Calendar of Events

Office of Internal Control

Internal Control Program

The Internal Control Program here at Purchase College consists of formal reviews of policies and procedures for all departments, maintaining proper inventory control and asset management, coordinating the development and presentation of campus-specific training programs for staff, and ensuring the existence and adequacy of the internal control environment required for campus certification.

Internal Control Committee

The Internal Control Committee assists with the design and implementation of the Internal Control Program by providing feedback from each department.

Components of Internal Control

The Components of Internal Control describes the theoretical framework in which the Internal Program is designed.

Internal Control Policies and Procedures

  • Property Control Policies
  • Cash Receipts Policies

Internal Control Links

Internal Controls Defined

As communicated by the State of New York, Internal Controls are the processes effected by an entity’s board of directors, management, and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives relating to operations, reporting, and compliance.  Simply put, Internal Controls are the checks and balances that support the mission of the College.

The Purpose of Internal Controls

    1. Promote effective and efficient operations consistent with the mission of the College.
    2. Safeguard assets and resources against loss due to waste, mismanagement, errors, abuse, theft, and fraud.
    3. Ensure accuracy and reliability of financial and operating data.
    4. Ensure compliance with the policies and procedures of Purchase College as well as all SUNY, New York State, and Federal Laws and Regulations.
    5. Establish standards of performance detailing the expectations of employees.

Examples of Internal Controls

    • Segregation of duties within key units and between functions (e.g., purchasing and accounts payable)
    • Authorizations and approvals of activities and/or transactions (e.g., food service, travel, purchasing)
    • Reconciliations of monthly statements, such as bank and procurement card statements
    • Inventory management to track assets owned by the College
    • Maintaining documentation to verify a decision or transaction (e.g., time and attendance records, vendor invoices/receipts)
    • Building access controls, such as an access control system, ID access cards, and locked doors

Who is responsible for the Internal Control Program?

We are all responsible for the Internal Control Program here at Purchase College.  From the senior administration and division heads to department managers, staff, and outside vendors, every member of the College has a role in maintaining an effective system of internal control.  College senior leadership is responsible for a positive internal control environment that supports strong governance, ethical values, integrity, competence, morale, and structure. They set expectations for internal controls and monitor the activities of major divisions with an emphasis on achieving goals.

Division heads and department managers ensure employees have the necessary skills, knowledge, and training. They establish and update policies and procedures that relate to their functional area as well as develop and maintain policies and procedures that are to be followed in performing job functions to ensure accuracy and efficiency.  Staff and even outside vendors play an equally vital role in the Internal Control Program. The staff and outside vendors must successfully fulfill the duties and responsibilities established in their job description. They need to monitor their work to ensure it is done properly and that errors, if any, are corrected promptly. They are required to adhere to all applicable policies and procedures. Most importantly, the staff must report breakdowns in internal control systems to their supervisor, manager, or directly to the College Internal Control Officer.

What can you do?

        • Look for opportunities to reduce waste and improve efficiencies.
        • Secure offices or workspaces and any valuable assets when not in use.
        • Do not share or post user IDs and passwords.
        • Keep documents containing confidential or sensitive data in secure files.
        • Maintain a risk aware perspective.

Questions or Concerns…

We are all responsible for creating and maintaining a strong, effective control environment and a culture of risk awareness. This includes asking questions if you’re not sure what to do and raising concerns if you see something you don’t think is right. Timely communication of your question or concern can prevent something small from becoming more problematic.

Please raise your question or concern to one of the following: