About Us

Bridging the Gap

Overview

UCSF Audit & Advisory Services (A&AS) was established in 1980 to fulfill the need at UCSF for independent, objective assurance and advice leading to value-added services that reduce risk and improve operations.

Services provided include:

  • Assurance/compliance audits
  • Advisory/consulting projects
  • Investigative reviews
  • External audit coordination

The scope of A&AS encompasses activities within:

  • UCSF Healthcare Enterprise
  • Professional Schools, Institutes and Centers and related academic units of the UCSF Campus
  • Finance and Administrative Services

Additionally, A&AS:

  • Coordinates the activities of visiting external auditors
  • Provides special studies and assessments at management's request
  • Serves as the coordination and triage point for all whistleblower complaints
  • When requested, assists the University’s external financial auditors in performing the annual examination of the financial statements

Our Mission and Charter

The mission of the University of California internal audit program is to provide the Regents, President and campus Chancellors independent and objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and to improve operations. We do this through communication, monitoring and collaboration with management to assist the campus community in the discharge of their oversight, management and operating responsibilities. Internal audit brings a systematic and disciplined approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes.

Regents of the University of California

Authority

Audit & Advisory Services functions under policies established by The Regents of the University of California and reaffirmed through local campus policy.

Independence

Independence is essential to the effectiveness of the Internal Audit Program, permitting the rendering of impartial and unbiased judgment essential to the proper conduct of audits. To that end, internal auditors will be independent of the activities they audit.

Independence is based primarily upon organizational status and objectivity: Audit & Advisory Services reports functionally to the Board of Regents through the SVP Ethics, Compliance and Audit and administratively to the Chancellor through the Senior Vice Chancellor – Finance and Administrative Services. The Chief Audit Officer may not be released from employment without concurrence from the University President upon the recommendation of both the Senior Vice Chancellor – Finance and Administrative Services and the SVP Ethics, Compliance and Audit. 

Audit & Advisory Services may take directly to the Chancellor; SVP Ethics, Compliance & Audit; the President; or The Regents matters that they believe to be of sufficient magnitude and importance. The Chief Audit Officer shall take directly to the SVP Ethics, Compliance and Audit, who shall report to the Senior Vice President/Chief Audit and Compliance Officer, and to The Regents’ Committee on Audit Chair any credible allegations of significant wrongdoing (including any wrongdoing for personal financial gain) by or about the campus Chancellor or Senior Vice Chancellor – Finance and Administrative Services.

In performing the audit function, Audit & Advisory Services has no direct responsibility for, or authority over, any of the activities reviewed. Therefore, the audit review and appraisal process does not in any way relieve other persons in the organization of responsibilities assigned to them.

Scope

Audit & Advisory Services is authorized to have full, free and unrestricted access to information including records, computer files, property and personnel of the University in accordance with the authority granted by the University of California Audit Management Plan, Mission, and Charter and with applicable local campus policy as well as federal and state statutes.

Except where limited by law, the work of Audit & Advisory Services is unrestricted. Audit & Advisory Services is free to review and evaluate all policies, procedures and practices of any UCSF or UCSF-affiliated activity, program or function.

Professional standards

The responsibility of Audit & Advisory Services is to serve the University in a manner that is consistent with the standards established by the University Audit Management Plan. At a minimum, it shall comply with the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing and with the Code of Ethics of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Inc.