Fraud Reporting

The Finance and Administrative Services unit serves as the liaison between the District and the external auditors and reviews internal procedures to ensure compliance with Federal, State and District guidelines for the District and the Foundations. These responsibilities involve interacting with a variety of departments on campus to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls and to ensure compliance with District policies and state and federal regulations.

HOW TO REPORT SUSPICION OF FRAUD

The Santa Rosa Junior College supports a culture of honesty wherein employees are provided with information to assist them in identifying possible signs of fraud and are encouraged to report their suspicions without fear of reprisal. The following are some potential indicators of fraud:

  • Inadequate internal controls over assets, lack of segregation of duties or independent checks, especially in areas such as purchasing, accounts payable, cash handling, and payroll.
  • Lack of management oversight.
  • Poor physical safeguards over cash; investments, inventory or fixed assets.
  • Infrequent or no vacations are taken by employees performing key controls.
  • Conflicts of interest.
  • Changes in behavior or lifestyle that may indicate assets may have been misappropriated.
  • Management override of internal controls.
  • Fraudulent reporting of student or employee information.

The following are some examples of fraudulent activity common to community colleges:

  • Failure to report leaves for time taken off
  • Awarding financial aid to ineligible students
  • Utilizing District, grant or Foundation funds for personal gain/benefit
  • Decision-maker hiring family/friends and paying higher than usual wage for work performed
  • Decision-maker accepting gifts from a vendor prior to or after issuing a contract

Any person may report suspected fraud to their supervisor, the Vice President, Finance and Administrative Services, the Director, Finance, the Director, Purchasing and Risk Management, Human Resources, or by submitting a report here.