Report 2017-119 Recommendation 18 Responses

Report 2017-119: California State University: It Has Not Provided Adequate Oversight of the Safety of Employees and Students Who Work With Hazardous Materials (Release Date: April 2018)

Recommendation #18 To: Sonoma State University

To ensure that it receives feedback from employee representatives on conditions associated with their work environments and that it develops appropriate interventions, Sonoma should ensure that its joint committee records meeting minutes and provides copies of the minutes and other information to the systemwide joint committee, as requested.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

Sonoma State University conducts monthly Safety Committee Meetings with the Teamsters, per the Teamster Local 2010 CBA between the Teamsters and the CSU. Each meeting is formally documented with an agenda and meeting minutes. In order to comply with the information dissemination to the Systemwide Joint Committee, Sonoma State University has created procedures outlining the steps to ensure meeting minutes are sent via email to the systemwide joint committee.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Along with its one year response in April 2019, Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that its joint committee records meeting minutes and provides copies of the minutes and other information to the systemwide joint committee. Additionally, it has now established a procedure to ensure that its joint committee will consistently forward its meeting minutes to the systemwide joint committee. Sonoma also provided evidence that it continues to forward the meeting minutes.


1-Year Agency Response

Our safety minutes for both our Campus-wide Safety Committee and our Sonoma State University Teamster Corporation Yard Sub-Safety Committee are sent to the Jody Vanleuven, Assistant Director of CSU Risk Management. Jody is responsible for the System-wide Joint Committee.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that its joint committee records meeting minutes and provides copies of the minutes and other information to the systemwide joint committee. However, it has not established a policy or procedure to ensure that its joint committee will consistently forward its meeting minutes to the systemwide joint committee.


6-Month Agency Response

The committee holds monthly meetings to discuss the charge of the committee, meeting schedules, committee organization, and other current topics.

Meeting minutes are posted for public viewing at http://web.sonoma.edu/ehs/safety/committees.html. Meeting minutes from April 2018, May 2018, July 2018, August 2018, and September 2018 will be provided to the CSA.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

Sonoma did not provide any documentation to support its claim that it has fully implemented this recommendation.


60-Day Agency Response

The committee held a meeting on 05/31/2018 to discuss the charge of the committee, meeting schedules, committee organization, and other current topics.

Meeting minutes will be provided along with the website that the minutes are posted to for public viewing.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

Sonoma did not provide documentation demonstrating that it has implemented this recommendation.


All Recommendations in 2017-119

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.