Administration

Integrity monitor cites University's continued progress in newly released report

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State has continued to make progress on initiatives undertaken in response to recommendations made in the Freeh Report, according to the latest quarterly report tracking Penn State's progress in meeting the goals of the Athletics Integrity Agreement (AIA) signed by Penn State, the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference. The complete text of the report and information about actions Penn State has taken is available at http://www.dlapiper.com/en/us/insights/publications/2014/05/7th-penn-state-report/ online.

"On May 14, 2014, I met with Dr. Eric Barron and Dr. Rodney Erickson, Penn State's present and immediate past presidents," said Sen. George Mitchell, in his report. "Dr. Barron pledged that I would continue to receive complete cooperation from the University, as has been the case since the inception of my duties." Mitchell was named by the NCAA as the independent monitor to oversee Penn State's Athletics Integrity Agreement, a five-year appointment that began in 2012.

"I'm pleased with how quickly the institution responded and how much has been accomplished in the way of compliance and the dedication to improving our processes," said President Barron. "Penn State has taken the recommendations seriously, has made enormous progress and has become a model institution for addressing issues like this. We plan to remain on this track of continuous improvement."

Among its activities during this reporting quarter, Penn State:

-- through the Office of Ethics and Compliance adopted a compliance plan approved by a committee of the Board of Trustees. The compliance plan addresses standards of conduct; governance; reporting lines and delegation of authority; training and education; monitoring and auditing; program promotion; discipline; and remediation.

-- Intercollegiate Athletics compliance department became the first in the country with five members certified by the National Association for Athletics Compliance ("NAAC");

-- hosted its third annual conference on child protection and well-being and continued its support of organizations striving to end child sexual abuse and to assist its victims;

-- continued installation of access controls and security measures at its athletics and recreational facilities to ensure adherence to Penn State policies, both at University Park and on its Commonwealth Campuses, with a goal of ensuring the access controls are fully operational for the start of the 2014-15 academic year; and

-- commissioned a team of administrators and public safety professionals to support its Clery Act compliance program; and began to review policies, procedures and training programs concerning child safety and abuse prevention to ensure their consistency with newly enacted state laws.

Mitchell and his team made a number of visits to the University Park campus during the past quarter to meet with former President Erickson and current President Barron, the administration response team, the Ethics and Compliance Council, several vice presidents and other administrators, and several other councils and working groups.

Members of Mitchell's team also attended Board of Trustees meetings in March and May, participated in a meeting of the Faculty Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Committee and attended a training session held for coaches, athletics administrators and other "covered persons" designed to satisfy the AIA's annual athletics compliance training requirement.

In the coming quarter, Mitchell will continue to monitor the University's progress toward fulfilling its obligations in connection with the AIA and NCAA Consent Decree. His second annual report, due in September, will more comprehensively review Penn State's work to comply with the AIA's annual obligations. It also will cover the progress made toward completing long-term, capital-intensive projects undertaken in response to the Freeh recommendations, and adjustments made to University policies, procedures and training in response to recently enacted Pennsylvania legislation.

Last Updated May 24, 2019

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