March 21, 2017 by Clif Smart

Our Board of Governors has established a Risk Management and Audit Committee. This committee is chaired by Gov. Greg Spears and has been charged with overseeing the university’s audit, compliance and risk management operations.

The role of the committee

The Risk Management and Audit Committee will be responsible for:

Monitoring external audits
Directing and receiving work of the university’s internal auditor
Receiving reports of all NCAA and NJCAA audits
Overseeing the university’s enterprise risk management efforts
Following up on major risk management issues and concerns

The committee met last week to receive three reports from the university’s internal auditor. I want to update you one of those reports related to the ethics hotline.

Ethical leadership is one of the pillars of our public affairs mission. Missouri State University has a long tradition of operating in a professional and ethical manner. As part of this commitment, the university provides various mechanisms to assist and encourage employees, students and others to come forward with reports or concerns about suspected compliance issues.

Report ethical, compliance concerns

One mechanism is a third-party anonymous hotline service called EthicsPoint. An individual may contact this hotline service either by phone or internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All reports are routed directly to the office of internal audit and compliance and the office of general counsel for review and then directed to the appropriate institutional official.

To make an EthicsPoint report, you may call 1-888-233-8988 or go to the Missouri State ethics hotline webpage.

The recent internal auditor’s report indicates there have been 113 ethics hotline reports filed with the university’s third party hotline vendor since the hotline was initiated in 2007. All 113 reports were investigated.

For the last three years, hotline reports addressed the following:

42 percent dealt with employee or supervisory misconduct
27 percent dealt with discrimination, harassment or equal opportunity
13 percent dealt with sexual harassment
5 percent dealt with conflicts of interest
13 percent dealt with some other matter

If you have any compliance or other concerns, I would encourage you to notify your supervisor or, if you do not feel comfortable doing so, to utilize EthicsPoint. Together we can monitor the university’s compliance and ensure that Missouri State University remains a model for ethical leadership.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes Vol. 3, No. 10

March 12, 2014 by Clif Smart

In this issue of Clif’s Notes, I review the Board of Governors Mid-Year Retreat, draw attention to the upcoming Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Open Forum, invite you to attend the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame dinner and induction, and provide updates on several other topics.

Board of Governors Mid-Year Retreat

The Board of Governors’ Mid-Year Retreat occurred in St. Louis on March 6-7. This event has become a tradition and is scheduled in conjunction with the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament. The major purpose of the retreat is to provide an update on the University’s goals for the year, as well as progress on the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for both the Springfield and West Plains campuses.

This year, there are eight major goals for the University. The Board was very pleased with the progress we have made on the goals thus far, and they look forward to a final report at the August Board Retreat.

Also at the Retreat, the Board gave final approval to the fees for 2014-15. The new fee structure allows us to maintain our value – an outstanding education for a reasonable, affordable price.

The new fee plan calls for the in-state undergraduate tuition rate to remain the same as 2013-14. Tuition for graduate students and out-of-state students increase by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 1.5 percent or less. And, the differential fees will be implemented for some of the graduate health programs. For all of the details of the fees, see the 2014-15 Fee Schedule.

HLC Town Hall meeting scheduled for April 4

Provost Frank Einhellig and I have scheduled a Town Hall meeting for Friday, April 4, to review the work of the HLC Steering Committee. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. in the Plaster Student Union Theater. I hope you will consider attending.

The purpose of the Town Hall meeting is to seek broad feedback on our initial work from the campus community. Specifically, we want your feedback on three questions:

Are there strengths or concerns missing from the list?
Is there evidence (documents, reports) missing from the report that should be included?
Are there concerns from the 2005 report that we have neglected?

Missouri State University received initial accreditation from the HLC in 1915 and has successfully earned reaffirmation of this accreditation in every cycle since that time.

Our report to the HLC (due in 2015) in preparation for a 2015-16 site visit must provide evidence of how we meet the criteria and core components. It must also include an assessment of what we do well (strengths) and what we hope to do better in the future (challenges/concerns). Those draft reports can be found at the Higher Learning Commission website.

The Town Hall meeting will begin with a brief summary of why this accreditation is important to Missouri State University and review of the criteria and core components. A brief review of the concerns from our 2005 report also will be reported, along with actions that we have taken to address the concerns. This will be followed by a listing of Missouri State University strengths and concerns based on the criteria and core components.

Again, I hope you will consider attending and participating in this discussion.

Collections audit released

As a follow-up to the Bookstore fraud case and subsequent conviction, the office of internal audit reviewed the collections processed by the provost and academic departments. The goal was to ensure we were handling transactions in the most appropriate manner.

That audit is complete and I invite you to review it for yourself. I think you will find that, for the most part, we were doing well with our collections. We have been able to make some improvements to ensure we process cash transactions as well as we should.

I want to thank new Director of Internal Audit Donna Christian and her staff for their good work, and for the faculty and staff who cooperated with the audit.

Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame

Last December, we announced the first three inductees into the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame: President Harry S. Truman, John C. “Jack” Danforth and Dr. Donald S. Suggs.

The induction dinner and ceremony will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday, April 11. I hope you will consider purchasing a ticket and attending the inaugural ceremony.

Construction Web Cam

If you are like me and want to keep track of the construction projects, you might enjoy this website. You can watch the progress of Plaster Sports Complex and the Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium (Soccer and Track).

Conclusion

I hope our faculty and students have a restful and enjoyable spring break. I look forward to having everyone back on campus next week as we begin our home stretch of the 2013-14 year.

Thank you for all you do for Missouri State University.

—Clif

Send comments Follow Clif Smart on Twitter

In early February, a group of 12 entertainment management majors got the experience of a lifetime when they worked with NFL On Location and M Group Scenic Studios doing pre-game and post-game events for the 2014 Super Bowl.

On the day of the game, students worked as directional/hospitality hosts for Pepsi Co., the main sponsor for the Super Bowl. Students experienced first-hand the ins and outs of planning a large event. The Entertainment Management Association (EMA) members had opportunities to actually work in the industry and interact directly with professionals, allowing them to network with potential future employers.

[youTubeVideo url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyNAtUnxqho” width=”598″ height=”335″]

Traveling to the Super Bowl has been an annual event for the EMA for several years. This year, the students worked with M Group Scenic Studios, a large-scale national and international events organization, prior to and during the event. M Group Scenic staff members met with students once they arrived at the Izod Center for a training session and helped them prepare for their game day responsibilities.

Before volunteering at the game, students spent a day in New York City sightseeing and visiting another large venue, Madison Square Garden, where they were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and learned some of the intricacies of large-scale venues and event management.

“Seeing such a prestigious arena in such a unique and personal setting was a rewarding experience I will not soon forget,” said EMA member Jacob Seidel.

This is yet another example of the terrific opportunities available to students at Missouri State.

Clif’s Notes Vol. 3, No. 7

December 19, 2013 by Clif Smart

In this holiday issue of Clif’s Notes, I review the budget announcement by Governor Nixon, summarize the actions taken at the Dec. 13 Board of Governors meeting, highlight this year’s Citizen Scholars and provide a summary of more than $8 million in private gifts made recently to Missouri State.

Governor makes announcement, issues challenge

Last Wednesday (Dec. 11), Governor Jay Nixon was on our campus to announce that he plans to recommend a 5 percent increase in core funding for higher education as part of his fiscal year 2015 budget. As part of his announcement, he challenged Missouri’s public universities to keep in-state undergraduate tuition at their current levels.

As you can imagine, this was a very welcome announcement, and I indicated that I will recommend to our Board of Governors that we live up to the challenge. The governor will release his budget in late January, and the discussion in the Missouri General Assembly will be based on that. If the money is distributed on a performance funding basis as the governor recommends, we will receive more than a 5 percent increase as we have met all five of our measures for the second year in a row.

I will keep you posted as we move through the process, which begins Jan. 8, the first day of the 2014 session of the Missouri General Assembly.

Board of Governors actions

I want to summarize some of the actions taken last Friday at the Board of Governors meeting.

New programs approved

The Board approved two new academic programs: the Doctor of Nursing Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). These programs had been approved by the faculty and were presented by Provost Frank Einhellig. The next step is for approval by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

Both of these degrees meet the needs of our students and of employers. They are very appropriate additions to our academic offerings and to the departments/colleges in which they reside. Learn more about the programs.

Rush, Tatum to receive honorary doctorates

John Rush and James Tatum were approved to receive honorary doctorates. The two Doctor of Public Affairs (APD) degrees will be awarded at the May 2014 commencements. Dr. Ryan Giedd made the recommendation on behalf of the Faculty Senate.

Mr. Rush (pictured on the left) was the CEO of the United Way of the Ozarks for 20 years. He has continued to serve the community on the Springfield City Council and with multiple not-for-profit agencies and organizations.
Mr. Tatum (pictured on the right), a graduate of West Point who served in the Korean War, helped establish the MARET Center. MARET stands for Missouri Alternative and Renewable Energy Technology. He has been a lifelong advocate for education.

Learn more about these deserving honorees.

Architect selected for health facility

Cannon Design was approved to design a new occupational therapy facility. Over the past several weeks, the College of Health and Human Services, our fastest growing college, has been working with a consultant to explore space needs and options. The occupational therapy program will begin in the fall of 2015, so this facility is a priority. I will keep you posted on this project as it moves along.

BKD issues “clean/unmodified” audit

BKD reported its audit findings to the Board. It called the audit “clean and unmodified.” The BKD representatives were very complimentary of the University and indicated that Missouri State is in a strong financial position.

Citizen Scholars honored

As is our practice, we honored the Citizen Scholars at the December meeting. The six recipients are highlighted below in “Telling the Missouri State story.”

It is a great group of students, and I congratulate them.

Discussion on first-generation students

The discussion topic for the December meeting was first-generation students. Given the importance of the topic and the Board’s commitment to it, services to first-generation students will continue to be a priority for us.

I invite you to review the background materials submitted on the topic and also to see the story the “Springfield News-Leader” wrote on the discussion.

More than $8 million in gifts announced

Yesterday (Wednesday, Dec. 18), the Missouri State University Foundation announced that it had received more than $8 million in gifts to benefit students, academics and athletics. The gifts will support new and renovated facilities; scholarships in a number of areas; and several academic programs.

I invite you to read more about the gifts in the news release.

Private gifts will continue to play a vital role in our success in the coming years. We very much appreciate the generosity of these donors. It is a great way to end the year.

Happy holidays

I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to the break. My break to-do list includes seeing the movie “Saving Mr. Banks,” finishing the latest John Grisham novel, traveling a little and spending time with family as I recharge for the spring semester. I hope you have a list that will recharge you, too.

2013 has been another good year at Missouri State University. Thanks for your good work. Gail and I wish you a safe and joyful holiday season and a happy new year.

—Clif

Send comments Follow Clif Smart on Twitter

This year’s Citizen Scholars are great examples of the three pillars of our public affairs mission. They are ethical leaders, culturally competent and engaged in serving their community. They make you proud to be associated with Missouri State.

Recognized by the Board of Governors during the December meeting, six students were selected as Citizen Scholars for their dedication to the public affairs mission of the University through course work, activities and service-learning opportunities.

2013-14 Citizen Scholars

Nii Kpakpo Ekow Abrahams, senior communication major from Joplin, Mo.
Mariah Gregg, senior philosophy major from Thayer, Mo.
Jared Horman, senior graphic design major from Camdenton, Mo.
Kris Keilty, MBA student from Rich Fountain, Mo.
Walter Orr, senior professional writing major from Kansas City, Mo.
Paige Oxendine, senior public relations and socio-political communication major from Neosho, Mo.

More detailed information is available on the Citizen Scholar Award website.

Congratulations to these students. I hope you consider nominating your outstanding students for next year’s award.

Missouri State University provides update on state audit report

December 17, 2010 by admin

Today, the Board of Governors heard a report from the Presidential Audit Committee that is analyzing the state audit report released last October. The committee has developed an action plan. The university’s general counsel, Clif Smart, heads the three-person committee, which also includes Dr. John R. Williams, director of the School of Accountancy; and John McAlear, secretary to the Board of Governors.

The committee categorized the recommendations from the state auditor into three major categories:

A number of the recommendations have already been implemented and were categorized as “matter resolved.”
Several recommendations were determined to be based on incorrect information or were found to be without merit. Those cases were categorized as “matter closed.”
In all other cases, the committee identified the steps it recommends be taken to address the state audit report and/or to strengthen the practices and policies. The committee identifies the office or person responsible and in many instances provides a timeline for implementation.

Download full committee report

Dear Colleague Vol. 1, No. 4

November 3, 2010 by admin

From the beginning, I have promised that we would chart our course together in a collegial manner. We will celebrate our successes together, and there will be many. And we will face our challenges together, and we will have those, too. We will work on these together so that, in the end, we will have the best collective thinking and the best decisions.

In this Dear Colleague letter, I want to identify some examples of this collegial work.

Budget process under way

In late September, in conjunction with the State of the University address, I announced the budget process we would use. That process is now under way.

The various budget committees are established and organizational meetings are scheduled. The membership of those committees, their meeting schedule, and notes from those meetings soon will be posted on the Financial Outlook website.

In the meantime, I would draw your attention to these highlights:

Dr. Eric Bosch, professor in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, will serve as the chair of the Executive Budget Committee.
Dr. David Byrd, professor in the College of Business Administration, will chair the Academic Affairs Budget Committee.
Ken McClure, vice president for administrative and information services, will chair the Administrative Budget Committee.
At the initial meetings, the various budget committees will receive an orientation on the budget — the process, the timing, and the numbers.

I want to thank the dozens of faculty, staff and administrators who have agreed to serve on the committees and assist with the budget process.

I will keep you informed as the process continues and we learn more from state officials about the appropriations and tuition options for fiscal year 2012. Until then, I invite you to stay engaged by fulfilling your role on one of the committees and by checking the Financial Outlook website regularly.

Facilities review task force

As promised in my State of the University address, we are establishing an Academic Classroom and Laboratory Utilization and Priority Task Force to review these facilities and recommend a plan for strategically investing in these facilities. We need to have a clear understanding of our inventory and what improvements are needed.

This task force will be chaired by Dr. Belinda McCarthy, provost, and include the following members: David Caravella, classroom coordinator in the Educational Technology Center; Dr. Kathy Coy, director of institutional research; Dr. Frank Einhellig, associate provost and dean of the Graduate College; Dr. Dennis Kear, dean of the College of Education; Dr. John Kent, professor of marketing; Ken McClure, vice president for administrative and information services; Dale Moore, director of university support services; Dr. Sean Newton, associate professor of physical therapy; Kate Shellenberg, SGA’s director of academic affairs; and Dr. Kelly Wood, head of the communications department.

Follow-up on state audit

I focused on the state audit in the October 19 Dear Colleague letter. I want to follow up.

As you recall, I established a three-person advisory group to look at the audit: Clif Smart, general counsel (chair); Dick Williams, head of the School of Accountancy; and John McAlear, secretary to the Board of Governors. That group has begun its work and divided the recommendations into three categories:

Ensuring we are implementing the recommendations as we indicated we would
Identifying additional recommendations that should be implemented
Determining which recommendations have already been adequately addressed

The committee will continue its work identifying the issues and priorities for change. I fully expect that there will be changes in procedures, policies, reporting and possibly costs as we address the issues in the audit. I will keep you informed on that work.

JQH Arena task force

JQH Arena is an outstanding facility and a tremendous University asset. It benefits not only athletics and major performance events, but also the entire University due to its use for student events, convocations, commencements and more. JQH Arena is now going into its third year, and we need to evaluate and recalibrate based on the first two years of experience.

When JQH Arena was planned in 2006, those involved did their due diligence and developed a budget based on the best information possible; however, we need to take a new University-wide approach to ensure its success.

Toward that end, I have appointed a task force to look at JQH Arena and make recommendations on how best to fund and operate this facility in the future.

The task force will be chaired by Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement, and include Randy Blackwood, executive director of entertainment and athletics facilities; Nila Hayes, chief financial officer; Dr. Jim Hutter, professor of agriculture and member of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee; Kyle Moats, director of athletics; Dr. Philip C. Rothschild, assistant professor of management and director of the entertainment management program; Clif Smart, general counsel; Dr. Christina Simmers, assistant professor of marketing; and Jacob Swett, president of the Student Government Association.

I will ask for the report and recommendations by the beginning of the spring semester. I am confident we can develop a plan for the future.

First 90 days

I want to again thank members of the campus community for the warm welcome Deborah and I have received in our first 90 days. It has been an active three months, but a productive time as well. We have much work to do together and I look forward to it.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

James E. Cofer, Sr.

President