Report 2007-102.1 Recommendations and Responses in 2013-041
Report 2007-102.1: California State University: It Needs to Strengthen Its Oversight and Establish Stricter Policies for Compensating Current and Former Employees
| Department | Number of Years Reported As Not Fully Implemented | Total Recommendations to Department | Not Implemented After One Year | Not Implemented as of 2012-041 Response | Not Implemented as of Most Recent Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
Recommendation To: University, California State
To provide effective oversight of its systemwide compensation policies, the university should create a centralized information system structure to catalog university compensation by individual, payment type, and funding source. The university should then use this information to monitor campuses' implementation of systemwide policies and measure the impact of these policies on university finances.
Response
In July 2011, The California State University (CSU) implemented the Common Financial System (CFS). The purpose of this consolidation was to get all campuses (except San Diego) on a single centralized application instance and in doing so one system is used to compute an individual's fund source. Also in July 2011, the Finance Data Warehouse was implemented allowing for a centrally-managed, robust enterprise financial reporting environment. The CSU is also in the development phase of building the Common Human Resources System (CHRS). The goal of CHRS is to consolidate all current individual campus human resource database instances into a single centrally managed Common Management System (CMS) human resource database with separate business units for each campus. The consolidated CHRS environment will provide improved and expanded human resource services and enable the application of standard business processes and standardization of data across the CSU. Furthermore, a Human Resource Data Warehouse is being developed which will allow for systemwide reporting which will include the ability to obtain information on individual pay by pay type. The project will be rolled out in four waves with Wave I being implemented July 2014 with Wave 4 being implemented July 2015.
- California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Not Fully Implemented
- Completion Date: July 2015
- Response Date: October 2013
Recommendation To: University, California State
The university should work through the regulatory process to develop stronger regulations governing paid leaves of absence for management personnel. The improved regulations should include specific eligibility criteria, time restrictions, and provisions designed to protect the university from financial loss if an employee fails to render service to the university following a leave. For example, the regulations should require all employees applying for a paid leave of absence to submit a bond that would indemnify the university if the employee fails to render service to the university following a leave of absence. The university should also maintain appropriate documentation supporting any leaves of absence it grants. Finally, the board should establish a policy on the extent to which it wants to be informed of such leaves of absence for management personnel.
Response
The MPP Administrative Leave Indemnification and Return to Service Requirements (Attachment A - Report 2007.102.1, Recommendation #4) was implemented in August 2013. The technical letter to the campuses includes specific eligibility criteria, time restrictions, and provisions designed to protect the CSU from financial loss if an employee fails to render service to the university following a leave. The technical letter also provides campuses with the forms necessary to document the leave, a promissory note, and a statement of assets the employee must sign and notarize and return to the CSU prior to commencement of the leave.
- California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Fully Implemented
- Completion Date: August 2013
- Response Date: October 2013
Recommendation To: University, California State
The university should continue to work with California Faculty Association representatives during the collective bargaining process to strengthen its dual-employment policy by imposing disclosure and approval requirements for faculty. It should also impose similar requirements for other employees, including management personnel. If the university believes it needs a statutory change to facilitate its efforts, it should seek it.
Response
The Outside Employment Disclosure Requirements for MPP and Executive Employees (Attachment A - Report 2007.102.1, Recommendation #6) was implemented in August 2013. The policy letter strengthened the dual-employment policy by imposing disclosure and approval requirements for MPP and executive employees, which includes disclosure of outside employment within 30 days of taking outside employment. Also, if an administrator deems it necessary to request confirmation that an individual's outside employment does not interfere with their normal work assignment or satisfactory performance, the individual must comply with the administrator's request. Furthermore, if an administrator requests the disclosure of outside employment from an individual, the individual must respond within 10 days to satisfy the administrator's request. A sample disclosure and acknowledgement form is also included in the technical letter.
- California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Fully Implemented
- Completion Date: August 2013
- Response Date: October 2013