Thomas Younce, N.C. State's public safety director, said six officials from the Police Executive Research Forum will arrive on campus next week to begin a comprehensive management review of the Public Safety Department.
Younce said PERF officials will observe how systems and procedures operate within the department. "They'll also be researching how things are done by conducting interviews with department employees," he said.
Younce said PERF's review also will include a distribution of surveys to N.C. State faculty, staff members and students to gauge their opinions on how department services can be improved and how credibility can be restored.
Last summer it was discovered that then-Public Safety Director Ralph Lex Harper used unspent money from the Public Safety Department lapsed-salary fund to buy electronic equipment.
Although UNC-system schools are allowed to spend lapsed salary money as they see fit, Harper spent more than $1 million to refurbish his office and purchase a Dodge pick-up for his personal use.
The incident led to calls for reforming the manner in which expenditures of lapsed funds are scrutinized.
"PERF is a spin-off from the Harper issue," Younce said.
Dave Rainer, N.C. State vice chancellor for Environmental Health and Public Safety, said an N.C. auditor examined the department's financial records after the scandal, but this audit would focus on the budget's size.
"The state's audit was purely financial," he said. "After the state audit, Chancellor (Marye Anne) Fox committed to a third-party audit, which will be more focused on determining whether the budget is in line with the size of the department."
