Daily w Trojan
Volume LXVI, No. 128
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Thursday, May 16, 1974
Audit by HEW points to errors in wage reports
BY ALIX RILEY
Staff Writer
An audit by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare has shown that the university’s system of charging the cost of salaries and wages to the federal government id deficient in ser-veral ways.
If a more detailed review determines that the federal government has been incorrectly charged for faculty and staff salaries, the university could be required to reimburse the government.
Universities conducting federally funded research may charge a portion of a faculty member’s salary (for the time he spends on research) and certain indirect costs (for example, expenses for the use of research facilities) to the federal government.
Based on payroll
The cost charged must be based on the university’s payroll sytem.
Such a system must be supported by either (1) an adequate appointment and workload distribution system, accompained by monthly reviews, or (2) a monthly after-the-fact certification sytem.
The university distributes faculty and staff salaries on the basis of payroll distribution forms, which contain estimates from the annual budget rather than the actual effort expended. This is the first alternative.
As a result of this procedure, the university did not have documentation to support its charges of federal funds.
Faculty must report
Each faculty member is required to report his total professional efforts for the previous semester on a faculty load sheet. The federal government states that there must be a monthly review of professional personnel.
The university’s faculty load sheets, however, were prepared
only at the close of each semester.
The HEW auditors requested 90 faculty load sheets for the 1972-73 academic year. The university was unable to provide 60 of them.
After-the-fact time and effort reports are also required for all nonprofessional personnel assigned to research projects. Of the 49 requested by HEW, only 19 were available.
Incorrectly prepared
The audit report also states that a substantial number of the faculty load sheets were incorrectly prepared.
The report for one professor showed a total of 140% effort—100% for federal projects, 257r for teaching and 15% on departmental administration and other university services. His salary for the semester was charged entirely to the federal government.
Another faculty member’s salary was charged entirely to the govermnent. However, his load sheet showed that only 75% of his time was spent on research. The other 25% was spent on instruction.
The audit report also said faculty load sheets and the time and effort reports could not be reconciled with the payroll distribution forms. In 47 cases examined, there were contradictory
figures in 20.
Government charged
For example, one instructor’s salary was charged entirely to the government on the basis of the payroll distribution form.
The faculty load sheet for the same semester showed the instructor was on a leave of absence for the entire period.
The entire salary distribution situation is undergoing a more detailed review by HEW auditors and the university’s auditors to try to correct the problems.
Colin MacLeod, director of fi-
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FROSH TAKE OVER—The Harris Plaza apartments will be opened this fall for freshmen in order to meet the increasing demands for freshmen housing. Currently, the apartments provide housing for students 21 and
HOUSING SHORTAGE
older.
Students who are currently housed in the apartments will be offered housing in the Married Student complex. DT photo by Audrey Chan.
Frosh to occupy Harris Plaza
An effort to meet an increased need for freshman housing has led the university to open the Harris Plaza Apartments to freshmen in the fall.
Students 21 and over who are now housed in Harris Plaza, 847 Exposition Blvd., w ill be offered housing in Married Student Housing, 3730-3760 McClintock Ave.
“We needed 200 additional beds for freshmen,” said Guy D. Hubbard, director of auxiliary services.
Harris Plaza can house 102 students.
To fill the additional need for freshmen housing, Hubbard said that the university has reserved space in two off-campus apartment houses, located on Ellendale Place and 30th Street.
“We’ve also arranged for tram service between the university and the off-campus units,” Hubbard said.
Referring to the 96 students who have been housed in Harris Plaza this semester, Hubbard said. “So far. only 32 have signed
up for next fall and for summer housing. It will be no problem to house them in Married Students Housing during the summer, because there is a one-third turnover of married students each year, and most of it occurs during the summer.
More students w ho are 21 and older will have to be housed in the fall. Hubbard said they too will be offered studio apartments in the Married Student complex.
The Married Student Complex holds 214 residents. Hubbard said that 96% of the space is filled by married students each year.
“The demand for married housing, at least nine months out of each year, is above our capacity, particularly for one- and two-bedroom apartments,” he said.
Studio apartments which will be taken over by former Harris Plaza residents have been used in the past to accomodate married couples without children.
Hubbard said additional
BY LINDA CIRIGLIANO
Staff Wruter
One hundred welfare recipients will be trained for campus jobs as a result of a recent agreement between the university and the State of California.
The state agreed Wednesday to pay for an on-going study of the training a study of the training and employment program by the Regional Research Institute on of Social Work.
It has been estimated that funding for the first year of the study will total between $500,000 and $700,000.
On April 22, Zohrab A. Ka-prielian, vice-president for academic administration and research, was authorized to sign a contract which began the university’s participation in California’s Work Incentive Program—Career Opportunities Program.
Welfare recipients to train for campus jobs
The program will begin operating on campus July 1.
“The program takes heads of families on welfare and gives them on-the-job training for university entry-level positions,” said Barbara M. Pearson.director of Equal Employment Opportunity Office and Affirmative Action.
Pearson will direct the university’s participation in the program.
“After the training has been successfully completed, they will become regular university employees,” she added.
Pearson said that during the training period, the state
and federal governments will reimburse the university for salaries and fringe benefits paid to trainees.
“We will begin the program with 100 positions,” Pearson said.
The program was created two years ago. Both public employers and employers in private institutions that operate for the public good have been invited to participate.
Pearson called the program “one of the most forward-thinking social reform plans we’ve ever had.”
She said the program had advantages over similar plans that have operated in
the past because "this is the first program that has a real goal of permanent employment for welfare recipients.
"Past programs have concentrated only on training. Once a person was trained, there was usually no job available.”
In order to participate in this program, an employer must have actual job vacancies to fill.
"Also, every job must lead to a promotion—there must be a way for employees to move up.” she said.
In a proposal submitted to the State Personnel Board, the administration said. "Despite the fact that over half of the university’s employees are in categories requiring advanced education, many of the other positions can be reached through minimal entry level jobs.”
Pearson said that Southern
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facilities for married students have been arranged.
"The university has worked out a rental agreement for off-campus apartments that are now being built by a private contractor.” he said. "The apartments will become available on July 1. Aug. 1 and Sept. 1.”
The 105-apartment complex that is now being built is located at 825 W. Adams Blvd.
Hubbard said that sutdents in Harris Plaza and Married Student Complex were informed of the planned housing changes about 12 days ago.
Rates for all campus housing will be increased in the fall (Daily Trojan, May 1).
Room and board for double rooms, which are the most popular with undergraduate students, according to Hubbard, will be increased $40 per semester. to $695. Rooms at Touton Hall will increase $20 per semester.
Studio apartments for married students will go up $5 a month, and one- and two-bed room apartments will go up $10 a month.
Hubbard said that increases in the prices of utilities and food are the primary reasons for the rate raise.
Registration packets can be obtained
Registration packets are available in the Registrar’s Office for currently enrolled students who did not request them by mail.
Students who have packets may obtain H cards from the departments. Packets will be accepted in the Registrar's Office Friday for the pulling of R cards. No more than two packets will be accepted from each student.
July 3 is the last day for currently enrolled students to turn in early registration materials.