Minnesota State audit finds Workday transition and late faculty approvals drive most payroll errors

An audit presented to the Board of Trustees’ joint Workforce and Organizational Effectiveness and Audit committees found timing problems around faculty workload approvals — worsened by the systemwide switch to Workday — are the main driver of underpayments and overpayments to faculty.

“Payroll continues to, more significantly impact that contingent faculty,” Baker Tilly principal Chris Jeffreys told trustees, citing scheduling delays, late hires and the inability of some faculty to verify their pay after the Workday go‑live.

The auditors outlined three broad recommendations: set consistent leadership expectations and goals to reduce late approvals and hires; expand and automate Workday reporting so employees can view detailed pay components; and tighten overpayment collection policies, including timelines for recovery.

Why it matters

Trustees and system leaders said the problems affect contingent (adjunct) faculty disproportionately and recur each semester, particularly during the start‑of‑semester payroll cycle. Vice Chancellor Eric Davis told the committee the system must reconcile the payroll calendar with academic realities so faculty are paid accurately and on time.

What the audit found

- Auditors said timing issues with…