Internal audit finds FGCU PBF data accurate; trustees accept data-integrity report

The FGCU Board of Trustees unanimously accepted a Performance Based Funding (PBF) Data Integrity Audit on Feb. 13, 2025, after the university’s Director of Internal Audit reported the review found no significant deficiencies and provided reasonable assurance that data submitted to the Board of Governors was complete, accurate and timely.

Director of Internal Audit Bill Foster told trustees the audit — required of all state universities by the Board of Governors — examined five PBF metrics (3, 4, 5, 9a and 9b) and tested 7,914 data elements drawn from seven of 13 submissions in the audit period. Foster said the audit procedures evaluated internal controls, processes and the accuracy of student-instruction file submissions, degrees awarded, hours to degree, student financial aid and retention data at a 95 percent confidence level.

Committee Chair Joseph Fogg and trustees noted the audit covers historical submissions and that the university’s live scorecard uses current data; Foster said his team coordinated with Institutional Research and planned audit steps to provide assurance in the scorecard audit now in process.

Trustee Paul Applegarth asked whether there were suggestions for improvement despite the clean audit; Foster praised the Institutional Research staff for continuous improvement and a cooperative relationship with internal audit and said any clarifying steps are handled through standard audit follow-up procedures.

Trustee Leo Montgomery moved to approve the PBF Data Integrity Audit report; Trustee Peter Sulick seconded. The board approved the motion by unanimous voice vote.