Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

The Treasurer commented adversely on the Bursar's management and interference
with the Kitchen. The reason for conflicting priorities between producing the
accounts and issuing student bills was because he had not produced the accounts on
time.
It was abundantly clear to me that all this was further cause for concern, since the
Working Party was also having difficulties with the Bursar.
The Treasurer had instructed the College Auditors to carry out a Special Audit for
the year to June l988. This would match income and expenditure for the Kitchen
against the agreed budget, report on present spend on staff wages, overtime, agency
fees, the explanation of increases in recent years and suggest methods of controlling
these costs. Rport on method of student billing and collection of bills from all
members. What controls of any need to be introduced. A further eight points to be
looked into including whether the introduction of computerised accounts would now
be beneficial; had increased student numbers and activities in general led to a major
increase in the workload of the Bursar and two office staff so that costs could not be
properly monitored and controlled against the agreed budget? If so, what steps
should be taken to correct it. Their estimated fee would be £2650 plus VAT.
The Auditors submitted an eighteen page report on 28 April, l989. They pointed out
that they had had to rely on much of the information given them without
independent verification. They had criticisms of the state of the finnacial records,
which mean that the half yearly Kitchen accounts are of limited value to the F & G P
Committee. They recommended that the Bursar immediately improve their quality;
this can only be done by the direct involvement of the Bursar. They recommended
that the Bursar should set up a student bills ledger and to administer it properly he
must take responsibility for its preparation and control. There were deficiencies in
matters concerning the bank accounts; the effective daily current account
management was left to the part-time secretary and book keeper; the Bursar was only
informed when there were not enough funds in the current account to pay creditors.
They recommended that daily cash management be re-established by the Bursar and
the current account be run without an overdraft facility. On staff salaries there was
an urgent need to complete the records and submit them to the tax office; sums paid
to staff should have tax deducted. On computerisation the quotations obtained by
the Bursar were premature; (and the quotation was £26,000, not £16,000).
Computerisation does not solve the problems created by poor financial records; the
audit trail was often inadequate and controls incomplete. They recommended
instead to use spreadsheet software on the current micro-computer; that the Bursar
must exercises greater control over the financial record keeping and institutes basic
procedural controls, such as the student bills ledger, monthly bank reconciliations,
quarterly management accounts and preparing statutory accounts.
This report by professionals confirmed our worries as a result of our own
investigations. It could not be ignored.
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