Report 2021-611 Recommendations
When an audit is completed and a report is issued, auditees must provide the State Auditor with information and periodic reports regarding their progress in implementing the report’s recommendations. For audits conducted under the State High Risk Audit Program, these periodic reports are due every 90 days from the issue date of the report until such time as the State Auditor directs the auditee otherwise, according to title 2, section 61024 of the California Code of Regulations. Additionally, Senate Bill 1452 (Chapter 452, Statutes of 2006), requires auditees who have not implemented recommendations after one year, to report to us and to the Legislature why they have not implemented them or to state when they intend to implement them. Below, is a listing of each recommendation the State Auditor made in the report referenced and a link to the most recent response from the auditee addressing their progress in implementing the recommendation and the State Auditor's assessment of auditee's response based on our review of the supporting documentation.
Recommendations in Report 2021-611: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund: Some University Campuses Did Not Maximize Available Federal Pandemic Funds, and They Prioritized Students Differently When Awarding Relief Funds (Release Date: November 2021)
Recommendations to Chico, California State University | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
11 | To maximize the available HEERF funds, CSU Chico should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid. |
Will Not Implement |
12 | To ensure that CSU Chico complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement. |
Fully Implemented |
Recommendations to Legislature | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
1 | If the CSU Chancellor's Office and UCOP do not ensure that their respective campuses submit eligible expenses incurred in response to the pandemic to FEMA for reimbursement, the Legislature should direct the CSU Chancellor's Office and UCOP to do so or explain why submitting these claims was not feasible. |
No Action Taken |
Recommendations to Long Beach, California State University | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
13 | To maximize the available HEERF funds, CSU Long Beach should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid. |
Will Not Implement |
Recommendations to University of California | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
2 | To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, UCOP should direct each of its respective campuses to submit a report summarizing all expenses incurred in response to the pandemic between January 2020 and December 31, 2021 and identifying any expenses that are eligible for FEMA reimbursement. |
Fully Implemented |
3 | To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, UCOP should review and evaluate the campuses' reports described in recommendation #2 to ensure that they are consistently identifying expenses eligible for FEMA reimbursement. |
Fully Implemented |
4 | To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, UCOP should monitor its campuses' FEMA claims to ensure that eligible expenses are submitted to FEMA and, for any expenses not submitted, obtain the campuses' explanation for why it is not feasible to submit them. |
Fully Implemented |
5 | In the event of a future emergency federal student aid program that lacks detailed criteria regarding how funds are to be awarded, such as an allocation of additional pandemic-related funds under current requirements, UCOP should provide guidance on the priorities and processes for distributing student aid so that its campuses can consistently distribute funds to students in similar situations. |
Fully Implemented |
6 | UCOP should assist campuses with obtaining federal funds intended to support the success of minority students by creating an initiative to promote obtaining U.S. Department of Education status as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions at those UC campuses that meet the demographic requirement. |
Fully Implemented |
Recommendations to University of California, Merced | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
14 | To maximize the available HEERF funds, UC Merced should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid. |
Fully Implemented |
15 | To ensure that UC Merced receives all available federal funds, its office of student affairs should monitor its emails for grant award notifications and develop policies and procedures to review all federal award announcements to determine whether it is named as a recipient. |
Fully Implemented |
16 | To comply with federal regulation, UC Merced should promptly spend the remainder of its CARES MSI funds and return the interest earned on those funds in excess of $500 to the federal government. |
Fully Implemented |
17 | To ensure that UC Merced complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement. |
Resolved |
Recommendations to University of California, Riverside | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
21 | To ensure that UC Riverside complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement. |
Fully Implemented |
Recommendations to University of California, San Diego | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
18 | To maximize the available HEERF funds, UC San Diego should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid. |
Fully Implemented |
19 | To allow UC San Diego to apply for funds to expand its capacity to serve its minority students, it should immediately develop an interim plan for supporting its Asian American and Native Pacific Islander student population and apply for MSI status during the next available application cycle. |
Fully Implemented |
20 | To ensure that UC San Diego complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement. |
Fully Implemented |
Recommendations to University, California State | ||
---|---|---|
Number | Recommendation | Status |
7 | To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, the CSU Chancellor's Office should direct each of its campuses to submit a report summarizing all expenses incurred in response to the pandemic between January 2020 and December 31, 2021 and identifying any expenses that are eligible for FEMA reimbursement. |
Will Not Implement |
8 | To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, the CSU Chancellor's Office should review and evaluate the campuses' reports described in recommendation #7 to ensure that they are consistently identifying expenses eligible for FEMA reimbursement. |
Will Not Implement |
9 | To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, the CSU Chancellor's Office should monitor its campuses' FEMA claims to ensure that eligible expenses are submitted to FEMA and, for any expenses not submitted, obtain the campuses' explanation for why it is not feasible to submit them. |
Will Not Implement |
10 | In the event of a future emergency federal student aid program that lacks detailed criteria regarding how funds are to be awarded, such as an allocation of additional pandemic-related funds under current requirements, the CSU Chancellor's Office should provide guidance on the priorities and processes for distributing student aid so that its campuses can consistently distribute funds to students in similar situations. |
Will Not Implement |