3.2.12 Fund-raising Activities

Comprehensive Standard: The institution’s chief executive officer has ultimate control of the institution’s fund-raising activities.

X  Compliance
     Partial Compliance
     Non-Compliance

Narrative:

The administrative head of fund-raising activities for Georgia State University is the Vice-President for Development.  The university’s organizational chart shows that the Vice President for Development is a direct report of the Provost and that the Provost is a direct report of the President of Georgia State University.[1] All university vice-presidents are university employees and serve at the pleasure of the president.

The Georgia State University Foundation (GSUF) is a key element of fund-raising for the university, and the president has ultimate control of that organization as well.  The BOR Policy Manual states that:

“A relationship…between a System institution and cooperative organization mat be maintained only if…the relationship between the cooperative organization and the System institution is in the best interest of the System institution as determined by the Board of Regents and the president of the institution in consultation with the Chancellor…” [2]

This statement indicates that—in addition to the Georgia State University President — the Board of Regents and the USG Chancellor must also be satisfied with the actions of the “cooperative organization” in order for the relationship to continue.

The GSUF is a legal entity distinct from Georgia State University.  The BOR Policy Manual requires all “cooperative organizations” (such as the GSUF) to sign a uniform memorandum of understanding. [3] (Further discussion of the GSUF's MOU can be found at Standard 3.2.13.) This memorandum specifies that the cooperative organization must annually have an independent audit and must provide a copy of that audit to the university president.[4] Additionally, the organization’s financial records must be available for inspection by the university president.

Supporting Documentation:

  1. Administratve Organization
  2. BOR Policy Manual Section 1905 
  3. BOR Policy Manual Section 1905 
  4. BOR Memorandum of Understanding between Georgia State University and GSUF