The NCAA today (Sept. 18) announced it has established an independent task force to develop the philosophy and guidelines for the $60 million endowment, created under the consent decree imposed by the NCAA, that will benefit external programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse and victim treatment. To read the consent decree, visit http://www.ncaa.com/content/penn-state-conclusions online.
"Since July, Penn State has received input from a variety of sources with respect to the structure and operation of the endowment, which we have passed along to the NCAA,” said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. “The NCAA has determined that at least one-quarter of the annual disbursements from the endowment will be reserved for Pennsylvania organizations. However, recognizing that child sexual abuse is a national issue, the NCAA has determined that grants from the endowment will be available in other states as well. Penn State appreciates the commitments of the task force on this important endeavor that will help countless victims of child sexual abuse.”
As part of the consent decree issued by the NCAA in the wake of child abuse charges against Jerry Sandusky, the NCAA mandated that Penn State become a national leader to help victims of child sexual assault and to promote awareness across the nation. Specifically, the University will pay $12 million a year for the next five years into a special endowment created to fund programs for the detection, prevention and treatment of child abuse.
The NCAA task force is charged with:
-- Developing and recommending the philosophy by which the endowment earnings will be employed;
-- Defining the types of programs to benefit from the endowment;
-- Establishing criteria used to obtain grants from the endowment;
-- Developing investment and spending practices to sustain the endowment;
-- Determining the financial and legal structure for holding assets;
-- Identifying and recommending an independent third-party to administer and manage the endowment assets; and
-- Establishing appropriate reporting and accountability to monitor the performance and uses of the assets.
The NCAA has committed that at least 25 percent of the annual disbursements be used solely to benefit qualifying organizations in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania organizations also will receive the first round of funding released by the endowment. Under the terms of the consent decree, no University programs are eligible to receive funding from the endowment.
The 10-member task force will be chaired by University of California-Riverside Chancellor Tim White. Penn State University was permitted to appoint two members and selected Dr. Craig Hillemeier and Nan C. Crouter to serve on the task force.
As vice dean for clinical affairs in Penn State's College of Medicine, Dr. Hillemeier is committed to advancing clinical education, patient care, service and research. He also serves as a professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics and medical director of the Children's Hospital at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Since joining the faculty 11 years ago, Dr. Hillemeier has been at the forefront of developing new approaches to health care that are efficient, effective and patient-focused.
Crouter has served as the Raymond E. and Erin Stuart Schultz Dean of the College of Health and Human Development since June 2007. She has a long history at Penn State, joining the faculty in the College of Health and Human Development as assistant professor of human development in 1981. She was promoted to associate professor in 1987 and professor of human development in 1993. During her Penn State career, she served as director of the Center for Work and Family Research (2002-06) and led the Social Science Research Institute and the Consortium for Children, Youth and Families at Penn State (2006-07).
Other members of the task force include:
-- Rita Hartung Cheng, chancellor of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale;
-- Brian Gallagher, president and chief executive officer of United Way Worldwide;
-- Jane Lowe, team director of Vulnerable Populations Portfolio, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation;
-- Harris Pastides, president, University of South Carolina;
-- Bryan Samuels, commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
-- Pamela Shifman, director, Initiatives for Girls and Women, NoVo Foundation; and
-- Raymond Torres, vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and executive director of Casey Family Services.