From State System spokesman Kenn Marshall:
“The auditor general’s performance audit reaffirms the State System’s deep commitment
to providing high-quality, high-value educational opportunities to our students. It
also demonstrates how important the work of our universities is to the Commonwealth,
and how seriously we take our responsibility as Pennsylvania’s public university system.
“In a statement to the media, the auditor general noted that, overall, he and his
staff concluded that the State System ‘is serious about creating and maintaining a
safe and non-discriminatory learning environment and is committed to holding the line
on tuition costs.’
“The auditor general acknowledged the serious challenges we face as a System, given
our stagnant or declining state appropriations, while recognizing all we have done
to control costs. We agree we need to continue those efforts, and are committed to
doing so.
“The audit also confirmed that the State System takes quite seriously the issues of
campus safety and the need to ensure that every individual who spends time on any
of our campuses is treated fairly and with respect. In his public statement on the
audit, the auditor general notes that the State System ‘has taken steps to help ensure
its universities are complying with state and federal laws related to sexual violence
and sexual harassment, including employing a Title IX coordinator who acts as a liaison
between the Office of the Chancellor and the universities.’
“He also points out that during the course of doing the audit, his staff talked with
a number of rape crisis centers near the State System university campuses and that
‘every one of these centers said that they have excellent relationships with each
campus and that the universities are responsive and supportive to their work helping
victims.’
“While the report was critical of the fact that the State System has discontinued
the practice of conducting internal audits of Clery Act reporting practices of the
campuses, it should be noted that in place of those audits the System hired an external
law firm to conduct a detailed assessment of each university’s policies and procedures
regarding the act. That assessment provided us a baseline for compliance and will
be helpful to the universities as they design programs for enhancing compliance going
forward. Those programs will be reviewed regularly as we reinstitute the internal
auditing process.
“In regard to Title IX, we previously identified some inconsistencies across the System
with interpretation of the regulations, and already have begun to address those inconsistencies.
In addition to hiring a full-time Title IX coordinator more than a year ago to work
directly with the campuses, we also have provided in-depth training to those responsible
for compliance at each of the universities. We are confident that these training and
assessment procedures will serve to provide greater consistency systemwide.
“We are grateful to the auditor general and his staff for the thorough work they put
into this audit and for all of the findings and conclusions contained in the final
report, including the recognition of the hard work and commitment of the Board of
Governors.
“It is gratifying to have the Board be recognized specifically by the Auditor General
for being actively engaged and committed to fulfilling its duties and responsibilities,”
said Board Chair Guido M. Pichini. “The many hours put in by the individual Board
members on behalf of our students and the Commonwealth are important to the overall
success of the State System.”