Audits of 20 college districts across New York state identified lots of could not normally find details technologies (IT) assets such as laptop computer systems, tablets and monitors did not normally retain records of these assets and usually failed to safeguard them from theft or harm. As a outcome, practically $22 million worth of IT assets bought or leased throughout the audit period have been topic to possible theft, loss or misuse, according to a report released right now by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced college districts to immediately adapt to a new atmosphere, making use of technologies to move to remote and hybrid understanding,” DiNapoli stated. “This expected spending important dollars on IT assets. District officials require to guarantee these devices are tracked and protected so taxpayers know their dollars is not getting squandered.”

For the audit period of July 1, 2019 to March 31, 2022, auditors chosen 1,155 IT assets to confirm they have been inventoried in college districts’ records and chosen 945 of these to see if they could be positioned. Extra than 20% of the assets, worth practically $280,000, have been not appropriately accounted for. While 3 districts — East Quogue Union Totally free College District, Elmsford Union Totally free College District and Phoenix Central College District — have been capable to find all gear, 17 could not find more than one hundred assets worth about $32,700, such as 81 Chromebooks worth $18,400. Auditors identified 15% of the sampled assets have been not integrated in the districts’ inventories.

From the inventory records examined at the 20 districts, auditors reviewed 95,750 asset entries and identified practically four,400 had missing or duplicated serial numbers and about four,800 have been missing areas or the names of assigned staff, producing them hard, if not not possible, to find.

Eight districts did not have sufficient protections to retain gear from getting lost or broken. Auditors identified computer systems and other things stored in unlocked rooms, hallways or in places at danger of, or displaying, water harm.

The districts’ IT division employees usually told auditors they did not have time to conduct physical inventories since their workloads enhanced throughout the pandemic. Nonetheless, auditors noted districts created important investments in IT assets throughout this period and the require to appropriately account for them also enhanced.

DiNapoli’s auditors also identified:

• None of the 20 districts implemented procedures for appropriately tracking IT gear inventory.
• Nineteen districts did not inventory all IT assets or conduct annual inventories.
• Thirteen districts did not have helpful procedures to retrieve or recover student-assigned devices when a student left the district.
• Expenses for practically 75,400 IT assets and acquisition dates for about 62,000 IT assets have been not noted in the inventory records districts maintained.

DiNapoli’s auditors created various suggestions to the districts and their boards, such as:

• Assure inventory records contain the particulars vital to adequately track and find assets and that asset records, at a minimum, contain: the make, model and serial quantity the name of the person to whom the device is assigned, if applicable the physical place of the asset and relevant buy or lease details such as the initial expense, depreciation and acquisition date.
• Carry out a full, annual physical inventory and examine the outcomes to the inventory records. Update inventory records to track assets not integrated in district records.
• Create a method to retrieve student devices when the student leaves the college.
• Assure IT assets are appropriately accounted for, safe, and protected from environmental harm.

Report
IT Asset Management

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