Baker Tilly
Contact us
higher education compliance meeting to discuss financial services
Article | SCCE CEP Magazine

Report card for your higher education institution's compliance program

Recap from the 2023 SCCE Higher Education Compliance Conference

Oct 02, 2023·Authored by Kyra Castano

Colleges and universities are constantly encountering financial, reputational and legal risks. Compliance and ethics programs are charged with collaborating with various subject-matter specialists across campus to ensure the myriad higher education compliance requirements are met on a regular basis.

Does your higher education institution have a process to measure your compliance program’s effectiveness?

Baker Tilly higher education risk specialist, Kyra Castano, CIA, and Director of Compliance and Privacy Officer at The College of New Jersey, Aminah Massenburg, Esq., CCEP, co-authored an insightful article for the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) after they presented at the 2023 Higher Education Compliance Conference on the same topic. The article covers:

  • Higher education compliance program stages and the importance of fostering a culture of ethics
  • Compliance assessments and the resources used for evaluation and review
  • Measuring compliance program quality and effectiveness

Key takeaways from the article

College students return to campus in the fall post-pandemic
  • It is paramount to continuously evaluate your institution’s compliance program
  • To accurately measure the compliance program’s effectiveness, consider determining your current “stage of life”
  • In March 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice released additional guidance to assist prosecutors in making informed decisions as to whether and to what extent the compliance program was effective at the time of the offense and is effective at the time of a charging decision or resolution
  • Whether you decide to conduct a self-assessment or have a third party conduct the assessment, the starting point should involve understanding your institution’s critical risks and reporting mandates as well as trending risks across the higher education industry
  • Keep in mind: the goal is not to have a perfect compliance program. The objective is to have an effective compliance program, which means they are malleable and provide room for growth and maturity.

For more information, or to learn more about how Baker Tilly’s higher education risk advisors can help your institution, connect with our team.

Contact usarrowCreated with Sketch.
Salesperson as Sherpa: Provide Help Along the Journey to Accelerate Sales

Save the date: 2024 SCCE Higher Education & Research Compliance Conference

Join Baker Tilly's higher education compliance team in New Orleans on June 10-12 at next year's conference and explore a variety of risk and compliance sessions to advance institutional and student success.

Highway with cars driving

Lessons from compliance and the intersection of enterprise risk management and internal audit

Baker Tilly facilitated a panel discussion with compliance leaders from two private universities to share their perspectives and lessons learned on compliance and the intersection with enterprise risk management (ERM) and internal audit.

Explore our solutions

  1. internal audit services office building and a star-filled sky

    Internal Audit

    Leverage industry-specialized internal audit services for organizational success.
  2. IT audit consultant analyzes data on a computer

    IT Audit Solutions

    Leverage industry-specialized IT audit professionals to enhance and protect organizational value.
  3. enterprise risk management data in virtual reality

    Enterprise Risk Management

    Tailored risk management solutions to connect risk and opportunity with performance
  4. Stone pillars on a government building

    Regulatory Compliance

    Strengthen your federal, state, industry and agency regulatory compliance.
  5. cybersecurity

    Cybersecurity

    Proactively protect and address your cybersecurity and information technology (IT) risks.
  6. Business meeting in conference room

    Board & Audit Committee Governance

    Enhance your governance practices to improve oversight.
  7. Climbers move forward avoiding risks to reach their goal, the summit

    Risk Advisory

    Baker Tilly addresses the full spectrum of risk, governance and compliance considerations in the context of industry, operations and culture.
  8. Students review schedules on campus

    Higher Education

    Higher education transformation is a journey. Let's embark on it, together.
  9. Researcher at academic medical center looking through microscope

    Academic Medical Centers

    Advance your medical school's mission.

This article was originally published by CEP Magazine, a publication of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), in the October 2023 issue.

Related sections

Nashville, Tennessee skyline
Next up

A look into the current commercial real estate climate

Go to articlearrowCreated with Sketch.