The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

UI overpaid employees $805k in fiscal 2012

Hundreds of workers at Iowa’s largest higher-education institution were overpaid in fiscal 2012, according to a state auditor’s report released Wednesday.

The University of Iowa, which employs a total academic staff of more than 10,000, handed out around $805,000 more than necessary in salaries, the report said.

The results of a comprehensive university audit, brings to attention three aspects of the university’s inner workings that now must be corrected: software encryption, financial transaction reviewing, and payroll overpayments.

The audit identified that the university had 309 overpayments in fiscal 2012, which ended Sunday.

That marks an increase in overpayments of $159,354 from the previous year.

The auditor recommended that UI should ensure that electronically submitted forms are sent in a timely manner, as overpayments often result from non-updated payroll times. The UI should also monitor wage and salary payments, the report said.

Every one of the past three annual auditor’s report have made similar recommendations to the university.

UI spokesperson Tom Moore was not immediately available to comment on the audit.

The audit also found that not all financial transactions were policy-enacted reviewed.

The UI mandates that a monthly review of transactions that appear in the Transaction Detail Report, but employees used other measures to review the accounts in certain instances.

Additionally, the audit found that not all university-owned laptop computers and portable storage devices have encryption software, which protects stored sensitive information.

The university responded in the report that the overwhelming majority of portable devices do not contain sensitive information.

An overall review of the UI’s finances were also mentioned in the audit.

UI’s general fund expenditures were nearly $627 million in fiscal 12.

A total of 29,319 students attended UI in fiscal 2012 at an average cost of $17,956 per student, according to the report.

The cost per student was $17,646 in fiscal 2011, $18,035 in fiscal 2010, and $18,051 in fiscal 2009.

Its expenses numbered roughly $982 million in fiscal 2012, after seeing more than 195,000 patients that year. Each patient paid out an average of $5,028 for her or his care.

That’s an increase from $4,596 in fiscal 2011, $4,609 in fiscal 2010, and $4,472 in fiscal 2009.

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