KU busy replying to audit

Viewed through the front arches of Spooner Hall is Dyche Hall, right of center. At left, in the distance, is Danforth Chapel and Fraser Hall.

? Kansas University has spent more than 1,000 hours of work to respond to a legislative audit on how regents universities can save money.

“This is a hugely expensive process in terms of time and money devoted to responding to the report,” said KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little.

In August, the Legislative Division of Post Audit released a report that said universities could reduce costs by decreasing faculty, eliminating low-enrollment classes and consolidating departments.

But the audit didn’t get into how students might be affected by such reductions. And the audit compared costs at regents universities with one another, which higher education officials said was meaningless because the schools have different missions.

And the audit didn’t take into account the recent budget crisis that has resulted in higher education being cut by $106 million, or 13 percent.

Despite what higher education officials saw as shortcomings in the audit, universities in December reported back to the regents on their efforts to respond to the audit. All of them provided reports outlining efficiencies, and noted that they are constantly reviewing practices to save money. The recent budget cuts have forced them to greatly intensify those efforts, they said.

For example, at KU, the school saved $1.76 million through a pilot project that allowed it to handle its own purchases instead of having to go through state purchasing regulations, Gray-Little said. She added that KU has reduced its energy use through efficiencies and saved $338,000.

She also noted that KU faculty members teach an average of 9 percent more credit hours than their peers at Association of American University institutions.

The school leaders said searching for savings isn’t something new.

“It wasn’t like we just started this process when the audit came out,” said Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz. “We all want to reinvest dollars if we can find efficiencies.”

And regents members had mixed thoughts on the initial legislative audit.

“I like that they hold us accountable,” said Chairwoman Jill Docking.

But Regent Gary Sherrer said of legislative auditors, “Sometimes they see a set of numbers and the numbers mean everything, and they don’t have a contextual sense.”