Section 1: Internal Control Internal Control Overview
Effective Date:	01/03/11	Approved By:		Lenora Chapman, Associate Vice President for Financial Affairs
Last Revised On:	05/06/16	For Assistance Contact:		Assistant Vice President, Financial Affairs and Controller
purpose/scope authority university guidelines definitions references/links related forms/worksheets revision history

PURPOSE/SCOPE

To provide an overview of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) internal control framework.

AUTHORITY

University of Texas (UT) System policy UTS142.1 - Policy on the Annual Financial Report assigns direct responsibility to the Institutional Financial Reporting Officer to establish internal controls over the preparation of the Annual Financial Report.

UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES

Table of Contents

A. Definition
B. Framework
      1. Control Environment
      2. Risk Assessment
      3. Control Activities
      4. Information and Communication
      5. Monitoring Activities

A. Definition

Internal control is a process, effected by the UT System Board of Regents and UTSA management and other employees, designed to provide reasonable assurance that UTSA's goals and objectives are being accomplished in these areas:

• Operations: Effectiveness and efficiency of operations and safeguarding of assets;
• Reporting:  Includes but it not limited to reliability, timeliness and transparency of external and internal financial and non-financial reporting; and
• Compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards.

B. Framework

The UTSA internal control system is based on a framework of the following essential elements:

1. Control Environment: See Financial Management Operational Guideline (FMOG) - Control Environment
2. Risk Assessment: See FMOG - Risk Assessment
3. Control Activities: See FMOG - Control Activities
4. Information and Communication: See FMOG - Information and Communication
5. Monitoring Activities: See FMOG - Monitoring Activities

DEFINITIONS

Term	Description
Financial Reporting Officer	The UTSA Associate Vice President for Financial Affairs is designated as the Financial Reporting Officer.

REFERENCES/LINKS

• Institutional Compliance & Risk Services
  (http://www.utsa.edu/compliance)
  
  
• UT System policy UTS134 - Code of Ethics for Financial Officers and Employees(http://www.utsystem.edu/sites/utsfiles/policies/uts/uts-14201.pdf)

• UT System policy UTS142.1 - Policy on the Annual Financial Report
  (http://www.utsystem.edu/sites/utsfiles/policies/uts/uts1421.pdf)
  
  
• Management Assessment Tool
  (http://www.utsa.edu/Compliance/MAT/MATfy2016.pdf)
  
  
• Executive Summary of Internal Control – Integrated Framework (COSO 2013) (http://www.coso.org/documents/COSO%202013%20ICFR%20Executive_Summary.pdf)
  
  

REVISION HISTORY

Date	Description
05/06/16	Updated 'Section A: Definition.'
06/21/11	Revised Section and Guideline titles and conducted revisions throughout guideline.
01/24/11	Removed Account Administrator definition from Definitions section, as term does not appear in guideline.
01/03/11	Published guideline.

 

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