The mission of Internal Audit is to contribute to the ongoing effectiveness of Jefferson in its goal to improve lives and provide students with exceptional value in 21st century professional education. Internal Audit contributes to Jefferson’s mission by providing Senior Management and the Board of Trustees with an independent appraisal of the internal controls of Jefferson. Internal Control is a process, effected by Jefferson’s Board of Trustees, management, and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives related to operations, reporting, and compliance.

Internal Audit's objectives in accomplishing its mission will include the following:

• Assess control risks of Jefferson and evaluate whether such risks are effectively and efficiently managed or mitigated;
• Evaluate policies and procedures that are designed to ensure the reliability and integrity of information;
• Evaluate financial and operational procedures for adequacy of internal controls, and provide advice and guidance on control aspects of new policies, systems, processes, and procedures;
• Verify the existence of Jefferson assets and ensure that proper safeguards are maintained to protect them from loss;
• Determine the level of compliance with Jefferson policies and procedures;
• Evaluate the security and effectiveness of Jefferson’s information technology systems;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of system implementation and upgrade projects, and identify internal control procedures which should be incorporated into the design of new systems;
• Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, and identify opportunities for cost savings and revenue enhancements;
• Provide assistance, when needed, to Compliance and Legal Counsel, to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations;
• Coordinate external audits of Jefferson and ensure that such audits are performed as required by external regulations and in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and/or Government Audit Standards; and
• Coordinate investigations of fiscal misconduct with Public Safety, Human Resources, Compliance, and Legal Counsel.