Audit Committee

Authority

The University of Texas System (UT System) Policy UTS129, Internal Audit Activities, authorizes the establishment of an institutional audit committee. Appendix A, System-wide Internal Audit Charter, states "Each component institution will organize and maintain an institutional audit committee."

Membership

The President shall appoint the members of the Audit Committee, which will include:

• The President, Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President for Business Affairs/Chief Financial Officer, other appropriate members of senior management, and
• At least one member from outside the institution.

The Chairman is the President or the President's designee.

Non-voting members of the committee who serve as resources to assist the committee in carrying out its responsibilities shall include:

• Director of Internal Audit (Chief Audit Executive)
• Assistant Vice President for Institutional Compliance
• Director of UT System Audit or his/her designee
• Representative of the UT System Office of Health Affairs

Role

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) Audit Committee is an essential part of the risk management and internal control infrastructure of the institution and of the UT System. Its primary responsibilities are to assist the President in the:

• Oversight and direction of the internal auditing activity,
• Oversight of the processes to manage business and financial risks,
• Reporting of risk management and audit activity to the UT System, including the Audit, Compliance, and Management Review (ACMR) Committee of the Board of Regents,
• Oversight of institutional engagements that may be performed by UT System or any external public accounting firms hired by UT System, and
• Awareness of and responsibility for UTHSCSA issues that may arise from any UT System financial audit.

The Audit Committee meets periodically (at least quarterly) as determined by necessity and at the request of the President. The meetings provide for direct communication between the members and the Director of Internal Audit.

From the UTHSCSA Handbook of Operating Procedures; Chapter 1; Section 1.6; Policy 1.6.1