Press Release  Audit Calls for Enhanced Documentation of Staff Emergency Response Training at Fitchburg State University

Boston — In an audit released today, State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump is calls on Fitchburg State University (FSU) to take steps to improve its documentation to substantiate that resident assistant staff members received proper training to assist students living in residence halls during an emergency. Bump’s audit found that although emergency response training is required, FSU did not have documentation to show that its resident assistant staff members received these trainings. In response to the audit, FSU reports that it has begun taking measures to enhance documentation in this area.

“While Fitchburg State University has in place emergency training requirements for resident assistants, we encourage them to provide more thorough documentation of these trainings,” Bump said of the audit. “I commend FSU for taking our audit recommendations seriously.”

The audit also examined whether FSU had in place procedures and necessary accommodations to support students with disabilities and found no deficiencies in these areas.

In recent months, Bump’s office has examined the services, support, and accommodations that colleges throughout the Commonwealth provide to students with disabilities. These schools include UMass Amherst, Greenfield Community College, UMass Lowell, Berkshire Community College, and UMass Dartmouth.

FSU is a member of the Commonwealth’s public higher-education system, which consists of 15 community colleges, 9 state universities, and 5 University of Massachusetts campuses. For fiscal year 2018, FSU had an enrollment of approximately 5,200 students.

The full audit report is available here.

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