Purpose

To determine the extent of implementation of the two recommendations included in our initial audit report, Compliance With the Clery Act (Report 2013-S-70).

Background

In 1990, Congress enacted the Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to disclose crime statistics and security policies to help the public make informed decisions when choosing a college for educational or employment purposes. Our initial audit report, which was issued on August 22, 2014, identified that certain SUNY colleges published inaccurate crime statistics on their Annual Security Reports and/or to the Department of Education which could affect the public's ability to accurately assess college safety and security and make valid comparisons among colleges. We made two recommendations to the State University of New York (SUNY) to develop strategies to enhance compliance with the Clery Act and to investigate and correct errors and discrepancies in statistics to ensure compliance with the Clery Act.

Key Finding

SUNY officials have made some progress in correcting the problems we identified in the initial report. However, improvements are still needed. All two of the prior audit recommendations have been partially implemented.

Key Recommendation

Officials are given 30 days after the issuance of the follow-up review to provide information on any actions that are planned to address the unresolved issues discussed in this review.

Other Related Audit/Report of Interest

State University of New York: Compliance With the Cleary Act (2013-S-70)