13.2     Financial Documents [CR]

The member institution provides the following financial statements:

An institutional audit (or Standard Review Report issued in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services issued by the AICPA for those institutions audited as part of a system wide or statewide audit) for the most recent fiscal year prepared by an independent certified public accountant and/or an appropriate governmental auditing agency employing the appropriate audit (or Standard Review Report) guide.

A statement of financial position of unrestricted net assets, exclusive of plant assets and plant-related debt, which represents the change in unrestricted net assets attributable to operations for the most recent year.

An annual budget that is preceded by sound planning, is subject to sound fiscal procedures, and is approved by the governing board.

 

Non-Compliance

 

The Audited Financial Statements for the most recent fiscal year (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019) was not available at the time of the off-site review.  This report is anticipated to be available from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor in December 2019.

 

The institution has provided audited financial statements for the 2014-2018 fiscal years.  The reports contain a statement of net position that includes the change in unrestricted net assets (net position) of the institution.  The unrestricted net position of the institution declined from ($316.7) million in fiscal year 2017 to ($400.2) million in 2018, a reduction of $83.6 million.  This reduction was primarily the result of an increase in Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liability $81.2 million.  When adjusting for OPEB, compensated absences, and net pension liability, the institution’s 2018 unrestricted net assets were $42.9 million, a slight decrease of $600,000 over 2017.  Adjusted unrestricted net position was $65.5 million in 2014 and $57.4 in 2015.

 

The institution’s annual budget is proceeded by sound planning, is subject to sound fiscal procedures, and is approved by the System Board of Supervisors and submitted to the System Board of Regents.  The Board of Regents prescribes the content and format of budget documents and the university president certifies the annual budget prior to its submission to the Board of Supervisors.  Final budget decisions are made by the university president with advice by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

iNSTITUTION’S rESPONSE

The audit is not yet available from the State Auditor’s Office.  The institution will provide it as soon as it is available.