Authority is granted for full, free, and unrestricted access to any and all of the UNT System and components records, physical properties, and personnel relevant to any function under review. Documents and information given to Internal Audit will be handled in the same prudent and professional manner as by those employees normally accountable for them.
All employees are requested to assist Internal Audit in fulfilling their function. In the event any officer, agent, or employee of the system shall fail to cooperate fully with Internal Audit or shall otherwise hinder or prevent or attempt to hinder or prevent any audit, the Chief Audit Executive shall immediately and simultaneously report the same to the Chancellor and the Board of Regents’ Audit Committee.
Internal Audit shall also have free and unrestricted access to the Audit Committee of the Board of Regents and the Chairman of the Board of Regents, and the Chancellor.
The Chief Audit Executive and Internal Audit Staff are not authorized to assume the role of management and perform any operations duties. This includes initiating or approving accounting transactions external to the Internal Audit department, developing policies and procedures external to the Internal Audit department, or directing the activities of any University employee not employed by the Internal Audit department.
The Chief Audit Executive is authorized to engage and contract with external parties related to fulfilling the function of the office. Any contract must follow all applicable Board of Regents Rules and UNT System Policies and Procedures.
All Internal Audit activities shall remain free of influence by any element in the organization, including matters of audit selection, scope, procedures, frequency, timing, or report content to permit maintenance of an independent and objective mental attitude necessary in rendering reports.
Internal Auditors shall have no direct operational responsibility or authority over any of the activities they review. Accordingly, they shall not develop nor install systems or procedures, prepare records, approve transactions external to Internal Audit, or engage in any other activity which would normally be audited. Review and appraisal by Internal Audit does not in any way substitute for or relieve other persons in the system of their management responsibilities.
The Internal Audit Staff shall govern themselves by adherence to Texas Internal Auditing Act, Chapter 2102 of the Texas Government Code, and the Institute of Internal Auditors' "Code of Ethics." Internal Audit shall conform with the Institute's "International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing" (Standards) contained in the International Professional Practices Framework as well as generally accepted governmental auditing standards (GAGAS).
The Chief Audit Executive should periodically assess whether the purpose, authority, and responsibility, as defined in this charter, continue to be adequate to enable Internal Audit to accomplish its objectives. The result of this periodic assessment should be communicated to Audit Committee of the Board of Regents. The Audit Committee should periodically review and affirm the Internal Audit Charter.
In addition, the Chief Audit Executive will periodically review the quality and effectiveness of the internal audit activity to include compliance with the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. This includes a Quality Assurance Review as directed by the Texas Internal Auditing Act, Chapter 2102 of the Texas Government Code.