Integrity monitor’s quarterly report notes Penn State’s continued progress

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Sen. George Mitchell, the independent, third-party athletics integrity monitor for Penn State, issued his third quarterly report on May 31 regarding the University’s performance under the Athletics Integrity Agreement. The University, the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference entered into the agreement in August as part of the consent decree imposed by the NCAA. "This report validates the significant reforms that have been implemented over the past year, and reflects Penn State’s steadfast and ongoing commitment to integrity and ethical conduct,” said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. “Our Board of Trustees has restructured its governance to be more open and efficient, and we are working to set the bar for our operations in human resources, security, athletics and compliance. There still is more to be done, but we are pleased that our efforts are being praised by Sen. Mitchell and his team, and by other external entities that have an interest in our progress.” Mitchell’s position as athletics integrity monitor was established by the Athletics Integrity Agreement, a document that contains a number of prescriptive measures designed to ensure Penn State continues to meet or exceed all applicable NCAA and Big Ten rules and standards of integrity. The Mitchell report noted Penn State’s continued progress under the agreement, including the implementation of significant structural changes to the Board of Trustees’ governance and oversight procedures. Based on feedback from the Pennsylvania Auditor General, the Middle States Accreditation Commission and the Freeh Group, the board has implemented an expanded committee structure, more oversight, term limits and a new, stricter conflict of interest policy, among other changes. The report lauded the implementation of online training programs for compliance with mandated reporter laws and the Clery Act; and the recent appointment of Julie Del Giorno as Penn State’s athletics integrity officer, and Regis Becker as the new director of University ethics and compliance. Mitchell also noted Penn State’s significant progress in implementing the recommendations of the Freeh Report. Mitchell's team will continue its independent evaluation of Penn State's activities and efforts under the Athletics Integrity Agreement and the NCAA consent decree. His five-year appointment as the University's monitor began in August, and a report outlining actions taken is produced on a quarterly basis. Mitchell's previous update was issued March 1. The complete text of the report and information about actions Penn State has taken is available at http://www.dlapiper.com/ncaa_penn_state_report_3/.