Auditors criticize, suggest improvements for UA procedures

Concern for the UA's inaccuracy in predicting enrollment numbers was among the issues prompting criticism from state auditors in a performance report released Thursday.

Auditors said the old system incorrectly determined the number of students the university will need to accommodate in the future. Several suggestions were made to improve the current system.

"A lot of work has gone into the model that we have," said Terence Burke, associate to University of Arizona President Peter Likins. "But we continue to look at possible changes."

Burke said it is difficult to predict incoming students because there is no way to know things like "how many families will immigrate in the next three years and bring students to the university."

Auditors suggested updating forecasts more often, supplementing current information with additional research on enrollment trends and keeping better track of students taking courses by satellite or the Internet.

According to the report, the current prediction system is more costly to implement and maintain than existing methods used by other universities.

The Auditors Office also produced a report on auxiliary enterprises, including the privatization of student bookstores and dining services, proposing the three major universities in Arizona might make more money by contracting with private firms.

The UA has a committee on privatization which considers the possible benefits, and Burke said the issue was "far from being dead."

The report used the UA's partnership with a private developer to build a parking garage as an example of how universities should consider implementing or expanding innovative business practices.

The report also suggested that the privatizing of the university's' dining services would "likely reduce its high labor costs and potentially increase the financial return to the UA." Both Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University have successfully privatized their dining services.

Auditors also criticized the university for its "failure to set money aside over the years for union renovations through a designated student fee, an approach that has been unsuccessful to date."

The decision to focus on privatization and enrollment prediction systems came from a concern in the university community.

"We interviewed the board of regents, regent staff, university officials, students, parents and community members to determine which issues were most important and needed to be addressed," said Shan Hays, manager of the performance audit division. Final decision went to the Joint Legislation Committee, which evaluated the list based on auditability, importance and community concern.

"Before 1994-95 legislation, universities were exempt from our review," Hays said. Since then, the auditor's office has been able to examine many issues concerning education.

Many students agree that the UA could stand to make some changes.

"We have one of the best universities around and reports like this show us how to make it better," senior Tim Walker said. "You can't expect a university to be perfect. I'm sure when they figured out how to solve the problems, they'll make the necessary changes."

"I think it's important to criticize our way of doing things here," junior Marcia Lennon said. "We're never above improvements."