Some FAQs About Compliance

What is compliance? 
Compliance is knowing and doing the right thing. Compliance is the responsibility of every UTSA employee.

At the institutional level, compliance is simply good management. As a university, we operate in a very complex regulatory environment and face tremendous risk on a daily basis. Compliance is knowing what our risks are and ensuring that our resources are appropriately allocated to provide reasonable assurance that our most critical risks are adequately mitigated and managed. This proactive approach to compliance helps UTSA to achieve its goals and objectives.

Why this increased emphasis on compliance within
the UT System over the last few years? 
Several years ago, in the wake of several major instances of non-compliance within the UT System that resulted in negative publicity, fines or loss of funding, the Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents requested that the Chancellor develop an Action Plan to Ensure Institutional Compliance. The Action Plan, developed in 1998 and updated in 2003, includes a number of key elements, one of which mandates a continuous and proactive compliance function.  It was under this mandate that each UT institution and UT System Administration developed compliance programs.

Why does UTSA need a Compliance Program?
A Compliance Program is self-governance infrastructure that achieves the following objectives:

• Reduces the risk of non-compliance that could result in significant harm to the institution's operations, finances or reputation. 

• Provides evidence to external entities (e.g., Texas Legislature, Federal oversight authorities, and UT System) that UTSA has a system in place to identify and actively manage risks and provide positive assurance to executive management.
• Ensures that every employee is aware of the rules and regulations that apply to their job.

Why do I need to take compliance training?
It is critical that every employee at UTSA is aware of the key compliance issues that impact their jobs on a daily basis; as a result, training is a cornerstone of UTSA's Institutional Compliance Program. The University has adopted a web-based training approach that provides employees with the knowledge they need in a flexible and user-friendly format. All employees are required to meet the requirements of the General Compliance Training Program, and non-compliance is reported to supervisors.