Minutes of the Board of Governors’
Risk Management and Audit Committee
Missouri State University
February 19, 2020, 3:30 P.M.
Turner Family Conference room, Carrington Hall 203
Present- Ms. Amelia Counts, Committee Chair (by conference call)
Mr. Craig Frazier, Committee Member (by conference call)
Ms. Carol Silvey, Committee Member (by conference call)
Ms. Carrie Tergin, Committee Member (by conference call)
Also Present- Mr. Clifton Smart III, President
Dr. Jim Baker, Vice President for Research and Economic Research and
Development & International Programs
Ms. Kristen Bright, Partner, BKD
Ms. Donna Christian, Director of Internal Audit and Risk Management
Mr. Jeff Coiner, Chief Information Officer
Ms. Kelly Dalton, Manager, Accounts Payable and Budgeting, Financial Services
Mr. Ryan DeBoef, Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President for Governmental Relations
Dr. Ron Del Vecchio, Dean, Darr College of Agriculture
Ms. Rachael Dockery, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer (by conference call)
Dr. Frank Einhellig, Provost
Mr. Steve Foucart, Chief Financial Officer (by conference call)
Ms. Kim Hamm, Partner, BKD
Mr. Robert Martin, Information Security Officer
Ms. Natalie McNish, Senior Auditor, Internal Audit and Risk Management
Ms. Beverly Miller Keltner, Governor (by conference call)
Mr. Kyle Moats, Director of Athletics
Ms. Suzanne Shaw, Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Mr. Chris Waters, Governor (by conference call)
Ms. Rowena Stone, Secretary to the Board
Roll Call – Ms. Amelia Counts, Committee Chair, called the Risk Management and Audit
Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, in the Turner
Family Conference Room, Carrington Hall 203, on the campus of Missouri State University
in Springfield, Missouri.
Approval of Minutes – Ms. Counts mentioned that the first item of business was the approval of minutes from the December 11, 2019 meeting. Mr. Craig Frazier made a motion, seconded by Ms. Carrie Tergin.
Motion passed unanimously.
Review of NCAA Independent Accountant’s Report on Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures – Ms. Kristen Bright, Partner BKD, gave an overview of the NCAA Independent Accountant’s Report, a limited scope report that is not an audit of the athletic program. The review included university revenues, in which no line item exceptions were noted and expenses, where exceptions were identified secondary to student-athlete financial aid initial reporting through compliance software.
President Smart added that two years ago, NCAA changed how the reporting is completed and that all colleges now use the same reporting data to provide a more accurate comparison amongst schools. He commented that our numbers are comparable to other schools in our conference. Lastly, he commented that the university’s numbers have been consistent over the last several years and the university has worked to bring the Athletic budgets under control.
Kristen Bright, Kelly Dalton, and Kim Hamm left the meeting at this time.
Custodian of Records: Record Request Statistics – Ms. Donna Christian, Director of Internal Audit and Risk Management, provided a summary of the data related to record requests for the years ending December 31, 2014 through 2019. Data was accumulated from the Record Request Log, which includes the date a request is received, requestor’s name, records being requested, date the request is filled, and comments related to the fulfillment of each request. In total, the Office of Internal Audit and Risk Management received and processed 1,306 record requests between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2019. Records requests include legal requests, student directories, safety and transportation reports, vendor requests, employment contracts, book lists, athletics, and email correspondence.
Ms. Christian shared additional highlights of the report which included practices implemented for transparency and efficiency. These practices included the creation of the Custodian of Records website, a separate email designated for Custodian of Records, and an implementation of a fee schedule. In addition to direct links to commonly requested documents, the website provides direct access to all athletic and administrative employment contacts. Lastly, a part-time person was hired to help fill the record requests. Because of these changes, most requests now come through the new email address, requests for employment contracts has decreased by 65%, and a total of $9,224 in cost reimbursement was collected in 2018 and 2019.
Closed Meeting – It was determined that the Board of Governors needed to meet in a closed session to consider items of business provided in the Revised Statutes of Missouri. Ms. Counts asked if a resolution authorizing a closed meeting of the Board was prepared. Thereupon, the following resolution was presented for consideration:
BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Governors for Missouri State University that a closed meeting, with closed records and closed vote, be held during a recess of the February 19, 2020, Risk Management and Audit Committee meeting of the Board of Governors to consider items of business pursuant to:
R.S.Mo. 610.021(17). “Confidential or privileged communications between a
public governmental body and its auditor,...” and
B. R.S.Mo. 610.021(21). “Records that identify the configuration of components or the operation of a computer, computer system, computer network, or telecommunications network, and would allow unauthorized access to or unlawful disruption of a computer, computer system, computer network, or telecommunications network of a public governmental body.”
Mr. Frazier moved the approval of the resolution and Ms. Silvey seconded the motion.
A roll-call vote on the motion was as follows: those voting in favor – Governors Counts, Frazier, Silvey, and Tergin; those voting against – none.
Ms. Counts declared the resolution passed unanimously. The open meeting was recessed at 3:58 p.m. to go into closed session.
The open meeting was reconvened at 4:47 p.m.
Adjournment – Ms. Counts adjourned the meeting at 4:47 p.m., on the motion of Mr.
Frazier, the second of Ms. Silvey, and the unanimous approval of the committee.
Rowena Stone
Secretary to the Board