Letter from the Editor

Publication Date: May 16, 2024

Hello ACUA Members!
It’s April and spring is here! The flowers are blooming, the Carolina pine pollen is dropping, and we are enjoying the mild weather outdoors before the cicadas hatch en masse. April is also national volunteer month. It’s a great reminder to give back to your communities, whether on a professional or personal level. Volunteering has been on the decline, especially since the pandemic. The top reasons people are not volunteering is because they feel they do not have the time or cannot find meaningful assignments, but those fears can be eased by finding the right opportunities.

Our ACUA community has many volunteer committee openings right now, from historian to nominating committee, DEI leadership to standards and best practices. I’ve read that the number one reason people volunteer is because they’re asked, so let this be your invitation to try an ACUA committee. Complete the call for volunteers form in our new Committee Updates feature.

This is a great time to recognize the contributions of volunteers, like our fantastic C&U Journal team. I would like to thank Olga Polikarpova (University of Alaska) for serving as Deputy Editor before her departure from higher education. Former copy editor Tyler Morgan (Mississippi State University) volunteered to move into the Deputy Editor role and even penned his first article on improving workpaper documentation. I also wish to thank our copy editors for proofreading submitted articles, often on very short notice, sharing their writing talents: Susan Edinger (University of Toledo), Erica Smith and Amy Wilegus (both University of Tennessee), and newcomer Julee Otter (Oregon State University). If you would like to join our team, email editor@acua.org.

Every article this issue was written by an ACUA member volunteering their time to share their insight on emerging topics with their peers. Natalie Harrison (Rutgers) is a double volunteer this issue, contributing two must-read articles on DEI and tips for new internal auditors. From Qatar University, Saumy Thomas shares critical emerging risks in higher education and Carl Canlas (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) defines the agile auditing process. Beth Harry (Johns Hopkins) provides an in-depth look at research security best practices.

Volunteering is a great way to develop valuable skills, boost our well-being, and make a tangible impact in our community. Maybe we need to dig a bit deeper to find the right opportunities, like those cicadas did 13 and 17 years ago.

Sincerely,
Kara Hefner, Editor