Financial controls

Financial certification

Transparency in government promotes accountability and provides information to the public. At ASU, accountability is the responsibility of any employee who authorizes or conducts a transaction, enters or approves data into the financial system, reconciles accounts or works on budgets or reports on financial data.

To assess the status of financial and internal control responsibilities in ASU’s decentralized environment, we have developed content to support executive management’s assurances made to external auditors. The certification form below is mandatory for all financial administrators in Dean’s or Vice President’s offices, replacing the cash attestation and supplemental disclosure requirements from prior years. The deadline for complying with fiscal year reporting requirements is Aug. 31.

• Financial certification statement.
• Policy resource information. Further review of the various policy manuals may be warranted when completing this certification, or if questions arise in regular departmental operations. See policy manuals.

Email Financial Controls with questions or comments.

Internal control questionnaires

All of these ICQs are compilations of other questionnaires from various sources, including the Association of College and University Auditors, the Auditor General’s office of Arizona and other universities throughout the country.

Not all of these ICQs apply to each department. When completing the ICQs, answering no to a question may be okay, as long as there are other compensating controls present or if the cost of the control exceeds the benefit.

• Budgeting and accounting.
• Cash handling.
• Centralized purchasing.
• Control environment.
• Departmental purchasing.
• Gifts, grants and contracts.
• Information and communication.
• Inventory.
• IT — application controls. 
• IT — general controls. 
• Monitoring.
• Other revenue.
• Personnel and payroll.
• Petty cash.
• Receivables.
• Risk assessment.

Resources

We want you to think of the Financial Controls division as a source of information for helping your department operate in step with the New American University. We have provided some resources for ASU business administrators to use as they see fit. These include general control questionnaires that relate to various business functions of any department. Some may apply only to departments with certain activities. These can be found in the Internal Control Questionnaires tab. After you complete any ICQs relevant to your department, we can provide any guidance or training in based on your results.

• ABOR 6-914 — Protection of Employees from Reprisal for Whistle Blowing.
• ACD 204-08: Conflict of Interest.
• ACD 123: Misuse of University Assets.
• ASU Hotline.
• FIN 103: Departmental Record Keeping.
• FIN 117: Personal Use of University Resources.
• FIN 124: Misuse of Public Monies.
• FIN 129: Ensuring Financial Integrity.
• FIN 203: Org Manager Responsibilities.
• FIN 210: Business Manager Responsibilities.
• FIN 305: Deposits at University Cashiering Services.
• FIN 420-01: Faculty and Staff Reimbursements.
• PCS 703 — Property Records Storage and Destruction.
• President's Crow Commitment to Ethics memo.
• PUR 102 — Code of Ethics.
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act. 
• SDN List.

Staff

Training

The Arizona Board of Regents established a policy on internal controls which states all ASU employees are responsible for understanding and following sound practices with respect to ASU financial transactions and assets.

Training modules:

• Cash handling training.
• P-Card training.

For questions or more information, email Financial Controls.