External Auditors, WSU Wright Way Policy 5701

Wright State University cooperates with and assists external auditors whose responsibilities involve review and confirmation of university transactions. For the duration of any external audit, the university controller is the primary contact.

The first contact by an external auditor is by written notice advising the university that the auditing agency plans a new financial, compliance, or management audit.

The notice should be addressed to either the vice president for business and fiscal affairs or the university controller and should describe the scope and purpose of the audit, as well as suggest a date for an entrance conference with appropriate university officials.

When university units other than the Office of the Controller receive written notification from external auditing agencies, those units must contact the university controller who will coordinate the audit process.

An entrance conference identifies the purpose, scope, and timing of the audit; information required by the auditors; university personnel who need to interact with the auditors; and, the physical facilities needed to accommodate an audit.

The university controller is responsible for arranging an entrance conference.

An entrance conference should be scheduled one week in advance in order to ensure good attendance.

External auditors are assured of full cooperation in all requests for information related to an audit.

Upon request by external auditors, the university controller will arrange interviews with university employees.

Advance arrangements ensure that appropriate employees are available to assist auditors.

Advance notice also ensures that relevant records are assembled and available for review.

Interviews with employees are scheduled to accommodate departmental activities.

Employee interviews regarding personal effort for sponsored projects must be conducted in the presence of the university controller or a designated staff member.

External auditors may make their own arrangements for follow-up visits to university units, if additional visits are conducted within a reasonable time after an initial interview.

University records are public documents and are available for audit purposes subject to normal privacy safeguards and availability. Auditors utilizing records in the controller's office will observe the following instructions:

Staff in the Office of the Controller will assist auditors in locating types of records needed for review. External auditors should return records to office staff, who will refile them.

Records older than two years are normally transferred to an inactive storage area. Auditors should contact personnel in the Office of the Controller for information about the location of inactive records.

Auditors must conduct their review of records in the Office of the Controller or in an office area designated by the controller. An "out" card, stating the name of the auditor and the date of use, should be inserted in the file location.

If an auditor must examine subsidiary accounting records in another university department, the auditor must make arrangements to do so through the university controller.

An exit conference informs university representatives of audit findings, clarifies possible ambiguities, and seeks agreement with facts at issue. The university controller will arrange the exit conference.

Every effort will be made to ensure the correctness of facts included in an audit report.

External auditors and appropriate university officials may review and modify a draft audit report.

Exit interviews are conducted for all audits including audits that result in a report delivered to a sponsor rather than to the university.

Preliminary comments on findings concerning a specific transaction in an audit may be required from university personnel. If comments are required, auditors must provide sufficient information to enable university personnel to review questions adequately and provide meaningful responses. Requests by external auditors for information concerning grants or policies must include exact references.

If external auditors believe that an audit does not require a formal exit conference, they should notify the university controller that the audit assignment is complete. The university controller and the external auditors will determine whether the exit conference is necessary.

The university controller may schedule periodic interim meetings between representatives of a sponsoring agency or a cognizant federal regional audit agency and appropriate university officials. During these meetings, future audit plans can be discussed, current problems reviewed, and points of view exchanged.

External auditors may utilize the university's computer resources to facilitate their audit.

A written request from the auditor-in-charge to the university controller describing in specific terms the need for programming, system analysis, or computer time must be the basis for a computer facility request.

Requests for computer services must be made with enough advance notice in order to reschedule personnel time.