Piecing it together

Jana Phelps knows the connotation that the word “audit” carries.

There’s certainly no shortage of numbers and spreadsheets and functions and formulas. But the chief audit executive for Kansas State University emphasizes that throughout its work, K-State’s Internal Audit team is centered around collaboration and understanding how each part of K-State operations snaps into place.

“I like to piece things together to see how it fits in the bigger picture,” Phelps said. “We’re not just checking numbers; our real aim is strengthening processes and enhancing accountability.”

Her team is tasked with learning the ins and outs of what makes the university run and, in the process, providing colleges and departments with the playbooks they need to effectively steward K-State’s resources and workforce.

They provide guidance on a vast array of topics, including accounting, grant management, cybersecurity practices, federal policy, and student service workflows.

After graduating from K-State, Phelps taught high school science and coached.

When it was time for a career change, she took a position as an auditor for a publicly traded retail company. The role played to her strengths. As a detail-oriented problem solver, she found a new opportunity to coach others to reach their full potential.

Little did she know, a chance to work for her alma mater was right around the corner.

When she returned to K-State in 2013, Phelps sought to learn everything there was to know about being a higher education auditor. At the encouragement of a colleague, She joined the Association of College and University Auditors — a group she cites as an invaluable part of her development.

She is now vice president of the organization and will assume the role of president in 2026.

“Higher ed is vast, and the learning curve is steep,” Phelps said. “It’s important for me to be able to give back to an organization that has given me so much.”

Next year, she plans to lead ACUA through the development of an on-demand learning platform, providing auditors with the training they need to better adapt to an ever-changing university landscape.

As Phelps and her team help implement K-State’s next-generation strategic plan for operational excellence, they’re working to overhaul how the campus thinks about the word “audit,” and she encourages K-Staters to find out how Internal Audit is future-focused and centered on building relationships with the campus community.

“Just ask us, we’re here to help,” she said.

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