Date: May 15, 2018
To: All Faculty and Staff
From: Havidán Rodríguez, President
Subject: Internal Controls
I am writing to reaffirm our commitment to the use of proper and adequate internal controls and internal control awareness at the University at Albany and within our affiliated entities. I ask each of you to do the same.
Internal controls are the operating practices, reporting relationships, and policies and procedures adopted by the University to help achieve our goals and objectives. Within an internal control system, the most important element is the overall control environment—the organization’s ethical values, integrity, competence, and operating philosophy. All UAlbany employees and students share responsibility for creating and maintaining a proper internal control environment.
I am happy to report that, during the 2017-18 academic year, the University at Albany was certified as fully compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. This certification was the result of an intensive two-year process of reviewing and improving the University’s handling of credit card receipts and information security in an effort to protect the personal and financial data entrusted to the University by our students, faculty, staff, and other community members. I want to thank each of the offices and staff who worked so hard to achieve this certification, which will be renewed annually going forward.
Maintaining proper internal controls is an ongoing task with new challenges and threats emerging every day. This environment requires regular reviews of our on-line internal control and information security training and conversations with internal control staff regarding new developments. All faculty and staff are urged to view the online internal control training at https://www.albany.edu/internalcontrol/.
In addition, online training on data security awareness and email phishing threats can be accessed by contacting the Office of Internal Control at 518-956-8120. Finally, it is important to report any suspected breaches of proper internal control procedures, thefts or misuse of information or assets to the University Internal Control Hotline at 518-437-4738 or [email protected]. All calls and emails reported are treated as anonymous.
Should you have questions about the University’s internal control program, or wish to schedule an office-wide training session or private consultation, please contact Jonathan St. Clair [email protected] or Weisu Fudge [email protected] in the Office of Internal Control.
Please remember that it is our collective responsibility to maintain a safe and secure environment at UAlbany. Thank you again for joining us in supporting proper internal controls at our institution.