header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 29
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys


By Derek Fleming, Courthouse News Service

Janet Napolitano

California’s state auditor on Tuesday slammed University of California President Janet Napolitano, finding her office has $175 million in reserves they failed to disclose to stakeholders – and obstructed the audit besides.

According to state auditor Elaine Howle’s report, a significant portion of the reserves came from unspent money collected by Napolitano’s office through campus assessment fees, which campuses often pay from money they get from the state’s General Fund.

Furthermore, Howle said that despite the $175 million in reserves, Napolitano’s office has increased the fees campuses pay twice in the last four years.

Howle’s report comes as criticism of the University of California regents mounts. On Jan. 26, they voted to raise tuition fees for the first time since 2011.

“In effect, the Office of the President received more funds than it needed each year, and it amassed millions of dollars in reserves that it spent with little or no oversight from the regents or the public,” the audit states.

Napolitano refuted the findings in a six-page letter addressed to Howle, claiming that reserves were “wrongly stated” and are actually $38 million – “a reasonable amount to deal with unexpected expenses, like funding undocumented students,” she said.

In response, Howle told Napolitano, “We have not made assertions; we have developed conclusions based on evidence.”

While accepting some of Howle’s recommendations and stating that fiduciary responsibility is a high priority, two UC regents said the recommendations infringe on the constitutional autonomy of the UC system.

Among serious accounting errors and deceptive practices, the auditors found that executives in Napolitano’s office are paid significantly better than private-sector counterparts and receive benefit packages that are uncommon outside the office. In some cases, Napolitano’s executives are paid three times more than private-sector counterparts.

The auditors also questioned the efficacy of $280,000 in chief-of-staff expenses and $120,000 in consultant fees.

Even more damning, Howle said Napolitano’s office intentionally interfered with the audit process by inappropriately screening campus survey responses before they were submitted. Howle said campus statements that were initially critical of Napolitano’s office had been revised and made more positive.

That critical information was withheld from auditors, including actual costs of initiatives. Budget presentations changed in each of the four years audited, making comparisons difficult, and certain budget documents were deleted by Napolitano’s office when auditors requested them, according to the audit.

Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-Dublin and vice chair of the higher education committee, vowed to “get to the bottom of this.”

“The UC Board of Regents just raised tuition on students and has nearly doubled in-state student tuition over the last 10 years, while spending hundreds of millions of dollars on projects and administrative salaries,” she said in a statement. “Students and their families deserve confidence that their money is being spent wisely. The UC Office of the President acknowledges the need to address the auditor’s findings. I look forward to working with my Assembly colleagues, students, and the UC to get to the bottom of this and do all we can to help UC get its financial house in order.”

Auditors believe that more oversight by legislators is necessary because Napolitano’s office never implemented recommendations made over a year ago.

“We are hopeful that the Office of the President will engage in a genuine effort to change despite the fact that it fails to acknowledge many of our concerns and downplays the severity of the issues we identified,” the auditors stated.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

3 Comments

  1. gary conray says:

    Napolitano ! Looks like a republicant to me.

  2. Michael says:

    Idiot…she is a radical,leftist from Barry’s team of crooks. She should be fired immediately, and her thriving staff…California’s deserve action!! Only could happen under jerry browns knowledge…bizzare.

Leave a Comment


HIGHER EDUCATION LINKS
LOCAL COLLEGE HEADLINES
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
The College of the Canyons Athletic Department will host a dedication ceremony to unveil the Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room in honor of the longtime board member and ardent softball program supporter’s nearly 40 years of service to the district.
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2024
California State University, Northridge is partnering with the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Tataviam Land Conservancy to battle the impact of climate change in disadvantaged communities throughout the San Fernando Valley by establishing “urban forests.”
Monday, Mar 25, 2024
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will hold a special joint meeting with the Associated Student Government in open session from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024
Holly Hitt-Zuniga has been selected to represent COC and the National Science Foundation’s Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education in Iceland.
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024
When you enter the main floor of the west wing of the California State University Northridge library, you’ll soon notice a new mural blending art, nature and the Indigenous history that the campus sits on.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys
Los Angeles County Public Works is updating the Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan.
April 16:  County Bicycle Master Plan Virtual Community Meeting
College of the Canyons mens golf got back on track during its return to conference play on Monday, carding a five-man score of 370 to top the eight-team field at Brookside Golf Course and maintain its unblemished conference mark.
Cougars Win Again, Keep Conference Streak
Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, reminds property owners that the second installment of the 2023-24 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes  delinquent if not received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time or United States Postal Service postmarked on or before Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
County Treasurer Reminds Property Owners of April 10 Due Date
Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence is seeking “Allies” to support Santa Clarita youth who are aging out of the L.A. County foster care system.
April 16: FYI Seeks Volunteers To Pair With Local Foster Youth
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today unveiled the latest L.A. County Health Survey, which gathers vital data on health behaviors, conditions, neighborhood settings, and the needs of L.A .County residents, informing future public health policies and programs.
Public Health Unveils the 2023 L.A. County Health Survey Findings
Due to the projected rain forecast, Eggstravaganza will now be held indoors at the Canyon Country Community Center beginning promptly at 10 a.m. on March 30.
March 30: Eggstravaganza Now Being Held Indoors at Canyon Country Community Center
To support the mental health of California's young people, the California Department of Public Health awarded $25 million to 28 tribal and community-based organizations across the state.
California Announces $25 Million in Awards for Youth Mental Health
The College of the Canyons Athletic Department will host a dedication ceremony to unveil the Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room in honor of the longtime board member and ardent softball program supporter’s nearly 40 years of service to the district.
April 16: COC to Host Michele Jenkins Team Room Dedication Ceremony
PFLAG Santa Clarita has announced the establishment of the Peggy and Jeff Stabile PFLAG SCV Scholarship. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to LGBTQIA+ students pursuing higher education and committed to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and promoting diversity and inclusion.
PFLAG SCV Announces Stabile PFLAG Scholarship
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
March 27 Ocean Water Warning
As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
SCVEDC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
C.A. Mentry
SCVNews.com