Audit of North Shore Community College (NSCC)
January 7, 2021 · North Shore Community College · Read the full official report on mass.gov ↗ · official site ↗
Published January 7, 2021 Audit covers July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2019 Under Suzanne M. Bump · 2011–2023
source
“Our audit revealed no significant instances of noncompliance by NSCC that must be reported under generally accepted government auditing standards.”
Read the plain-English breakdown
This is a state performance audit of North Shore Community College, focused on how it handled the MassTransfer Program from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.
“This report details the audit objectives, scope, methodology, findings, and recommendations for the audit period, July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.”
Auditors looked at whether the college properly managed MassTransfer, a program that helps students move credits from community college toward a bachelor’s degree.
“In this performance audit, we examined NSCC’s administration of the Commonwealth’s MassTransfer Program.”
MassTransfer matters because it can help students keep credits, get admitted to linked bachelor’s programs, and save money through tuition benefits.
“Students who complete their associate’s degrees at one of the Commonwealth’s 15 community colleges, and transfer to a state university or UMass campus within one year of graduation from community college, receive guaranteed admission (space permitting in the major and college) and transfer of credits.”
If you are a student using MassTransfer, the program may make transferring easier and may reduce costs if you meet the rules.
“In return, they receive a tuition freeze while enrolled and a 10% rebate of tuition and mandatory fees in addition to the benefits of the A2B Degree Program.”
The college met the audit’s main requirements, but the auditor found smaller control issues involving missing information, missing notices, and weak tracking.
“Although our audit uncovered no significant deficiencies with program administration, we did note a few deficiencies that North Shore Community College (NSCC) should address.”
The auditor recommended that NSCC keep better files, retain applications and decision notices, and add a way to identify MassTransfer students in its system.
“We also recommend that NSCC retain all submitted Commonwealth Commitment Program applications, as well as notifications of students’ acceptance or denial, for three years as recommended by Section H03-01 of the Massachusetts Statewide Records Retention Schedule.”
This report is significant because it says NSCC generally followed the rules, while pointing out practical fixes that could make the program easier to document and monitor.
“However, it was difficult for us to analyze the performance of the MassTransfer Program because the college could not isolate populations of students participating in the program.”
MassTransfer is the state’s transfer pathway system for public colleges. It includes the MassTransfer Block, A2B Degree Program, and Commonwealth Commitment Program.
“The Commonwealth’s public institutions of higher education have partnered with the Department of Higher Education (DHE) to develop the MassTransfer Program, which includes the MassTransfer Block, the A2B Degree Program, and the Commonwealth Commitment Program.”
What the Auditor checked
- Complied Did NSCC ensure that students transferring to the college were granted eligible earned credits upon transfer in accordance with the Department of Higher Education’s (DHE’s) “MassTransfer Policy Guidelines,” DHE’s “Community College Transfer Principles,” and NSCC policy?
- Complied Did NSCC certify the completion of the MassTransfer Block on students’ transcripts in accordance with DHE’s “MassTransfer Policy Guidelines”?
- Complied Did NSCC administer eligibility requirements within the Commonwealth Commitment Program in accordance with DHE’s “Commonwealth Commitment Implementation Guidelines”?
What the Auditor found
Why it matters: Incomplete and missing documentation could make it harder to verify student eligibility, program decisions, and compliance with retention requirements.
Standard: Section H03-01 of the Massachusetts Statewide Records Retention Schedule ( Section H03-01 of the Massachusetts Statewide Records Retention Schedule )
2 recommendations
- NSCC should ensure Commonwealth Commitment Program applications are properly processed with signatures and dates and that relevant information is entered in students’ files.agency: agreed
- NSCC should retain all submitted Commonwealth Commitment Program applications and acceptance or denial notifications for three years.agency: agreed
Agency response & Auditor reply
Agency: "Nevertheless, the College agrees with the recommendation of the State Auditors to keep all applications for Commonwealth Commitment for three years, whether accepted or denied; we will also investigate options with our new educational planning software to address the suggestion to more easily identify and track Mass Transfer students."
Why it matters: The college could not easily isolate MassTransfer student populations, making program analysis more difficult.
1 recommendation
- NSCC should incorporate a field in its student system to identify students participating in the MassTransfer Program.agency: agreed
Agency response & Auditor reply
Agency: "Nevertheless, the College agrees with the recommendation of the State Auditors to keep all applications for Commonwealth Commitment for three years, whether accepted or denied; we will also investigate options with our new educational planning software to address the suggestion to more easily identify and track Mass Transfer students."
More audits of this entity
Other Office of the State Auditor reports on North Shore Community College .
-
Audit of Cybersecurity Awareness Training Compliance Across Multiple State Agencies - North Shore Community CollegeCollege / University · November 8, 2024 - North Shore Community CollegeCollege / University · July 20, 2011