Audit Released After 4 Fired at UAPB

There's an update now to an investigation we began Friday on UAPB'S firing of four employees.

It all started with a tip into the U of A fraud hotline in 2010. State Police still continue to investigate at this hour.

But the allegations in the audit are casting a dark cloud over the Living Learning Center of the Harrold Dorm Complex.

The Director, Rita Ticey, her husband, daughter and another man, all employees of the school, have been fired.

The audit essentially says Ticey in her role as Director of the complex and Assistant to the Chancellor had so much control and oversight, things under her direction, went awry with dozens of listed improprieties in payroll and expenditures.

One of the biggest problems, the audit found, was that they couldn't really dig into 1/2 a million dollars in payroll and $239,000 dollars in expenses, because either the director hadn't followed financial procedure or couldn't provide proper documentation.

But just a few of the examples of issues: employees, including the director's family members were overpaid, TVs, stereos, even golf carts were purchased without proper receipts, one student living at the dorm complex wasn't even paying room and board.

The chancellor of UAPB declined an interview Monday, but he did provide dozens of pages in response to the audit, in some ways defending some of the actions taken.

The System Board will address this audit, at their next meeting at the end of March.

Of course, we'll continue to follow this and update it as soon as we have more.

Statement from UA System President Donald R. Bobbitt regarding UAPB audit

We are continuing to work with Chancellor Davis and UAPB to address the issues raised in the audit report. The report clearly shows that university policies and procedures were not followed at the Harrold Dorm Complex, and it's imperative that we take corrective action to ensure proper management of the facility. In that regard, the oversight and operation of the complex has been placed under the control of the university's housing department, which will make certain that university payroll and purchasing procedures are followed.

I appreciate the diligent work of the internal audit department. Any time there is a report of this nature, we must move swiftly to correct the problems. UAPB is a very important institution in our system and state. We are all working to make sure the campus continues to thrive in the future.