Arizona State University Research Park

“The organization contracts with a management company, ags llc, to provide management services for the research park. Services provided are in accordance with the asset management and property management agreements, and include accounting services, on-site management oversight, coordination of vendors, leasing and marketing.”

“The by-laws of the organization prescribe that a minority of the board of directors shall be university members appointed by the president of arizona state university.”

“Arizona state university approves the budget and the sale of assets for the organization.”

“The organization does not have any committees that have authority to act on behalf of the governing body.”

“The vice president for finance and deputy treasurer for arizona state university and the corporate controller for sunbelt holdings, an affiliate of ags, llc., will each review the draft return. After the initial review, a draft copy of the tax return will be sent to the board of directors prior to filing the return.”

“Corporate officers and employees must be aware of and identify circumstances under which the research park's actions might affect them or their relatives. They must disclose situations in which conflicts of interest might affect them or their relatives and must disclose situations in which conflicts of interest exist and refrain from any participation in the decision making process for that transaction. They must make known these conflicts of interests in the official records of the research park. Conflicts of interest have levels of substantial and remote interest. These conflicts are monitored by the president of asurp and the president of asu. Corporate officers and employees are included in the conflicts of interest policy. Corporate officers include all elected and appointed officers of asurp, directors, members of the advisory committees, boards and councils. Employees are persons employed by asurp on a full time, part time or contract basis. For purposes of this policy only, the research park asset manager shall also be deemed an employee. Annually, the board members are required to fill out and sign a conflict of interest form stating that they have read the conflict of interest policy and if they have a conflict of interest.”

“These salaries are determined by the university in adherance with policies of the university and applicable university governance.”

“Governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are available upon request.”

“Because three of the voting members of the governing body are employed by arizona state university, they are not considered to be independent.”

“Arizona state university research park has no employees and does not compensate their directors or officers. Ags, llc (see page 8, part vii, section b) is paid for property management, management services and accounting services. The compensation reported for officers and directors as reported on part vii of the form 990, represent amounts paid to them by arizona state university (asu) for their services rendered to asu, a related tax-exempt organization, see schedule r.”

“The property manager, ags, llc, is responsible for the oversight of the audit and review of the financial statements. Arizona state university's vice president for finance and deputy treasurer is available for guidance and also reviews the audited financial statements. The selection of an independent accountant is done by arizona state university through an audit selection committee. Every five years, the audit selection committee asks several independent accounting firms to bid on the audit of arizona state university's affiliated entities. A few firms are awarded positions in the pool, which are qualified to perform audits for the affiliated entities. The affiliated entities may choose any firm in the pool. If the affiliated entities want to contract audit services to a firm not in the pool, arizona state university must first approve the firm. There has been no change in this process during the current tax year.”