A new audit makes 15 recommendations for ways UConn can improve spending and personnel practices, finding the university improperly allocated more than $49 million in state funds, as well as overcompensated two employees.
Five of the 15 concerns were repeated from last year, auditors John Geragosian and Robert M. Ward said.
UConn used more than $49 million in funds allocated for deferred maintenance for work other than that authorized by law, auditors said in state report released Tuesday, a practice the university defended.
Ten projects ranging from a $23 million renovation of a dining hall to $850,000 for equipment that would help reduce annual sludge disposal costs constituted ongoing projects not technically eligible for deferred maintenance funding, auditors said. UConn should seek legislative authorization before spending deferred maintenance funds on such projects, they said.
UConn countered the university “intentionally designs projects to repair under-maintained facilities and infrastructure.” While UConn agreed it should not use deferred maintenance funding for new or expanded buildings, the university said using the money for these under-maintained facilities is appropriate and has been reported to the legislature “without objection.”
UConn also paid an administrator a $202,829 salary for a year after the individual had stepped down from the managerial position. The appropriate compensation should be applied in such cases, the auditors said, which UConn did not dispute.
“The employee’s compensation during his final year of employment was not justified by the amount of work he was required to perform,” auditors said.
In another case, one UConn manager was paid $90,461 for 120 days of unused vacation time – “twice the maximum allowable amount,” the audit states. There was no evidence of a written agreement for this arrangement nor approval from the board of trustees, the audit reports.
UConn defended the payment, calling it an “unusual and unique” situation, and saying the payout was not inconsistent with current practice. In addition, the employee transferred from another state agency that bears a higher threshold for vacation carryover time, the university said.
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