More progress made by Penn State on completion of Freeh recommendations

Penn State released today (May 9) another signpost in its ongoing quest to meet most of the 119 recommendations spelled out in the Freeh Report, a document created in the aftermath of the child sexual abuse committed by former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

The recommendations in the report, which identify ways to improve Penn State’s responses in the areas of safety and governance, have been followed carefully by University administrators and members of the Board of Trustees who continue to evaluate and review all areas of the University identified in the report as having some need for improvement. Penn State has already changed or implemented numerous administrative policies and procedures; hired new safety and compliance personnel; restructured the governance of its Board of Trustees; expanded its Office of Human Resources; implemented background checks; expanded legal and risk reporting protocols; and a host of other initiatives all aimed at enhancing operations at the University.

For a complete status update on actions taken, visit http://progress.psu.edu/assets/content/FreehReportUpdateMay2013.pdf.

The Freeh Report was produced by independent law firm Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan, which was hired in November 2011 and investigated the University's response to the allegations against Sandusky. The group was led by former FBI director and federal Judge Louis Freeh.

Topics: freeh report, freeh report advisory council, the freeh report

Penn State Trustees approve changes to impact governance of University

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Board of Trustees adopted structural changes to their governance and oversight procedures today (May 3), as recommended by the Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning, taking suggestions from the Pennsylvania Auditor General, the Middle States Accreditation Commission and the Freeh Group.

“This review is, in fact, a work in progress. The charter, bylaws and standing orders of the University are not static, nor are they intended to be,” said James Broadhurst, the committee chair. “In fact, we’ve made revisions or changes to those documents more than 20 times in the past 12 years.”

Broadhurst discussed the most significant newly adopted reforms, most of which were spelled out at the March Trustees meeting during the committee’s public session:

— The governor of Pennsylvania and president of the University now serve as ex officio non-voting members of the board. Previously, both had voting rights.
— The president no longer holds the positions of secretary of the board; the secretary will now be an elected position.
— Three-year term limits were extended from elected trustees, to all trustees (appointed and elected) other than ex officio members. Term limits for Trustees (other than ex officio Trustees) will be 12 consecutive years, effective with terms beginning July 1, 2013, or after.
— The number of voting Trustees is reduced to 30: nine trustees are elected by alumni; six trustees are appointed by the governor; six trustees are elected by organized agricultural societies in the state; six trustees represent business and industry endeavors and are elected by the Board of Trustees; and three trustees are ex-officio members that include the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources of the Commonwealth.
— Previously, the provision for term limits did not apply to the chair or vice chair of the board, but that exception was removed for the vice chair position.
— The waiting period for former University employees to serve on the board was extended from three to five years.
— There is now a five-year waiting period for Commonwealth “row officers” to become trustees.
— A section describing the necessary process for the removal of a trustee, if need be, was added.
— The quorum requirement was modified from 13 to a majority of the voting members.
— Selection of the Executive Committee (comprised of 13 members) is now specified to chairs of each of the newly formed six standing committees, the chair and vice chair of the board, the chair of the Board of Directors of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, the immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees and three at-large members nominated by the Governance and Long-Range Planning Committee and elected by the Board of Trustees.

— The board also strengthened its comprehensive conflict of interest policy.
Broadhurst noted that the board implemented other changes in the past year, including the expansion of the committee structure from three to six standing committees plus the Executive Committee, as well as four subcommittees; refinements of term limits; increased constituent representation at committee meetings, including faculty, staff and students; opportunities for public comment at the meetings and an established hotline so anyone can communicate with the board; and hiring a University director of Ethics and Compliance with a dual-reporting relationship to the Board of Trustees and the senior vice president for Finance and Business.

“With these collective changes, practically all of the auditor general’s recommendations and to the extent they relate to the organizational documents, the Freeh Group’s recommendations, have been dealt with in whole or in part,” Broadhurst said.

The Board of Trustees website at psu.edu/trustees has full details of the Charter, Bylaws and Standing Orders.

Topics: administration, board of trustees

Employee training for child abuse prevention and reporting now online

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State's professional program designed to help individuals recognize and report suspected child abuse is now available online for University employees.

Approximately 3,500 employees have completed the "Reporting Child Abuse" program since it went live on Feb. 28. In addition, more than 11,000 people also have completed Penn State's face-to-face training for identifying and preventing abuse.

Last spring, Penn State finalized a new administrative policy,  AD-72, "Reporting Suspected Child Abuse," to provide guidance to University employees regarding mandated reporting requirements according to the University and the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law. The policy requires that all University employees complete the training each calendar year.

Currently the online training is available for University employees only, noted Susan Cromwell, director of workplace learning and performance in Penn State's Office of Human Resources. Training availability will be expanded to include volunteers and students by the end of May. “In the interim we will continue to offer live training for these groups until all training is online,” she said.

Once fully implemented, the online program will replace the live, face-to-face training. However, face-to-face sessions can still be requested and used in specialized circumstances, noted Susan Basso, vice president for Human Resources.

More than 11,000 authorized adults -- employees or volunteers who have responsibility for minors -- have completed face-to-face training. The University began live sessions last April to address an immediate need to train authorized adults who would be working with children at numerous summer camps and workshops at University Park and other Penn State campuses across the Commonwealth.

According to Cromwell, the online format greatly simplifies delivery of the training.

"It's much more accessible," she said. "Employees, volunteers and students will be able to take the training at their convenience, and we can accurately track all individuals who have been trained. Also, if the law or information changes at any time, we can easily make updates."

The program is part of Penn State's initiative to help ensure a safe community for children, with the goal of educating the University community about child abuse and reporting. The program is intended to move people from not only awareness of the issue but toward having the confidence to take action, Basso said.

The training is required for all University employees at every campus location, with the exception of Penn State Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine, University Health Services and the client representation clinics of the Dickinson School of Law. Each of those units follow the policies and training appropriate to its own unique activities.

Topics: progress, administration, human resources

Penn State continues work toward meeting Freeh recommendations

The University today (March 26) provided another update on the progress being made in meeting most of the 119 recommendations spelled out in a report by the Freeh Group, a consultant group hired in November 2011 to conduct an independent investigation of the University's response to allegations of sexual abuse committed by former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. 

Led by former FBI director and federal Judge Louis Freeh, the investigation identified 119 recommendations to improve Penn State's responses in the areas of safety and governance. To date, the University has implemented a majority of those recommendations, with a substantial portion being completed or in the works. The University intends to have all appropriate Freeh recommendations completed by the end of 2013.

Penn State officials have posted a complete status update here that provides changes and steps forward through March 21, 2013. Currently, 70.5 percent of the recommendations made by Judge Freeh have been accomplished. This includes recommendations that are categorized as “Ongoing/Continuous,” indicating that the University’s response and management of such matters will be ongoing.

Topics: administration, freeh, sandusky, freeh report, progress

University responds to Sandusky segment on Today show

The NBC TODAY show Monday (March 25) aired portions of a telephone interview from prison with former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted in June 2012 on 45 counts of child sexual abuse and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in solitary confinement. The University has issued the following statement in reaction to the Today show segment:

"Jerry Sandusky's statements today continue to open wounds for his victims, and the victims of child sexual abuse everywhere. We have tremendous respect for the men who came forward to tell their stories publicly. Penn State continues to take important steps, including the training of over 11,000 employees and volunteers on how to recognize and report suspected child abuse."

Topics: jerry sandusky

Becker named as first director of University ethics and compliance

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Following a national search, Penn State has named Regis W. Becker as its first director of University ethics and compliance. In this role, he will oversee all compliance issues throughout the University and develop Penn State's first comprehensive program of institutional ethics.

Becker will report to the Legal and Compliance Committee of the Board of Trustees and to David Gray, senior vice president for finance and business.

"Regis Becker's range of distinguished experience in corporate compliance, security and law enforcement makes him the ideal person to implement and oversee clear, comprehensive and exemplary principles and procedures for the University," Penn State President Rod Erickson said. "As I noted when announcing this position, Regis will have oversight of compliance with all federal, state and local laws, as well as internal policies and external organization policies, while encouraging the highest ethical standards of conduct for those who represent the University and act on its behalf."

"I believe my capabilities will serve Penn State well as it works to strengthen its overall institutional commitment to integrity and transparency," Becker said. "The experience I have gained throughout my career provides me with a broad practical perspective and an in-depth understanding of the critical role that a robust ethics and compliance program can play in bolstering and sustaining an organization’s culture and values. I look forward to continuing my work as a compliance leader in service to this great institution."

Becker is currently chief compliance officer for PPG Industries, a global Fortune 250 company with headquarters in Pittsburgh. After joining PPG in 1992, Becker advanced through a series of corporate security and risk management roles to earn oversight of all global compliance efforts in 2009. He heads the company’s global ethics and compliance program, with responsibility for developing and updating a global code of ethics, oversight of related training and certification for the company’s nearly 40,000 employees, and supervision of compliance auditing and monitoring efforts. He also manages the company’s crisis response unit, which ensures PPG sets appropriate protocols and follows them to quickly mitigate external and internal threats and events.

His prior experience includes work as an FBI special agent, as a detective in the Allegheny County, Pa., district attorney's white-collar crime unit and as a corporate security director with Union Carbide Corp. and Praxair. A 1978 Penn State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement, Becker earned his juris doctorate from the Duquesne University School of Law in 1983.

Integrity monitor’s report updated; Penn State progress noted

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Sen. George Mitchell, the independent third-party athletics integrity monitor for Penn State, today (March 1) issued his second quarterly report regarding the University's performance under the Athletics Integrity Agreement, which was entered into in August by the University, the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference as part of the consent decree imposed by the NCAA.

“This report continues to evidence Penn State’s ongoing commitment to integrity, responsibility and ethical conduct, as well as the significant progress that Penn State has made and continues to make since July,” said University President Rodney Erickson. “We still have more to do, but we’re gratified that Sen. Mitchell and his team recognize all that we have done and that we are committed to continuing these efforts, in full compliance with the consent decree and the Athletics Integrity Agreement.”

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 all applicable NCAA and Big Ten rules and standards of integrity.Part of these measures called for the recent hire of Julie Del Giorno as Penn State's athletics integrity officer. On an ongoing basis, Del Giorno will be responsible for the development, implementation and oversight of policies and practices within Penn State's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that ensure compliance and ethical conduct.

Sen. 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. Mitchell's 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 on Nov. 30.

The complete text of the report and information about actions Penn State has taken is available at www.dlapiper.com.

Topics: ncaa, athletics integrity agreement

Freeh investigation findings used to improve Penn State operations

In November 2011, the Penn State Board of Trustees appointed former FBI director and federal Judge Louis Freeh to conduct an independent investigation of the University's response to the allegations of sexual abuse committed by former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The goal of this investigation was to uncover facts and identify where failures occurred in the University's governance and compliance structure and to make recommendations to help ensure that such failures never happen again. This was an internal investigation into Penn State's response to the allegations.

It was not within the scope of Judge Freeh's engagement to review the actions, motives or functions of entities outside of our University community. This was an internal investigation into Penn State's response to the allegations, and that is how the University has utilized the report.

As a result of the investigation, 119 recommendations were made to Penn State in areas such as safety and governance. To date, the University has implemented a majority of those recommendations, which are helping to make the University stronger and more accountable. The University intends to implement substantially all of the Freeh recommendations by the end of 2013.

It is understandable and appreciated that people will draw their own conclusions and opinions from the facts uncovered in the Freeh report.

Topics: freeh, bot, board of trustees, judge louis freeh, freeh report

Penn State officials provide update on Freeh report recommendations - Jan. 31

Today Penn State officials provided the latest in a series of ongoing updates on the status of the 119 recommendations made to the University by the Freeh Group. Since the last update, an additional 17 recommendations have been completed. This includes recommendations that are categorized as “Ongoing/Continuous,” indicating that the University’s response and management of such matters will be ongoing.

University officials have previously said they intend to implement the Freeh recommendations by the end of 2013 and the status of completed items to-date shows the commitment to reaching that goal.

A complete update of status and actions Penn State has taken based on the recommendations is available here and will be updated monthly.

Topics: freeh report, freeh report advisory council, president rodney erickson, louis freeh, university policies, board of trustees, freeh matrix

Penn State hiring faculty to advance prevention of child maltreatment

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. -- Penn State will be hiring a dozen new faculty members over the next three years as part of its recently launched Network for Child Protection and Well-Being, with the goal of advancing knowledge, practice, education and outreach to combat child abuse.

As part of its aspiration to be at the forefront of national efforts toward prevention and therapy for child maltreatment, the University has begun a "cluster" hire that will include clinical and research tenure-track faculty members who are focused on the complex and pervasive problem of child maltreatment.

"As a university dedicated to the discovery of knowledge that can address difficult social and human problems, we will hire up to 12 new faculty over the next three years to improve the chances of eradicating these wrongs against children. This academic initiative will build on Penn State's longstanding tradition of interdisciplinary collaboration and excellence in the area of children, youth and families," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "The child maltreatment field is extremely small and within that discipline, the research into child sexual abuse is even smaller. Penn State can make a significant contribution by helping to educate the next generation of researchers and clinicians about working together to address this challenging problem.”

Erickson said the goal of the new hires is to not only bring new expertise to the University, but to also spur existing faculty to think about their own research and its implications for child maltreatment. Penn State already counts among its ranks at least 400 faculty members whose research, teaching and service focus on the well-being and development of children and youth. The newly hired faculty are expected to connect with existing University researchers to draw on their expertise in areas such as prevention, research methods and statistics, neuroscience, and family dynamics to advance knowledge in child maltreatment. The work of the whole will serve as a catalyst for faculty to incorporate study of child maltreatment into their ongoing research programs.

"Researchers across Penn State can be a part of national and international efforts aimed at combating child maltreatment," said Susan McHale, director of the Children, Youth and Families Consortium (CYFC), a unit within the University’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI).

In fact, the CYFC with the 400-plus faculty members will serve as the umbrella organization, linking faculty and their collaborative activities within various units and disciplines as part of the Network for Child Protection and Well-Being. Network faculty will be focused on generating new knowledge about child abuse in all of its forms, including creating evidence-based prevention and therapy approaches.

The proposal for forming the University-wide Network was developed by the Presidential Task Force on Child Maltreatment. Charged by President Erickson in December 2011, the Task Force was comprised of 35 faculty members from colleges and schools across the University.

McHale, who coordinates the Network, said that Penn State has a longstanding tradition of excellence of research, teaching, clinical practice and outreach focused on children, youth and families. The Network is designed to build on the strengths of four Centers of Excellence in Children, Youth and Families at Penn State: The Child Study Center in the College of the Liberal Arts; The Center for the Protection of Children in the College of Medicine; The Prevention Research Center in the College of Health and Human Development; and the Center for Children and the Law at the Dickinson School of Law. Faculty members who join Penn State as part of the Network cluster hire will be affiliated with one or more of these centers.

"Penn State has a solid foundation of research and practice in child behavior, health and development. But to advance Penn State's capacity we need more researchers and clinicians whose primary focus is on child maltreatment, " said Benjamin Levi, director of the Penn State Hershey Center for the Protection of Children, a part of Penn State Hershey's Children's Hospital.

"We are in an excellent position to build upon Penn State's existing faculty expertise for how to intervene with parents at risk for mistreating their children; identifying protective factors that reduce the risk of child abuse; and developing and implementing sustainable, evidence-based strategies for detection, diagnosis, prevention and therapy for children who have suffered maltreatment," Levi said. A professor of pediatrics and humanities at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine. Levi became director of the Center for the Protection of Children in August.

Network coordinator McHale said possible growth opportunities within the Network include fellowships in child abuse; educational opportunities for Penn State students, including new courses and programs of study, as well as internships; and the ability through clinical work and outreach to put new knowledge to work in community settings.

"We will work hard to make all of our efforts useful to community members and institutions," McHale said. "Our research and practices must be informed by community needs and by community partners if we are ever going to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children."

More information on the Network on Child Protection and Well-Being can be found at http://www.ssri.psu.edu/thenetwork online.

Penn State names athletics integrity officer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Julie Del Giorno, chief of staff at Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pa., has been named athletics integrity officer at Penn State. Del Giorno, whose position has been newly created, will be responsible for the development, implementation and oversight of policies and practices within the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that ensure compliance and ethical conduct. She will begin work on a part-time basis in March and will commence full-time work in her position on April 1.

"Julie is an outstanding choice for this position," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "As she begins her work here at Penn State, she will draw on more than two decades of experience in higher education and the U.S. military. Her track record of success in athletics oversight and operations, student affairs, logistics and institutional planning has given her valuable experience that will serve the University well."

Del Giorno’s position was created as part of the University’s work to fulfill the requirements of the Athletics Integrity Agreement entered into in August 2012 among the NCAA, the Big Ten and Penn State. The position will be in addition to the compliance officer already working within Intercollegiate Athletics. Del Giorno will oversee compliance with obligations of integrity, civility, ethics and institutional control. The position is expected to report to the University-wide chief compliance officer, a position currently being filled by the University.

Beginning in 2006, Del Giorno served as the senior administrator with athletic oversight for the Moravian College NCAA Division III Intercollegiate Athletics program, working to ensure compliance with NCAA rules and related institutional standards. She also served as the college’s chief of staff, with responsibilities for implementing administrative initiatives across the organization, as liaison to the Board of Trustees and served as the college’s Title IX coordinator, among other duties.

"I am honored and humbled to be selected to serve as the first ever athletics integrity officer at Penn State," Del Giorno said. "I will commit myself fully to the position and will work diligently to ensure that policies, procedures and practices are developed and implemented that will ensure Penn State’s compliance with the requirements set forth in the Athletics Integrity Agreement. I look forward to working in partnership with members of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, to include student-athletes, and with members of the faculty and staff on this critical work."

Previous to her time at Moravian College, Del Giorno served as interim vice president for student affairs at East Stroudsburg University, in East Stroudsburg, Pa., where she was responsible for providing leadership and guidance to the Division of Student Affairs and its programs. Also at East Stroudsburg, DelGiorno served as assistant to the president and academic coordinator for Intercollegiate Athletics.

She has held coaching positions at the University of Central Arkansas, and coaching and administrative positions at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. From 1986 to 1995, Del Giorno served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, including tours of duty during combat operations in the Persian Gulf War and in Somalia. She is a recipient of the U.S. Army’s Bronze Star Medal.

She earned a master of business administration degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 1998; a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy in 1986; and is a 2000 graduate of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) / Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Institute for Administrative Advancement.

She maintains professional associations with the NACWAA and the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education (NAPAHE).

Topics: athletics integrity agreement

Penn State Trustees to undertake governance review

Discussions about changes in the governance of Penn State were part of both committee meetings and the regular meeting of the University’s Board of Trustees on Jan. 17 and 18 on the University Park campus. James Broadhurst, chairman of the Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning for the board, made the following statement in relation to recommendations for enhancing governance:

"As part of an ongoing effort to improve governance, the Board of Trustees has been considering reforms to strengthen its ability to act as stewards of the University. In addition to internal deliberations and review, the board has heard from several stakeholders and outside experts on best practices for governance. Trustees take all of these insights very seriously and appreciate a collaborative point of view.

As directed by the chairman of the Board, the Governance Committee is conducting a comprehensive review of these insights and then, over the course of the next two board meetings, will develop a specific set of reform recommendations to present to the Board of Trustees for action. These recommendations will be made public at that time.

The Governance Committee and the entire Board of Trustees recognize the need for meaningful reform and are committed to establishing a structure that addresses the needs of our students, faculty, staff and alumni."

University issues statement regarding state’s lawsuit against NCAA

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett today (Jan. 2) announced the filing of a federal lawsuit by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania against the NCAA over its sanctions against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. Penn State is not a party to the lawsuit and has not been involved in its preparation or filing.
 
University officials said, "The University is committed to full compliance with the Consent Decree, the Athletics Integrity Agreement and, as appropriate, the implementation of the Freeh report recommendations. We look forward to continuing to work with Sen. George Mitchell as the athletic integrity monitor for complete fulfillment of the Athletics Integrity Agreement.  We recognize the important role that intercollegiate athletics provides for our student athletes and the wider University community.  Penn State continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to excellence and integrity in all aspects of our University and continues to be a world-class educational institution of which our students, faculty, staff and alumni can be justifiably proud."

Topics: tom corbett, ncaa, ncaa lawsuit, jerry sandusky, consent decree

Penn State Continues Settlement Process with Feinberg Rozen

The University announced today, December 21, 2012, that the settlement process initiated by the University with the assistance of Kenneth R. Feinberg and Michael K. Rozen would continue into 2013. “This is a highly complex and sensitive matter that we are committed to completing in a fair, responsible and timely manner” said President Rodney A. Erickson. “We are pleased with the progress so far and remain hopeful that the process will result in settlement of many of the civil cases so that the victims will not have to be drawn through the legal process.”
 
“Michael and I are encouraged by the constructive dialogue that we have had with various Penn State representatives and lawyers involved in these cases,” said Feinberg. “We look forward to continuing our efforts to help the parties reach a mutually satisfactory resolution of the claims.”
 
Further discussions among the parties and Feinberg Rozen are scheduled for January.

Topics: president rodey erickson, kenneth r. feinberg, michael k. rozen, feinberg rozen, llp, settlement

Penn State Sets Aside First Payment of NCAA Fine

Today (Dec. 20), at the NCAA’s request, Penn State set aside the first $12 million installment of the $60 million fine imposed by the NCAA into a money market account. The deposit into the account will allow sufficient time for the NCAA’s Child Sexual Abuse Endowment Task Force to develop policy recommendations that will govern the structure and operational philosophies of the endowment to be created related to the Consent Decree. The Child Sexual Abuse Endowment Task Force, chaired by University of California-Riverside Chancellor Tim White, will choose a third-party administrator sometime this spring, which will be responsible for the long-term management of the endowment, including the awarding of dollars to programs through the life of the endowment.

This first payment was made by the Athletics Department through an internal loan from the University’s reserves and carries an interest rate of 4 percent for 30 years.  Interest rates and loan durations for the future payments to the endowment will not be determined until each payment is made year-by-year, and will based on interest rates in effect at the time of disbursement and other conditions.

The actual transfer of funds from the University to the endowment is expected to occur in the first half of 2013.

The Task Force will decide how the endowment is structured, develop philosophies for allocation of funds and create policies for investment and distribution of benefits.  The Task Force will also consider reporting and accountability standards.  

Penn State has heard from a number of organizations and survivors of sexual abuse who have expressed their support for the positive impact this endowment will have and ideas on how the funds can be used to benefit children in Pennsylvania and across the country.  At least 25 percent of the annual disbursements will be used solely to benefit qualifying organizations in Pennsylvania and in-state organizations will receive the first round of funding released by the endowment.

Topics: ncaa, child sexual abuse endowment task force, tim white

Compliance concerns hotline, website always open

The University community is reminded that concerns related to financial, human resources, athletics, research and affirmative action issues can be filed anonymously 24 hours a day, seven days a week to Compliance Concepts Inc. (CCI) at 800-560-1637 or www.mycompliancereport.com/brand/psu.

Notifications of reports received by CCI are sent to the University's Office of Internal Audit for review. Financial matters are investigated by the Office of Internal Audit, and non-financial matters are directed to the appropriate University department for action. Included in the area of athletic issues are matters related to the Athletics Integrity Agreement and any of the areas listed in that agreement with respect to Athletic Department policies and procedure, NCAA constitution and bylaws, the Big Ten handbook, and matters related to the principles regarding institutional control, responsibility, ethical conduct and integrity. This system also allows for University personnel investigating the concern to ask questions of the person making the report. All reports are thoroughly investigated until there is a final resolution and resolutions are issued through CCI's secure online system.

The use of CCI's services allows for the anonymity of the individual reporting the concerns to maintain an ethical workplace without fear of retaliation. At the same time, it allows the pertinent details of the concern to be fully investigated by the University and corrective action to be taken if needed. Individuals are assigned a unique code that will allow them to follow up to determine the outcome of their concern or to provide additional information if they choose to do so.

Topics: compliance report

NCAA task force sets timeline for endowment fund

The task force charged by the NCAA to set up policies for the endowment being created from the $60 million NCAA-imposed fine against Penn State met Dec. 3 and reports that an administrator of the fund will be selected by spring.

At the NCAA’s request, Penn State will set aside the first $12 million installment of the fine on Dec. 20 in a money market account to allow sufficient time for the task force to develop policy recommendations that will govern the endowment’s structure and operational philosophies.

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 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.

For more information from the NCAA about the Dec. 3 meeting and progress made, visit http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2012/december/task+force+sets+timeline+for+endowment+fund or go to http://live.psu.edu/story/63118.

Topics: consent decree, ncaa, ncaa task force

Monitor announces delivery of first quarterly report to Penn State, the NCAA and the Big Ten Conf.

Senator George J. Mitchell and his law firm, DLA Piper LLP (US), announced that today he has delivered his first quarterly report as the independent athletics integrity monitor under the athletics integrity agreement dated August 28, 2012 among The Pennsylvania State University, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the Big Ten Conference.

The first report describes Penn State’s progress during the initial 90-day period under the AIA in implementing both the integrity program required by the AIA and recommendations for reform that were set forth in the July 2012 report by Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan LLP.  The Freeh report concerned allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Gerald A. Sandusky, a former assistant football coach at Penn State.  The monitor’s report concludes that Penn State has made significant progress in implementing the required reforms during this initial period while also recognizing that much work remains to be done.

“Based on our work to date,” Senator Mitchell said, “Penn State’s Board of Trustees and its administration appear determined to implement, swiftly and in good faith, the recommendations for reform that were identified in the Freeh report and to fulfill the commitments that the University made in the AIA.  Penn State has dedicated substantial time and resources to accomplishing these objectives.  It is too soon to judge the ultimate result.  But I believe that Penn State is off to a very good start.”

“The University also has demonstrated a commitment as an institution to addressing the grave problem of child abuse that the Sandusky case laid bare,” Senator Mitchell continued.  “There appears to be unanimity within the Penn State community that one outcome of this tragedy should be greater awareness of the prevalence of child abuse in society generally and the devotion of more University resources to prevent it where Penn State can play a role in doing so.”

The AIA implements provisions of the binding consent decree issued by the NCAA against Penn State on July 23, 2012.  Senator Mitchell was named the independent athletics integrity monitor after the consent decree was finalized.  The monitor performs an independent role and is not an agent of Penn State, the NCAA, or the Big Ten Conference.  The AIA contemplates that the monitor will serve for a term of five years, but that term can be extended or shortened by the NCAA.  The monitor will provide quarterly written reports to Penn State, the NCAA, and the Big Ten Conference during his tenure.

Senator Mitchell is the chairman emeritus of DLA Piper, an international business law firm with 4,200 lawyers practicing in 31 countries and 77 offices throughout the Americas, UK, continental Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

Topics: george mitchell, freeh report, senator mitchell, board of trustees, dla piper

Penn State announces 2011 compensation for former president Spanier

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State today (Nov. 28) released details of former President Graham Spanier’s compensation for calendar year 2011, including a severance package established in his earlier employment agreement and triggered by his removal from office on Nov. 9, 2011.

The University reported total taxable income for Spanier of $3,255,762 in 2011.  This includes his $700,000 annual salary; and $82,557 of taxable benefits, as well as non-recurring compensation of $2,473,205 that Spanier was contractually entitled to under the terms of his 2010 employment agreement. Such non-recurring compensation includes contractually entitled severance payments of $1,225,000 and $1,248,205 of deferred compensation earned over Spanier's 16-plus years as University president.  Actual payment of the net amount of the deferred compensation after required tax withholdings ($860,637) will be deferred until June 2017.

The severance package also will be included in information provided in the University’s Right to Know form to be filed with the state in May 2013.

Penn State officials provide update on Freeh report recommendations

Penn State officials today provided the second update on the 119 recommendations made to the University in a report by the Freeh Group, noting that more than one-half of the recommendations have been completed to date. The number of completed recommendations includes several that are categorized as “Ongoing/Continuous,” signifying that by their nature, the University’s response to such recommendations will be ongoing.

“We continue to make great progress in assessing and implementing the Freeh report recommendations,” said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. “I’m pleased with the strong collaboration that has been demonstrated across all of our departments and proud that in just four months, we have been able to complete half of the recommendations.”

The 119 Freeh recommendations were made as a result of an independent internal investigation performed by Louis Freeh in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal of former retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The recommendations are intended to strengthen University policies and performance in areas such as safety and governance. As officials have previously noted, each of the recommendations has been assigned to one or more individuals within the University administration for review, analysis and possible implementation, and each area will receive oversight and progress monitoring by one of the standing committees of the Board of Trustees. University officials have said they intend to implement the Freeh recommendations by the end of 2013.

A complete update of status and actions Penn State has taken based on the recommendations is available here and will be updated monthly.
 

Topics: freeh report, freeh report advisory council, president rodney erickson, louis freeh, university policies, board of trustees, freeh matrix

Penn State takes action to exceed Clery Act requirements

Penn State’s Clery compliance coordinator, Gabriel Gates, said the University “strives to exceed the requirements of the Clery Act,” a federal law related to campus safety, during a presentation today (Nov. 16) to the Board of Trustees.

“We aim to build a higher education community standard of excellence,” Gates said about his work providing administrative and advisory support to senior management and the University-wide community. “We attempt to create an open and proactive forum that will raise awareness of campus safety initiatives and crime prevention techniques.”

The Clery Act requires all higher education institutions in the country to disclose certain information about campus crime and security policies. This includes issuing campus alerts, publishing annual security reports, disclosing missing student protocols, maintaining a daily crime log and a daily fire log, and publishing an annual fire report, Gates said.

As coordinator for Clery compliance on all of Penn State’s campuses, Gates collaborates with various offices across the University to develop and implement strategies to ensure adherence to the 1990 law. The law is aimed at providing students, parents and the public access to safety information, as well as educating and training the university community and instituting policies that enhance safety and security.

Gates is meeting these Clery goals by developing relationships with the two leading Clery Act organizations in the country – the Clery Center for Security on Campus in Wayne, Pa., and Margolis Healy & Associates in Richmond, Va., a professional services firm specializing in campus security. As Clery coordinator, Gates has launched a Clery Act training program at Penn State and increased awareness of the law’s requirements. He is working on standardizing reporting procedures and guidelines and establishing accountability by providing resources that will improve safety and security oversight.

“Our holistic approach will become a benchmark for other institutions,” Gates told the Trustees.

To read Penn State’s Annual Security Report, visit http://www.police.psu.edu/cleryact/documents/UniversityParkPolicySafetyU2012.pdf.

Topics: gabriel gates, clery compliance coordinator, clery act, annual security report

Board approves athletics code of conduct

Penn State’s Board of Trustees today (Nov. 16) approved a code of conduct for intercollegiate athletics, as required by the Athletics Integrity Agreement entered into by the University, the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference as part of the consent decree imposed by the NCAA and accepted by the University. The code brings together policies and procedures that already in place at the University.

The code of conduct applies to all coaches, managers and student-athletes of NCAA-sanctioned Division I intercollegiate athletics teams; University employees directly involved with intercollegiate athletics teams; the University Board of Trustees; the President of the University; and all members of the athletic director’s executive committee.

The purpose of the code “is to serve as a guidepost to direct the ethical bearing of the athletics department.” It was drafted to reflect the athletics department’s mission, vision and core values of integrity, respect and honor, as well as the Penn State Principles, a document shared with the entire University community that spells out the values that Penn State embraces.

All covered individuals under the code must comply with University policies and procedures; the Intercollegiate Athletics Policy Manual; applicable NCAA constitution and bylaws and Big Ten Handbook; and all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Additionally, all those covered by the code must report through designated methods suspected violations of policies and rules.

In addition, the code of conduct requires student-athletes to adhere to the University’s Student Code of Conduct and team rules established by the head coach.

The code states that coaches and managers will not have any hiring or supervisory role with regard to academic support staff, nor apply pressure to faculty or any member of the academic support staff on behalf of a student-athlete. They also may not play a role in hiring or supervising, or apply pressure to, compliance staff. While coaches may recommend qualified student-athletes for admission, they may not attempt to pressure admissions staff to admit an applicant.

Coaches and athletics department administrators and staff must “give full and active support to the educational aims of the University, cooperate fully in support of the faculty on eligibility requirements and insist that all student-athletes fulfill the same academic requirements as all other students at the University,” according to the code of conduct.

Individually and collectively, the Board of Trustees, according to the code, also must adhere to the board’s charter, bylaws and standing orders. Board members shall also “fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to oversee the implementation of the Athletics Department’s policies and procedures, and to uphold the integrity of the intercollegiate athletics program and its alignment with the academic mission of Penn State.”

The code of conduct additionally provides that the president of the University must adhere to NCAA Bylaws, Article 22.2.1.1(b), which states that the University president “is assigned ultimate responsibility and authority for the operation, fiscal integrity and personnel of the athletics program.”

The president also will communicate to the Board of Trustees regarding the integrity of the athletics program, the ethical conduct of individuals covered by the code of conduct and the president’s fulfillment of related responsibilities. With input from faculty, the president must uphold academic and eligibility standards reflecting Penn State’s high academic values and vision.

The code of conduct includes the strict non-retaliation and non-retribution policy of the University and the athletics department for anyone who takes action he or she believes necessary to uphold or enforce compliance with the code of conduct and applicable rules, regulations, laws and principles.

Topics: code of conduct

Penn State’s accreditation reaffirmed, University now off warning list

Penn State is in full compliance with all accreditation requirements, according to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which has lifted its 'warning' and Thursday (Nov. 15) reaffirmed the University's accreditation.

While Penn State's accreditation always remained intact, the University was put on warning by MSCHE on Aug. 8, based on the fallout from the sexual abuse scandal involving retired former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

"When notified of the warning we were confident we could verify our ongoing commitment to integrity, stable leadership and financial security -- the areas that Middle States had questioned. I'm grateful that these areas of strength have now been validated by Middle States," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "While the excellence of our educational programs was never in question, it is reassuring that Middle States continues to recognize Penn State as a world-class academic institution that is stepping up to meet its current challenges."

In reaffirming Penn State's accreditation, the commission requested a monitoring report, due Nov. 1, 2013, documenting the University's continued progress in implementing leadership and governance reforms, and in addressing financial obligations related to the current situation.

Middle States evaluators visited the University in mid-October. Led by William E. "Brit" Kirwan, chancellor for the University System of Maryland, the evaluating team determined that Penn State is responding appropriately to the leadership, governance and financial challenges created by the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. The evaluation team's report states it is "impressed by the degree to which Penn State has risen, as a strong campus community, to the sad events that led to its placement on 'warning' status by the MSCHE." It also said Penn State's process to respond to the Freeh recommendations has been "thorough, inclusive, systematic and timely."

The Middle States site-visit report said that Penn State meets all quality standards for accreditation, commending the University's resilience, fiscal stability and rapid change in the face of numerous challenges.

The commission's notification in August followed the release of the Freeh Report and $60 million in fines and sanctions levied by the NCAA. The Freeh Report, the result of an independent internal investigation, made 119 recommendations to strengthen University policies and performance in areas such as safety and governance.

The evaluators also commended the entire Penn State community for "its response to tragic events in a way that, to date, has emphasized unity and positive change over recrimination."

The commission also examined the University's capacity and plans for addressing financial obligations related to not only the sanctions, but also potential lawsuits from victims and other costs associated with the scandal. To date, the University has expended more than $20 million on the Freeh study and other related costs.

"It is fortunate that Penn State has been fiscally conservative for a number of years -- the institution's fiscal stability is supported as well by Penn State's continuing success in securing external research support and in private fundraising, as well as by the University's ongoing ability to attract a strong pool of student applicants, none of which appears to have been impacted negatively by the events of the last year," the report stated.

The evaluation team also noted that Penn State has broad insurance coverage that should provide a source of funding for much of the costs associated with settling lawsuits and related costs.

"Since August, we have worked vigorously to document all that we have done and are doing to meet the Freeh recommendations and the standards of the MSCHE," said Erickson. "Currently, we are nearly half of the way through responding to and addressing those 119 recommendations."

Other notable areas of the team evaluation that impacted the commission's decision were:

• Swift changes made in leadership positions both within the Board of Trustees and among key administrative officers;
• Changes to Board structure and processes;
• Efforts to increase awareness of child abuse and sexual assault across the University;
• The creation of new positions to ensure campus knowledge of and compliance with laws and regulations; and
• The development and revision of numerous policies to address concerns related to integrity.

For more information on the Middle States process and recent actions relative to the University, visit http://www.psu.edu/vpaa/accreditation.htm online.

Topics: accreditation, msche, president rodney erickson, middle states commission on higher education

Penn State President Rodney Erickson addresses the National Press Club

Penn State President Rodney Erickson provided a status report on the state of the University and a look into the future of higher education in a major speech today (Nov. 2) to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

As part of the club's Speakers Luncheon Series, Erickson highlighted what the University has learned from the child sex abuse scandal, reforms it has put in place, and its ongoing commitment to its core mission of teaching, research and service. Following is the full text of Erickson's speech.

Erickson’s speech follows the University’s Oct. 29-30 conference on child sexual abuse, which brought together some of the nation’s top experts in child sexual abuse research, prevention, and treatment, as well as survivors, for a forum on this national challenge.

Following is the full text of Erickson's speech.

To view video excerpts of the speech please go to Penn State's YouTube channel at the following links:

• Penn State Resolves to Fight Child Abuse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUYgrcBL0Ak

• Penn State People, Progress and Moving Forward http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6aLADKT0LU

• Recognizing the Achievements of Penn Staters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSDq2bL_TYg

• Preparing Penn State for the Future http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEZpujweKZc

• President Rodney Erickson Addresses the National Press Club (full length) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIs7oiztqds

Rodney A. Erickson
National Press Club
November 2, 2012

Thank you, President Werner, for your kind introduction, as well as your flexibility in rescheduling this event, given the weather challenges of this week.

I’m honored to be here, and I appreciate your interest in Penn State and higher education. A special welcome to all of the Penn Staters here, along with those of you covering education issues. We need your continued engagement. Again, thank you for joining us.

According to Google News, there are over 45,000 stories about Penn State and Sandusky. You’ve written them. You’ve read them. And I imagine that most of you have formed an opinion about Penn State and our actions over the last year.

But beyond the headlines, there’s another reality…one that exists for Penn State’s 96,000 students, 44,000 full- and part-time faculty and staff, and over 550,000 living alumni. It’s a world of teaching, research and service. It’s a world with an $800 million research program, hundreds of degrees offered, 24 campuses, an online World Campus, an academic health center, a law school, and 157 years of tradition. It’s also a world that has continued to face ongoing controversy surrounding Jerry Sandusky, our Board of Trustees, current and former administrators, and me. The legal process continues to unfold as evidenced by the Attorney General’s further charges leveled yesterday.

Today, I want to tell you something about my world -- with the realities of running an institution the size and scope of Penn State, while dealing with widely divergent perceptions. I want to share the many wonderful activities and accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff over this agonizing year. By any reasonable definition, they are newsworthy stories. But I understand that you may not be willing to listen to them until we show you how this year has changed us.

What have we learned about ourselves? And what are we trying to do with that knowledge?

I will speak candidly about how the last year has affected Penn State, and how the impact has gone beyond Central Pennsylvania to shape policies at colleges and universities across the nation. Then I’ll share our strategies for the year ahead.

To begin, let me take you back to last year when Penn State received the repugnant news that a former assistant coach had molested young boys, in some instances on our campus.

Immediately, as they did with all of you, our thoughts turned to the victims of these horrific crimes. And, in the days that followed, we saw the removal of the senior leaders of our university and athletic program, including the popular president and iconic football coach.

At the time, I was serving as the executive vice president and provost, a position I have often called the best job in higher education. My retirement was within my sights.

When the Board of Trustees asked me to serve as president, I accepted, knowing full well that the months ahead would explore uncharted territory for our university. Many times I’ve been asked, “Why did you say yes?!”

The answer has never changed. I’ve devoted 35 years of my professional life to Penn State. My children attended Penn State. I believe deeply in our mission and our ability to contribute to the greater good. I knew I needed to step up and serve. I also knew that Penn State is a great university that will endure as it has always endured, will recover, and will continue to advance teaching, research and service.

In those early weeks, I heard from Penn State’s many constituents -- through more than 5,000 emails and letters, and hundreds of phone calls and personal contacts. People were shocked, upset, concerned, disappointed and yet supportive of our university.

Meanwhile, as the story played out in the media, in alumni circles, and in every corner of our campuses, voices that had remained silent for many years began to speak up. Victims of child abuse wrote to my office.

These individuals were abused by family members and acquaintances; indeed, only 10 percent of sexual abuse is perpetrated by a stranger. They were part of the chilling estimates -- one in five girls and one in 10 boys are sexually abused by the age of 18. The majority of those victims will never tell anyone -- even if they’ve been asked.

The letters were powerful, expressing the bottled up pain, shame and struggles these individuals have lived with over the years.

For some, this was the first time they had shared their story. Another has written regularly and met with some of my top administrators to collaborate on ways to help victims of child sexual abuse.

I found these stories to be heartbreaking, but I also found hope in them. Those who wrote were entrusting their stories to us, and more importantly, they were looking to us to help tackle what is an insidious, hidden and epidemic issue. They still believed in our capabilities, even as we wrestled with our own despair about what had happened.

Their issue became our issue, and we resolved to move forward by using all that is right about Penn State to take on this nationwide problem of child abuse.

And we resolved to do it by doing what we do best, that is teaching, research and service. Beyond that, we have something even more powerful -- our student body.

Within the first days of the crisis, it became clear that the students weren’t going to wait for us to lead them; they were moving forward with unity and a constructive energy that is inspiring to us.

Here are just two quick examples:

By the end of the first week, student leaders had organized a candlelight vigil on the Old Main lawn to show support for the victims of child sexual abuse. Thousands of Penn State students and community members joined together in the stillness of a cold, dark night to remind others that -- at the core of the issue we faced -- were children who had been gravely harmed.

The following week, graduate students Laura March and Stuart Shapiro helped mobilize the Penn State community with the goal of raising awareness and funds for combating child abuse. Working with a tight timeline -- right before the Nittany Lions were to play their first football game in the aftermath of this tragedy -- Laura and Stuart organized the first annual Blue Out, to represent the color of ribbons worn in support of child abuse awareness. This year was the second annual “Blue Out.” Together, they raised $126,000 for Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. Laura and Stuart, please stand for a moment to be recognized. Thank you.

Penn State alumni have also shown their support, raising nearly $550,000 for RAINN, the country’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

Those are just a few examples of many acts -- large and small -- that were organized and carried out by Penn Staters.

What’s more, students continue to respond to the crisis, while still doing the things Penn State students have always loved to do: study and learn, participate in clubs and activities, make friends, look forward to the future, and cheer on 800-plus student-athletes in 31 varsity sports, including a football team, I might add, whose performance on and off the field has made us proud.

As administrators, we tried to balance the need to move ahead with the need to reflect on, and correct, the underlying issues that brought us to the crisis in the first place.

The trustees began by asking former FBI director Louis Freeh to lead an independent investigation, which yielded 119 recommendations on how to enhance our internal policies and practices. We’ve already implemented more than one-third of these recommendations, and many more are nearing completion. We remain committed to this progress because we believe it’s making us a better, stronger university.

And we’re committed to the fight against child abuse.

Central to this effort is the newly established Center for the Protection of Children based at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, and our ongoing partnership with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.

Earlier this week we completed the first Penn State National Conference on Child Sexual Abuse. This forum brought together leaders and experts from law enforcement, pediatric medicine, prevention research, and education.

We formed the Penn State Network for Child Protection and Well-Being, comprised of 35 faculty members with interdisciplinary expertise. The aim is to accelerate the pace of discovery by linking research and practice, and to build the Network with additional researchers, practitioners and teachers.

Dr. Susan McHale, Director of the Social Science Research Institute, and one of the co-organizers of the Network is here today. Susan, can you please stand to be recognized? Thank you.

We also made a pledge to educate our university community about ethics.

It’s one thing to know the rules, regulations and policies; it’s another thing to create a culture where every employee wants to do the right thing, and feels encouraged to report wrong-doing wherever it may be. Through training and awareness-building efforts, we’re trying to help people understand the how, when, where and why of reporting. I assure you that Penn State takes this commitment very seriously.

That’s not a glib promise. To prove it, we have stepped up our efforts in compliance.

Like most universities, Penn State has dozens of compliance professionals.

They’re responsible for ensuring research funds are appropriately used; they monitor our NCAA compliance, our financial reporting, conformity to federal laws covering privacy rights and crime reporting; and they administer many more regulations related to the health, welfare and safety of those on our campuses, including our patients.

What we discovered, however, is that despite our staffing, there were gaps in the system, and we lacked a central compliance office where these efforts can be coordinated.

We have since hired the university’s first full-time compliance coordinator to ensure Penn State’s overall compliance with the Clery Act. With this new position, our goal is to not only ensure that Penn State meets the requirements set forth by federal law and the U.S. Department of Education, but to become a leader in campus safety, security and compliance.

Another example is the Athletics Integrity Agreement between the NCAA and Penn State, with oversight by Sen. George Mitchell. This should help put the question of athletic integrity to rest even as we implement changes.

There is a great deal that is right about athletics at Penn State. Our student-athletes graduate well above their peers nationwide. This year they earned an 88 percent graduation success rate compared to 80 percent for all Division I schools; the football team’s rate is 91 percent. This level of achievement spans all sports teams, academic majors and ethnicity: notably, African-American student-athletes earned a record 90 percent rate, which is 25 points higher than the national average.

Indeed, other universities are closely watching Penn State’s actions, so they can strengthen their policies, mitigate risk at their institutions, and make their campuses safer.

States from California to Florida have introduced legislation to make it clear that child abuse reporting is not only a moral duty, it’s the law.

This is tremendous progress: laws strengthened, policies tightened, governance revisited and institutions made safer. And our work continues.

That brings us to today -- on the brink of the one-year anniversary, civil lawsuits, perjury trials, and we can expect more fallout to come.

Over the last year, we have learned much about ourselves, our many cultures, our values and our vision.

We’re still working through some difficult issues, but the question remains: Where do we go from here?

The answer can be found by returning to Penn State’s core mission: teaching, research and service. Our bottom line is delivering an outstanding education to students.

Our students are our top priority. And they are doing great things.

For example, this year our journalism students captured the national championship in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program. Engineering students took top honors in the national EcoCAR competition; others are racing to get their vehicle to the moon in the Google Lunar X PRIZE Competition. Meteorology students won the National Weather Forecasting Challenge, and notably, this week more than 3,400 Penn State meteorology alumni were tracking Hurricane Sandy for the government, private industry, the military, media and education.

In addition, this fall we welcomed one of the largest and most academically accomplished classes in our history after receiving a record 123,000 total applications for admissions.

These successes define who we are and where we’re going.

We need to support those students and faculty members, because they depend on us. Our alumni and the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania depend on us for educational opportunities, economic development, and competitiveness. And our nation depends on us for ground-breaking research and training for the next generation of leaders, scientists, thinkers and teachers.

Allow me to put a few faces on the Penn State community.

Will Cat Powers and Will Martin please stand?

Cat and Will are student leaders working to fight pediatric cancer through service to THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Since 1977, THON has raised more than $89 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center. We brought along DVDs of the documentary “Why We Dance: The Story of THON” for all of you. Please pick one up on the way out -- it’s an incredible story. Thank you, Will and Cat.

Will Dr. Cathy Bowen please stand? Cathy is a professor of agricultural and extension education consumer issues. In addition to a full time teaching and research agenda, she runs a volunteer service to help income-eligible people get their taxes done for free. Last year, the program completed nearly 700 tax returns and saved the elderly, working families and students at least $133,000. The program’s total economic impact was nearly $1 million. Thank you, Cathy.

Finally, I want to introduce Dr. Sandeep Prahbu and Dr. Robert Paulson, who are both professors in our College of Agricultural Sciences. Can you please stand? Their inspiring collaboration discovered what could be a promising treatment for leukemia. In laboratory tests, the compound they developed targeted and killed leukemia stem cells, without relapse. Their team, which includes undergraduate and graduate students, is now working to move this compound into clinic trials as soon as possible. Thank you, Bob and Sandeep.

These are Penn Staters who are leading us into the future. They are the people I work for each day. They’re the reason that I’m here today. And they are just a few of the Penn Staters who will not allow anything to stop them from changing our world for the better.

With that in mind, I want to spend a few minutes looking ahead, because we’re currently facing a crisis in higher education that is perhaps the worst ever in our nation’s history: our young people from middle-class and working families -- people like Cat, Will, Laura and Stuart -- who for generations have depended on access to affordable community colleges and state universities, are now at risk of losing that access. Throughout the nation, state governments are cutting back on the funding that helps keep tuition affordable, and these cuts threaten the system of public higher education that began when Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant Act 150 years ago.

A report by the National Science Board, released last month, found that state support for public universities fell 20 percent between 2002 and 2010, and this shortfall has put public research universities in peril.

The declining investment in universities has made this a lost decade for funding, and worse, it has happened while universities have increased enrollment by 320,000 students nationally. This has caused many to begin to question the future of public higher education, and the implications for society.

This is not a Chicken Little warning, and as a university president, I’m acutely aware that we need to adapt to today’s economic realities. To be sure, state legislatures and governors have tough choices: their ability to provide government services has decreased while the public’s need for them has increased.

And we know the difficulty of asking already hard-pressed Americans to pay higher taxes to subsidize public university tuition to enable lower and middle income families to afford to send their children to college. But we must address the current reality that our nation’s public universities are charging tuitions that even in-state students find increasingly out of their reach.

Without a doubt, everyone in leadership at public universities can and must do a better job of reducing costs and improving education. Further belt-tightening must occur on university campuses everywhere.

Every member of the university community shares that responsibility. We at Penn State know this, and we’re turning over every stone to find savings and greater efficiencies while improving learning outcomes. This year, we had the lowest tuition increase in 45 years.

We have trimmed budgets, cut programs and consolidated functions. But you can’t do 21st-century science in labs leftover from the days of Sputnik or before.

And as the CEO and psychologist Shawn Achor has said, “If we study what is merely average, we will remain merely average.”

Our students and our nation deserve better. And we must do better if we intend to compete in the global economy.

Last year I traveled to China and visited several universities. The national investment in these universities, their research facilities and higher education is something to behold.

Over the last 30 years, China has had a 58-fold increase in spending on education, health and social investments.

According to a report from the Center for American Progress, by 2030, China will have more than 200 million college graduates, which is more than the entire U.S. workforce. In five years India will be producing five times as many college graduates as the United States.

These are the facts that drive the decisions we must make as we position Penn State to succeed in the future.

Part of that strategic planning will require getting out and staying out in front of the information technology revolution, which has been among the most significant drivers of educational change in the last 15 to 20 years. It has also been like a runaway train.

One response to the higher education funding crisis has been increased appeals, especially from legislators and business leaders, for higher education to drastically increase online education. The hope is that more students will receive college degrees faster and at less cost.

In fact, research shows that, done appropriately, the application of information technologies can both improve learning outcomes and decrease the costs of delivering that education. But so far, big savings have proven elusive.

Nonetheless, Massive Open Online Courses are testing the market. Dozens of universities, including MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford, now offer these classes, prompting headlines like “College may never be same.” So stay tuned. It could be a wild ride.

Obviously, good ideas take time and research to explore.

Penn State operates a World Campus with nearly 12,000 students enrolled in dozens of fully online programs. Our model has been honored by the Sloan Consortium as the top online program for 2012. It, too, continues to evolve.

Finally, in the coming year, we must prepare Penn State for the next generation of leadership. I announced that I will be retiring by June 2014, and the Board of Trustees is about to begin the search for the next president. It’s incumbent upon us to lay the groundwork for my successor, and we look forward to an invigorating process with many outstanding candidates.

Penn State continues to move forward and embrace the challenges. Not only those that have come from the events of the past year, but those that come from being part of the higher education landscape, a large public land grant research university, and yes, a university that continues to believe that great academics and great athletics can not only co-exist, but can be mutually reinforcing components of a university education.

I hope you can better understand why I’m proud to be the president of Penn State.

It’s because of our students, faculty, staff and hundreds of thousands of Penn State alumni and friends. Our difficulties are not over, but I assure you that Penn State’s best days are ahead.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to share these thoughts with you.

Topics: donation, president rodney erickson, rodney erickson, child abuse prevention

University officials issue statement on Attorney General’s actions

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – (Nov. 1) Penn State officials today learned of the charges announced at a press conference held by Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly against former University president Graham Spanier, and of additional charges brought against former Athletic Director Tim Curley and former university administrator Gary Schultz, in relation to the Jerry Sandusky case.  According to the Attorney General, all three men are now charged with conspiracy; obstruction of justice; endangering the welfare of children; failure to report a crime; and perjury.

Spanier was removed as president of the University on Nov. 9, 2011. After his removal, he continued to serve as a tenured professor at Penn State, though he has been on sabbatical leave. In light of the charges brought against him, Spanier will be placed on leave, effective immediately.

After charges were filed last November, Schultz returned to retirement and Curley was placed on administrative leave. Curley was on a fixed-term contract and has recently been given notice that his contract will not be renewed when it expires on June 30, 2013.

University officials will not comment further out of respect for the legal process.

President Erickson’s National Press Club speech moved to Nov. 2

Penn State President Rodney Erickson's National Press Club speech in Washington, D.C., previously slated for Oct. 31, has been rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 2, because of ongoing issues and effects related to Hurricane Sandy.

The National Press Club was closed on Monday, Oct. 29, and its Tuesday Newsmaker event on Oct. 30 was canceled, also because of storm-related concerns.

Erickson will give a status report on the state of the University in a major speech as part of the club’s Speakers Luncheon Series. Erickson will discuss what the University has learned from the child sex abuse scandal, reforms it has put in place, and its ongoing commitment to its core mission of teaching, research and service.

Erickson’s remarks on Nov. 2 will underscore some of the University’s outstanding accomplishments this year: Penn State’s ranking as one of the top 50 world universities; the University’s student-athlete 88 percent graduation rate that tops the NCAA Division I average; the robust growth of Penn State’s research enterprise with more than $807 million in research expenditures; and the $10.7 million Penn State students raised last year for THON -- the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, which annually raises funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer.

“In the face of the challenging times we’ve experienced, it’s important that the world knows Penn State is and always will be a world-class university with a mission of teaching, research and service,” said Erickson. “Penn State is defined not by the actions of a few, but by the deeds of hundreds of thousands committed to making our world a better place -- leaders in our communities, academia, business, research, athletics and philanthropy.”

Following the University’s Oct. 29-30 conference on child sexual abuse, Erickson also will discuss Penn State’s commitment to making child sexual abuse prevention part of the University’s mission.

“Penn State is adamant about focusing our energy in a positive way to help identify, prevent and treat child sexual abuse -- a challenge that, as we have learned in the most personal of ways, knows no bounds.”

The National Press Club is one of the nation’s premier speaking venues and boasts more than 3,500 members. Luncheon speakers are selected by a committee under the direction of the club president.

For more information about President Erickson’s speech, please visit www.press.org. To reserve tickets, e-mail reservations@press.org or call 202-662-7501.

 

Topics: president rodney erickson, child sexual abuse conference, national press club

Smart offers message of hope to close Child Sexual Abuse Conference

Elizabeth Smart, who at age 14 was abducted from her home, sexually abused and held captive for nine months, shared her personal story and emphasized a theme of hope to conclude Penn State’s Child Sexual Abuse Conference today (Oct. 30) at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

Since being returned to her family in 2003, Smart has become an advocate for change related to child abduction, recovery programs and national legislation.

“The only thing greater than fear is hope,” Smart said at the start of her talk, citing a line from “The Hunger Games,” a recent fiction bestseller and Hollywood film. “I believe that is why we are all here today -- hope that we can make a difference, hope that we can turn something terrible into something wonderful, hope that we can change the tragedy that happened here at Penn State into a platform that will change the community and, consequently, the entire nation.

“Hope is what helped me survive,” she added. “Hope is what I was able to hold onto -- hope that one day I would be reunited with my family, hope that one day I would be given a second chance at life. That is what saw me through my kidnapping.”

Smart walked the audience through her ordeal -- from the moment one of her captors put a knife to her throat in her bedroom and threatened her to not make a sound and to come with him, through her rape atop a mountain ridge above her neighborhood, through travels across the country to cities including Boston, New York and Philadelphia with her captors, shrouded in linen clothes.

She also explained how she found the courage to try to manipulate her captors’ warped motives and to convince them to hitchhike back to her hometown, Salt Lake City. There, after nine months, she was recognized by two people who called police, which ultimately led to her return to her family.

“I realized that my family would always love me -- my parents would always love me, my brothers and sister would always love me -- and nobody could change that,” Smart said. “So I made the most important decision I could have made. Because I found something worth living for, I was able to make the decision that, no matter what happened, as long as it was within my power, I would survive. It didn’t matter if it was three days or 30 years. Because of that hope, because of the belief in my family and knowing that they would love me, I would survive somehow. That decision saw me through a lot -- a lot of ups and downs.”

Recalling her family reunion, she said, “I remember seeing my mom and my siblings again for the first time, and thinking, ‘This must be what heaven is like,’ and I was so happy,” which prompted a burst of applause from the audience. “That was the day my life started over again.”

The following morning Smart said her mother gave her best piece of advice she has ever received. “She said, ‘Elizabeth, what this man has done to you is terrible, and there aren’t words strong enough to describe how wicked and evil he is. He has taken away nine months of your life away that you’ll never get back … but the best punishment that you could ever give him is to be happy, is to follow your dreams and to do exactly what you want to do, to not let anyone or anything stand in your way.’ And that’s true -- that’s true for each one of us, that’s true for every survivor of anything out there.

“The best punishment we could give through our trials, through our adversity, is to be happy, is to move forward with our life,” she repeated, “because no matter how much bad there seems to be out there, there’s so much more good.”

Smart also acknowledged a prevention organization she has worked with extensively, first as a student, then as an instructor and now as a spokesperson. “An ounce of prevention is radKIDS, and I want to share this with you because it would have made a difference for me,” Smart said. radKIDS, which stands for Resisting Aggression Defensively, is a prevention program that teaches children as young as 3 years old its three principles: Nobody has the right to hurt you because you are special; Because you are special, you don’t have the right to hurt anyone, including yourself, unless someone is hurting you; and, most important, according to Smart: It is not your fault, and you can tell. You do not have to keep it bottled up inside you.

In her final remarks, Smart said, “Miracles happen every single day, and no matter how bad the odds seem, no matter how insurmountable your Mount Everest may seem in front of you, there are always exceptions, there are always miracles. Those two people, two everyday people, who saw me and called the police on March 12, 2003, and because of those phone calls, I was saved. I was rescued. I was reunited with my family.

“I have to applaud every single one of you who are here today,” she added, “who are making the effort to fight the elements to stay here and to attend this conference because you want to make a change, you want to see a difference, and because you realize that this conference can be the stage and a turning point for how we react and treat future abuse, sexual abuse, kidnappings, all sorts of heinous crimes against children.”

Penn State President Rodney Erickson closed the Child Sexual Abuse Conference, also thanking the conference audience for their commitment. “Penn State is very committed to helping to solve the problem of child sexual abuse,” he said. “We owe our deepest gratitude to all of you who have played a part in this important work and will continue to do, day in and day out. I can’t thank you enough for your participation.”

All permitted video-streamed sessions -- from the public community forum on Sunday evening, Oct. 28, through Erickson's concluding remarks -- have been archived and are available for viewing at http://protectchildren.psu.edu/agenda. 

Topics: child abuse prevention, child sexual abuse conference, elizabeth smart

Stories of healing, expert on childhood intervention begin second day

The second day of Penn State's first national conference on the topic of child sexual abuse began on Tuesday, Oct. 30, with talks by Margaret Hoelzer, national spokesperson for the National Children’s Advocacy Center; and Christopher Anderson, executive director of MaleSurvivor. The morning session continued with a talk by Julie Larrieu, professor of clinical psychiatry at Tulane University, who spoke to the capacity crowd at the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel about her work helping the youngest victims of child sexual abuse and their parents to heal and grow together.

Hoelzer and Anderson, who also participated in a public forum to kick off the conference on Sunday, Oct. 28, shared their personal stories as survivors of child sexual abuse and the stories of their paths to healing and success.

Hoelzer is a two-time Olympic swimmer who won two silver medals and a bronze medal during the 2008 games in Beijing. From the ages of 5 to 7, she was sexually abused by a best friend’s father. She said education about abuse in school, along with a conversation with a childhood friend, were the catalysts that helped her to tell her mother at the age of 11.

“My mom did everything right. She believed me right away, and I got it all out in one take,” Hoelzer said. “She didn’t talk a lot, mostly just listened, but she would keep giving me these little nudges to keep me talking. Most importantly, she didn’t get upset; she managed to stay calm, even while hearing her child tell this horrible, horrible story.”

She said her parents called the police, who referred them to the Child Advocacy Center where she and her family got the help they needed to begin to heal. As a young adolescent, she said swimming was an important and positive outlet for her.

“I figured out early on that I had strength because of it. I would stand on the blocks (at a swimming event) as a young athlete and look around, and I would say ‘I have been through something. I have survived something. I am mentally stronger than everybody else here.’ And that helped me as an athlete,” Hoelzer said.

“I am proud to be a survivor, and I am proud of my Olympic medals; learning how to survive something got me where I am today. I don’t think there’s a reason why other victims of sexual abuse can’t have that same power.”

Anderson spoke about his work with MaleSurvivor, an organization committed to preventing, healing and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men. Anderson said male survivors of sexual abuse face different challenges than female survivors; he said the resources provided by the organization are desperately needed around the world.

“Abuse doesn’t discriminate. Neither can we in our work to fight against it,” Anderson said. “There are 10s of millions of survivors out there who need our help and our support. We cannot let the fight alone.”

A passionate advocate for the rights of survivors of sexual abuse, Anderson joined the organization in 2007 after coming to understand the extent to which the sexual abuse and trauma he suffered as a child profoundly affected his life. Growing up in a tumultuous home, Anderson, who was bullied in school, found friendship in a neighbor who ended up sexually abusing him. It wasn’t until he was in his 30s that he realized the impact the abuse had on his entire life.

“I remember one clear instance of being sexually abused. There are members of my men’s group who endured abuse systematically for years, but they shared with me that what I have gone through was just as deeply wounding to me as what they went through was to them. That was hard for me to accept for a long time,” Anderson said. “The story itself is not what’s important. It’s the impact that that trauma has on our lives and who we become.”

To watch a video of Hoelzer and Anderson's session, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlHXrcFAV9U.

Larrieu, a developmental and clinical psychologist, spoke about the work she does with maltreated infants (children younger than 5) and their parents, a process called child-parent psychotherapy. The process involves therapy, not only for children, but for parents who oftentimes have had traumatic childhood experiences themselves.

“Very young children are impacted by trauma. They can let us know through behaviors and actions, even if they don’t have the language to talk about it,” she said.

Having a supportive caregiver is essential to a positive outcome for the child, she added, which is why combined therapy is so important. It helps parents to recognize and cope with their own trauma and that, in turn, helps them to become better caregivers.

“Child-parent psychology is such a powerful model, because (it allows us to appreciate) what behaviors mean in terms of a particular child and parent together, and also the beliefs and attitudes and feelings that underlie the behavior,” she said.

From Sunday evening, Oct. 28, through today (Oct. 30), scholars, practitioners, survivors and members of the public nationwide convened at Penn State's University Park campus to attend events related to Penn State’s “Child Sexual Abuse Conference: Traumatic Impact, Prevention and Intervention.” Several events throughout the conference have been live-streamed online and archived on the conference website and WPSU's YouTube channel for ongoing educational viewing purposes.

Sharon Cooper, adjunct professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, was scheduled to present on the topic of Internet usage as a gateway to childhood sexual abuse on Oct. 30; she was unable to travel to the conference because of the weather.

Topics: child sexual abuse conference, child abuse prevention

Panelists, featured speakers highlight Child Sexual Abuse Conference

From Sunday evening, Oct. 28, through today (Oct. 30), scholars, practitioners, survivors and members of the public nationwide convened at Penn State's University Park campus to attend events related to Penn State's Child Sexual Abuse Conference.

Several events throughout the conference have been live-streamed online and archived on the conference website and WPSU's YouTube channel for ongoing educational viewing purposes, including keynote speaker Sugar Ray Leonard's personal account of his abuse and call to action to eradicate child sexual abuse.

Highlights from the community forum and conference sessions can be found at the links below:

Panel discusses 'Moving Forward,' initiates conference conversation -- http://live.psu.edu/story/62309

Inaugural conference on protecting children opens to sold-out crowd -- http://live.psu.edu/story/62337

Leonard urges communication in fight against child sexual abuse -- http://live.psu.edu/story/62336

Advocate outlines ways to help 'hidden victims' of abuse -- http://live.psu.edu/story/62339

Stories of healing, expert on childhood intervnetion begin second day -- http://live.psu.edu/story/62361

Smart offers message of hope to close Child Sexual Abuse Conference -- http://live.psu.edu/story/62362


More information about the conference can be found at http://protectchildren.psu.edu.

Topics: child abuse prevention, child sexual abuse conference

Advocate outlines ways to help ‘hidden victims’ of abuse

An influential advocate for victims of child abuse said there have been significant gains; however, two in three victims are still suffering in silence.

Ernie Allen, president and CEO of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children and founding chairman of its sister organization the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, spoke Monday (Oct. 29) at Penn State's Child Sexual Abuse Conference, outlining ways that communities can assist “the hidden victims.”

“Each one of you has power and influence,” he said to the audience at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. “I've always believed the old John F. Kennedy line that 'One person can make a difference and everyone should try.' I urge you to make a difference in your community. Inform, educate, motivate and mobilize others.”

Allen said confirmed cases of abuse have declined, reporting has increased, law enforcement and social workers have been better trained, and more abusers are being brought to justice. However, “children are still being victimized in startling numbers.”

Allen called the audience to action, urging:

• That myths about abusers be dispelled. In reality, victims are often abused by someone they know, the majority of abusers aren't “evil looking” and many seek legitimate access to victims, winning “confidences through friendship and kindness.”

• That every health care worker, worldwide, be trained to recognize abuse and respond.

• Though “not a panacea,” mandatory background checks can root out offenders.

• Parents must empower children with self-esteem and confidence, letting them know they have power and the right to say no.

• That states adopt mandatory reporting measures among officials who may suspect abuse.

• That citizens urge local officials to set up child advocacy centers in their community.

To view Allen's talk, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCLoLaZRMeM.

Topics: child abuse prevention, child sexual abuse conference, centre for missing & exploited children, ernie allen

Leonard urges communication in fight against child sexual abuse

The man who became a legend of the boxing ring, beating the likes of Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran, also spent decades beating himself up.

Gold medalist and Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard spoke Monday at Penn State's Child Sexual Abuse Conference, recounting the abuse he suffered at the hands of two men who guided his amateur career in the 1970s and the anguish he endured before disclosing the ordeal in “The Big Fight: My Life in and Out of the Ring,” his 2011 autobiography.

“For 40-something years, I beat myself up,” he said, repeating, “I beat myself up. It was killing me.”

Introduced by Penn State football coach Bill O'Brien, who recalled how “blinding speed, tremendous power and great charm” turned the fighter into an immediate media sensation, Leonard confessed to crying on the plane ride from Los Angeles and in the morning prior to his speech at The Penn Stater.

“I stand here because I want to be responsible,” he said. “I had an impact in the ring; I want to have an impact outside of the ring.”

An introverted kid “scared of his own shadow,” Leonard, 56, said he gained confidence once he took up boxing in his hometown of Palmer Park, Md. While training for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, Leonard said a coach sexually abused him and a fellow boxer as they traveled to a tournament.

"Trust is a very sacred thing, especially for young people, kids, for a young boxer,” he said. “So I trusted these people.”

The teen who would go on to defeat men with names like “The Hitman” and “Hands of Stone,” cried so hard his body ached, but told no one. As he thought then, “fighters don't cry.” Leonard failed to make the 1972 team, but prior to the 1976 Montreal Games -- where he'd win gold as a light welterweight -- that same coach would violate his trust again. A few months later, a supporter who offered assistance with living expenses while Leonard trained, also abused the young fighter.

“I could smell his breath right now,” he recalled. “I said, 'Not again. God please, not again.' ”

As a professional, Leonard won championships in five weight classes and signed lucrative endorsement deals. However, his life also included battles with drugs and alcohol -- “It numbed me” -- and a failed marriage. Now remarried and six years sober, Leonard expressed the relief of ending the silence that he called a toxin that “tears up your heart.”

“My life has changed so much by speaking up, speaking out,” he said. “It's been wonderful.”

Leonard encouraged an open dialogue on abuse, particularly narrowing the “communication gap between parent and kid.” (Leonard said he never told his parents of the abuse and still hasn't spoken to anyone in his immediate family about it, only having broached the subject with his 15-year-old daughter, Camille, who accompanied him at the conference, during the evening before his speech.)

“I feel so great in knowing that today we're going to start speaking out, we're going to speak up, we're going to talk about this thing," he said. "We can't let this thing destroy our kids.”

To view Leonard's speech in its entirety, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JKaquBpYeQ&feature=youtu.be.

 

Topics: child sexual abuse conference, sugar ray leonard, bill o'brien, center for the protection of children

Inaugural conference on protecting children opens to sold-out crowd

Despite the rain, Penn State’s first national conference on the topic of child sexual abuse kicked off today (Oct. 29) to a sold-out crowd. The two-day “Child Sexual Abuse Conference: Traumatic Impact, Prevention and Intervention” is being held at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus.

For the conference, Penn State convened some of the nation’s top experts in child sexual abuse and child trauma research, prevention and treatment for a public forum on this nationwide problem.

Doris MacKenzie, director of the Justice Center for Research at Penn State, and one of the organizers of the conference, opened the conference by introducing Penn State President Rodney Erickson, who spoke about the how the conference, and several other University initiatives to address the problem of child sexual abuse, came to be.

“The origins for this conference go back to one year ago, in the weeks following the release of the Jerry Sandusky grand jury presentment,” said Erickson. “During that time, our thoughts and hearts went out to the victims of these horrific crimes, and as a community we resolved to move forward by using all that is right about Penn State to tackle what is an insidious, hidden and epidemic issue."

“The statistics about child sexual abuse are frighteningly high – one in four girls and one in six boys abused before the age of 18. In 80 percent of the cases the abuse is perpetrated by a family member or trusted friend,” he added. “It deeply saddens and disturbs me to think of these children -- most of whom never tell anyone, even when asked. But that may be starting to change.

“Child abuse is a tragedy for children, for families and for society, and the time to step up the effort to stop it is now. For our part at Penn State, we believe we can contribute to this effort by doing what we do best; that is teaching, research and service. This conference is one of our many initiatives to serve that end.”

The first presenter of the day was David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes against Children Research Center, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory, professor of sociology, and university professor at the University of New Hampshire. He has been studying the problems of child victimization, child maltreatment, and family violence since 1977 and is considered the foremost expert on childhood victimization, with a special emphasis on childhood sexual abuse. Finkelhor’s presentation is available on WPSU’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-fViw7Uuxs online.

“I want to acknowledge before I begin that members of this community really have been through an ordeal in the last year, year and a half,” said Finkelhor at the beginning of his session. “Sexual abuse does a lot of collateral damage that is often unrecognized beyond the harm to direct victims and their families."

“I think it’s not uncommon in the wake of sexual abuse for whole communities to lose their sense of trust, comfort and sense of ordinariness about just so many things – relationships that they have, the way in which things get done – they go through a period of questioning about how to deal with a lot of things that they didn’t really think about beforehand,” he added. “There’s often also a lot of rancor, about how this could have happened, how things got handled – you’re not alone in having encountered these things. So I’m glad to be here, I’m eager to talk to you about what you’ve been through; I’m also honored to be part of a process that you’ve chosen to try and heal with and learn from, given the ordeal that you’ve been through.”

In his talk, “Overview and Epidemiology of Child Sexual Abuse,” Finkelhor covered a broad overview of the current state of child sexual abuse, including how much abuse is happening worldwide and why it is underreported; risk factors that make children vulnerable to perpetrators; the dynamics between offenders and victims; important misconceptions about child sexual abuse that shape public perception and policy; his own logic model for promising prevention strategies; large-scale data studies that show an encouraging decline in the overall problem; and where we should go from here.

Bruce Perry, senior fellow at the ChildTrauma Academy in Houston, Texas, and adjunct faculty at Northwestern University Medical School, was scheduled to speak on the topic of “Trauma Impact of Sexual Abuse on Preschoolers and Young Children, with a Special Emphasis on Brain and Neurobiological Impact,” but was unable to attend.

The conference continues through Tuesday, Oct. 30. Visit http://protectchildren.psu.edu for further information, including upcoming live-streamed sessions.

Topics: child sexual abuse conference, doris mackenzie, president erickson, child abuse prevention

Trustees approve resolution to grant authority for legal settlements

Penn State's Board of Trustees today (Oct. 26) in a special meeting voted unanimously to authorize a subcommittee of the Board to approve possible settlements of claims made against the University related to the crimes of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

This measure provides the Subcommittee on Legal -- an arm of the board’s Committee on Legal and Compliance -- the authority to approve settlements that may be reached related to claims against the University by individuals alleging that Penn State is liable for injuries suffered in connection with sexual abuse by Sandusky. The retired assistant coach was convicted on June 22 of the abuse of 10 boys and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

"Today's action takes one more step toward the resolution of claims from the victims of Mr. Sandusky," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "As we have previously said, the University intends to deal with these individuals in a fair and expeditious manner, with due regard to their privacy."

Erickson has previously said the University would reach out to victims to resolve claims against the University, and the law firm of Feinberg Rozen LLP was retained to help facilitate any settlements. Feinberg Rozen has received national recognition for helping to resolve mass litigation arising out of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; and the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. Through the action by the Board, the subcommittee will be able to provide oversight and enable a process where the University may privately, expeditiously and fairly resolve claims against it.

Kenneth R. Feinberg and Michael K. Rozen said they have reached out to begin settlement talks with at least 20 men who accuse Sandusky of sexual abuse. The claims include eight people who testified for the prosecution of Sandusky, three others who have filed lawsuits, and at least nine others who have come forward through counsel, either privately or publicly, with allegations of abuse.

An archive of the meeting can be found online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JVtNl3ZsGQ.

The board's next regularly scheduled meeting will be held Nov. 16 at University Park.

Topics: bot, board of trustees, president erickson, jerry sandusky, feinberg rozen, llp

Possible Sandusky liabilities cited in Moody’s credit-rating downgrade

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Penn State's long-term rating of Aa1 to Aa2 with a stable outlook, after a 90-day review of the University's financial situation and an assessment of the ongoing uncertainty related to possible legal challenges.

However, in its report released today, Moody's indicated that Penn State's research, fund-raising and enrollments remain strong. "We expect that Penn State will remain a leading U.S. public university with favorable student demand, positive operating performance, high donor support and a strong research position," the report read.

"This action will have no impact on tuition, and fortunately, due to historically low interest rates and no anticipated borrowing in the near future, will have a negligible financial impact," said David Gray, senior vice president for Finance and Business/Treasurer.

University officials said they take Moody's action seriously, but were not surprised by it in light of the current economic climate and the multiple challenges facing the institution from the child molestation scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Moody's noted that Penn State's "substantial reforms reflecting best practices are now under way …" with respect to governance and leadership issues, but the credit rating firm also acknowledged there are still more changes looming – including the replacement of its provost, for which a search is currently under way, and its president. The presidential search is expected to launch in November.

In its report, Moody's said the primary driver for the downgrade is the uncertainty of the financial impact on the University from the ultimate cost of future settlements and possible judgments stemming from sexual abuse claims made by Sandusky's victims. Moody's added that the stable outlook reflects expectations that the University will ultimately resolve victims’ claims and that it will continue its work to implement substantial governance reforms.

Penn State has been on Moody's "watchlist" since July 24. Today's report also points to the remainder of the 119 recommendations found in the Freeh Report that still need to be implemented. The report's recommendations, issued by former FBI director and independent investigator Louis Freeh, were designed to strengthen policies and performance in areas such as safety and governance. Penn State officials recently announced that one-third of the recommendations had already been implemented.

Moody's report also cited enrollment and tuition pricing challenges related to an ongoing demographic decline in the number of high school graduates in Pennsylvania, and substantial and growing costs stemming from retiree health care benefits and rising pension payments.

In addition, the Moody's report examined the University’s strengths, including:

• The "major multi-faceted role played in the state by Penn State’s main University Park campus as Pennsylvania's flagship public and land grant university with more than 84,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) students and $700 to $800 million in research grants annually;”
• Its favorable location near major east coast population centers;
• Penn State’s agricultural research services, which affect nearly every county in the state and are widely recognized outside of Pennsylvania as well;
• The Board of Trustees' commitment to act quickly to resolve abuse claims and outstanding litigation. In addition, the board also has taken quick action to implement best practice reforms recommended by the Freeh report;
• Consistently favorable operating performance and cash flow generation;
• Substantial liquidity of funds;
• Low reliance on state funding; and
• Continued fundraising success.

Penn State's new rating of Aa2 is the third-highest category of Moody's 21 possible ratings and places the University in the same category as 44 other public U.S. institutions.

Moody's announcement follows on the heels of a revised credit outlook released Oct. 17 by Standard & Poor's. In its report, S&P reaffirmed the University’s underlying AA rating but revised the outlook from stable to negative. S&P's report cited potential financial liability tied to Sandusky as a reason for the change.

"Penn State's credit rating through S&P remains AA, its third-highest investment grade," Gray said. "Our current credit metrics remain consistent within every category and we remain among the top 40 public-rated institutions in the country."

In terms of the S&P outlook, the University now maintains the same rating as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. S&P also noted the University's strong performance track record. The Aa2 rating from Moody's is also the same for the Commonwealth.

"For both agencies, uncertainty of any settlements and outcomes was the primary consideration," Gray said. "I am confident that our underlying financial status suggests that we will remain among the top universities in creditworthiness.”

Topics: moody’s, s&p, david gray

Advisory group named to oversee movement on Freeh recommendations

Penn State has established a 10-member advisory council, comprised of a wide range of individuals from across the University, to provide input and feedback as Penn State administrators and the Board of Trustees work through the 119 recommendations in a July report issued by former FBI Director Louis Freeh.

The Freeh Report, commissioned by the University as part of an independent investigation related to the child sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, recommends changes designed to strengthen policies and performance at Penn State in areas such as safety; reporting misconduct; and governance. To date, one-third of the recommendations have been completed. University officials hope to implement the changes Freeh recommended by the end of next year following a thorough evaluation, or to offer reasons why they would not implement changes.

An invitation from Penn State President Rodney Erickson and Board of Trustees Chairwoman Karen Peetz was sent to representatives from the student body, the Faculty Senate, the Academic Leadership Council (deans and campus chancellors), staff, Intercollegiate Athletics and Penn State Hershey Medical Center. The following individuals have agreed to serve on the Freeh Advisory Council:

Larry C. Backer, chair, University Faculty Senate and professor of law; Linda Caldwell, NCAA faculty representative and professor of recreation, parks and tourism management and human development and family studies; Ann Crouter, dean, College of Health and Human Development; Charmelle Green, associate director of Intercollegiate Athletics; Crystal Hubler, chair, University Staff Advisory Council; Courtney Lennartz, president, University Park Undergraduate Association; Jonathan M. Light, president, Teamsters Local Union No. 8; John May, chief compliance officer, Penn State Hershey Medical Center; David Rench, vice president of external affairs, Graduate Student Association; and Karen Wiley Sandler, chancellor, Penn State Abington.

The council, which is also charged with ensuring open communication and providing greater transparency to the University, will meet on an ongoing basis to provide additional guidance as recommendations are considered and implemented. Each of the recommendations has been assigned to one or more individuals within the University administration for review, analysis and possible implementation.

For a complete update of status and actions Penn State has taken based on the Freeh recommendations, go to http://www.psu.edu/ur/2012/Freeh_Matrix.pdf.

Topics: freeh advisory council, freeh report, freeh report advisory council, bot, board of trustees, president erickson, karen peetz

Nearly 8,000 trained as mandated reporters at Penn State since April

Nearly 8,000 Penn State employees and volunteers have now attended the University's professional training program designed to help employees recognize and report suspected child abuse.

"As of Oct. 15, we have trained 7,963 employees and volunteers, including the University's Board of Trustees and senior leadership," said Susan Cromwell, director of workplace learning and performance in Penn State's Office of Human Resources. "We have 23 sessions on the calendar through December, and additional sessions still can be scheduled by units as needed."

Face-to-face training sessions began in April so the University could address an immediate need to train employees, also identified as "authorized adults," who would be working with children at numerous summer camps and workshops at University Park and other Penn State campuses across the commonwealth.

The second stage of the program -- an online counterpart originally intended for a fall 2012 rollout but delayed because of unanticipated technological challenges -- is now scheduled to be released in early 2013. "We are looking forward to offering the training online to our employees,” said Cromwell. “The feedback we receive from the live training sessions has been valuable in helping us build a robust online program.”

The interactive online training eventually will be for all University employees at every campus location, with the exception of Penn State Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine, University Health Services and the client representation clinics of the Dickinson School of Law. Each of those units will follow the policies and training appropriate to its own unique activities.

"We are encouraged that so many have been trained through the live sessions," said Cromwell, "and we will continue to conduct live training until we move to the online format, as well as support related efforts, such as helping Student Affairs develop training specifically for student organizations.”

The program is part of Penn State's initiative to help ensure a safe community for children, said Cromwell, with the goal of educating the University community about child abuse and reporting, and move people from an awareness of the issue toward having confidence to take action.

Susan Basso, associate vice president for human resources, said, “We are working hard to ensure the safety of children on our campuses and those involved with our programs.”

As part of this focus on safety, Basso added, Penn State now requires annual mandated reporter training for all authorized adults -- individuals working with minors in University programs and/or on University property -- as well as more stringent background checks for all prospective University employees, employees in sensitive and critical positions, and volunteers.

"More than 18,000 background checks have gone through since we introduced this change in July 2012," she said. “We have made great headway in implementing the changes recommended by the Freeh report, and continue to do so.”

Cromwell noted that her office has received calls from other universities, asking about Penn State's improvement efforts and the implementation of the training program. "We seem to be a model for other institutions," she said. "Requests come from across the nation asking about our policy changes, and we're more than happy to help in any way we can."

The mandated reporter training effort is being led by a team of individuals from Penn State's Center for Workplace Learning and Performance, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR), WPSU Learning and Media Design Team, University Police, Penn State Student Affairs, Intercollegiate Athletics, Centre County Women's Resource Center, faculty experts and professionals throughout the community.


 

Topics: susan cromwell, child abuse prevention, mandated reporter

Trustees plan Oct. 26 meeting to grant authority for legal settlements

Penn State's Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Friday, Oct. 26, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel to consider a resolution to authorize a subcommittee of the Board to approve possible settlements of claims made against the University related to the crimes of Jerry Sandusky.

The special board meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in room 108, will be preceded earlier in the day by an executive session at 4 p.m. Trustees can participate by phone or in person.

At the full board meeting, trustees will discuss giving the Subcommittee on Legal -- an arm of the board’s Committee on Legal and Compliance -- the authority to approve settlements that may be reached related to claims against the University by individuals alleging that Penn State is liable for injuries suffered in connection with sexual abuse by Sandusky. The former assistant coach was convicted on June 22 of the abuse of 10 boys and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

Penn State President Rodney Erickson has said the University would reach out to victims to resolve claims against the University, and the law firm of Feinberg Rozen LLP was retained to help facilitate any settlements. Feinberg Rozen has received national recognition for helping to resolve mass litigation arising out of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; and the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. If the resolution is approved by the board, the legal subcommittee would be able to provide oversight and enable a process where the University can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims' concerns and compensate them for claims against the University.

Kenneth R. Feinberg and Michael K. Rozen said they have reached out to begin settlement talks with at least 20 men who accuse Sandusky of sexual abuse. The claims include eight people who testified for the prosecution of Sandusky, three others who have filed lawsuits, and at least nine others who have come forward through counsel, either privately or publicly, with allegations of abuse.

The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be held Nov. 16 at University Park.

Topics: jerry sandusky, board of trustees, bot, president rodey erickson, president erickson, feinberg rozen, llp

Penn State media statement on S&P outlook

Penn State University’s credit rating through Standard & Poor’s remains AA. S&P noted the University’s strong performance track record indicating that “Penn State’s current credit metrics remain consistent within the rating category.” As such, the University remains among the top 40 public rated institutions in the country and maintains the same rating as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The University’s S&P outlook will be assessed again within the next two years.

Topics: standard & poor's, s&p

Search for integrity officer under way to comply with NCAA agreement

The University is moving forward quickly to fulfill the requirements of the Athletics Integrity Agreement entered into in August among the NCAA, the Big Ten and the University. The agreement contains a number of prescriptive measures designed to ensure Penn State continues to meet all applicable NCAA and Big Ten rules and standards of integrity.

As part of the agreement, Penn State is currently searching for an athletics integrity officer to develop, implement and oversee policies and practices within the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that ensure compliance and ethical conduct. This new position will be in addition to the compliance officer already working within Intercollegiate Athletics. The integrity officer position will oversee compliance with obligations of integrity, civility, ethics and institutional control, according to Penn State President Rodney Erickson. The position is expected to report to the University-wide chief compliance officer, a position currently being filled by the University.

A search committee, headed by Linda Caldwell, the University's faculty representative to the NCAA and distinguished professor of recreation, parks and tourism management, has been formed to find a qualified individual from a national pool of interested candidates.

Other members of the committee, which is expected to appoint an integrity officer within the next 60 days, include: Stephen Dunham, vice president and University general counsel; Tanya Furman, assistant vice president and associate dean for Undergraduate Education; Jennifer James, assistant director of athletics; Jeff Laman, immediate past chair of the University Faculty Senate Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics and engineering professor; John Nichols, professor emeritus of communications; and Matt Stolberg, associate athletics director for compliance and student-athlete services.

The Athletics Integrity Agreement also calls for the creation of an Athletics Integrity Council that will report to the president and the Board of Trustees on compliance matters within Intercollegiate Athletics. The council, which will be chaired by the newly hired integrity officer, will at a minimum include three faculty and senior University administrators, the faculty athletics representative to the NCAA and the associate athletics director for compliance and student-athlete services.

"While some of this is new, other portions are already in place. These changes, together with the changes suggested by Judge Louis Freeh, are intended and designed to move us forward and improve our practices and policies," Erickson said. "When they are instituted, we will be a model for compliance, integrity and ethics in intercollegiate athletics."

Other terms of the Athletics Integrity Agreement include:

1. Each intercollegiate athletics team will name a person to monitor and oversee activities within the team relating to compliance and other obligations, and report to the athletic director on an annual basis.
2. Development of a code of conduct for all "covered persons" (student-athletes, coaches, staff members, administrators, the president and the members of the Board of Trustees) to follow. Adherence to the code will be part of the performance review for all coaches and staff.
3. Review all policies and procedures to determine if additional mechanisms are needed to ensure integrity, institutional control, ethical conduct and responsibility.
4. More education and training related to NCAA and Big Ten rules and regulations.

Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell was appointed for a five-year period by the NCAA on Aug. 1 as the independent athletics integrity monitor at Penn State.

Topics: athleticsintegrity agreement, george mitchell, president erickson, linda caldwell

Penn State takes action on many Freeh Report recommendations

Penn State officials today provided an update on the 119 recommendations made to the University in a report by the Freeh Group, noting that more than one-third of the recommendations have been completed to date.

"There has been great collaboration and cooperation across all of our departments and organizations in addressing these recommendations," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "I'm very proud of our faculty, staff and students and look forward to continued progress. I am fully confident that Penn State will emerge stronger and serve as a model of compliance for universities across the nation."

Each of the recommendations has been assigned to one or more individuals within the University administration for review, analysis and possible implementation, and each area will receive oversight and progress monitoring by one of the standing committees of the Board of Trustees. University officials have said that as they implement the Freeh recommendations, in instances where implementation is not appropriate, they will provide reasons for non-implementation. In addition, an Administrative Response Team comprising the senior vice president for Finance and Business; vice president and general counsel; and the senior vice president for administration will review any analysis, action plans and progress submitted. These same metrics will be reviewed by an advisory council that consists of a cross section of the University community, including students, faculty, administrators, deans, chancellors and staff. The council is overseen by Keith Masser, vice chair of Board.

A complete update of status and actions Penn State has taken based on the recommendations is available at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2012/Freeh_Matrix.pdf and on the University's Progress website at http://progress.psu.edu/, and will be updated monthly.

The following is a sample of the progress achieved:

Transparency

• Comprehensive change to the Board of Trustees governance structure, including expansion of committees, public meetings with comment and question periods at formal board voting sessions.
• Key officials' contracts made public and posted: President Rodney Erickson, Head Football Coach Bill O'Brien, Acting Athletic Director David Joyner, and Vice President for Finance and Business David Gray.
• All senior executive positions advertised externally, and expansion of the talent pools for those positions through the engagement of search firms.
• Established the Progress website, http://progress.psu.edu/, to disclose important information to the public. Fully disclosed all costs for legal fees, consultants and public relations firms associated with the Sandusky matter.

Infrastructure Enhancements

• Established the position of chief compliance officer, with oversight throughout the university, with the search for this position near completion.
• Hired a full-time Clery compliance coordinator, who joined the Office of University Police and Public Safety in March and using outside consultants to provide Clery Act training to University employees.
• Providing sufficient support and oversight of the Office of Student Affairs to make certain that all students follow the same standards of conduct.
• Revising organizational structure of the Athletic Department, clearly defining lines of authority, responsibilities and reporting relationships.

Policies and Procedures

• Created a master list of 3,000 names of those persons with Clery Act reporting responsibilities to notify them annually of the Clery Act responsibilities and publish the list to the University community.
• Mandatory reporter training conducted for more than 7,200 employees and volunteers.
• Established and implemented policies to facilitate assistance from other law enforcement agencies in sensitive or extraordinary cases.

In addition to the specific progress related to the Freeh Report, University officials also indicated that an array of other actions to improve processes have taken place in the past several months, including:

• Completion of a search for a new chief legal counsel.
• Enhancements to the human resources function.
• Search for new provost under way.
• Improvements to internal and external communications.
• Changes in the organizational structure of Intercollegiate Athletics to clearly define lines of authority, responsibilities and reporting relationships.
• Formation of the Vision Council, advised by former University of Illinois President Stan Ikenberry. The Council will provide strategic planning recommendations by mid-year 2013 to the Board of Trustees and Administration.

Topics: freeh report, freeh, freeh report advisory council, special investigations task force, freeh group, president erickson, president rodey erickson, board of trustees, keith masser

Statement by Penn State President Rodney Erickson regarding Jerry Sandusky sentencing

The following statement was released today by Penn State President Rodney Erickson regarding the Jerry Sandusky sentencing

"Our thoughts today, as they have been for the last year, go out to the victims of Jerry Sandusky’s abuse. While today’s sentence cannot erase what has happened, hopefully it will provide comfort to those affected by these horrible events and help them continue down the road to recovery."

 

Topics: jerry sandusky, president erickson, president rodney erickson, statement

Child Sexual Abuse Conference sold out, some events to be streamed

Penn State’s first national conference on the topic of child sexual abuse has sold out in record time. “Child Sexual Abuse Conference: Traumatic Impact, Prevention and Intervention” is scheduled for Oct. 29-30 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

In response to the overwhelming interest, several sessions will be live-streamed on the conference’s website, http://protectchildren.psu.edu. Audience members are being encouraged to submit questions in advance.

“We have been thrilled by the positive reaction to the conference, including offers of assistance from numerous individuals and nearly 70 outside organizations wanting to be involved,” said Kate Staley, conference co-organizer and research scientist in Penn State’s Justice Center for Research. "Live streaming some sessions will allow for even greater participation."

The conference reached its 500-attendee capacity within a month of opening registration. Those registered for the conference represent a diverse group of individuals from across the country, including medical, legal and therapeutic practitioners; researchers and scholars; several Penn State faculty and staff; and members of the general public. The conference also will feature displays from 27 exhibitors.

The two-day event features not only sessions by Sugar Ray Leonard and Elizabeth Smart, both of whom suffered sexual abuse as children, but also a long list of nationally recognized experts in child abuse prevention. The sessions to be streamed online at the conference website include (note: all listings are Eastern time):

Monday, Oct. 29
-- 8:45–9:45 a.m.
Overview and epidemiology of child sexual abuse
David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire

-- 1:15–1:45 p.m.
What can you and your community do about child sexual abuse?
Ernie Allen, president and CEO, International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children; founding chairman, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

-- 2–3 p.m.
Trauma impact of sexual abuse on older children and teens
Penelope Trickett, professor of social work and psychology, School of Social Work, University of Southern California

-- 3:15–4:15 p.m.
What child sex offenders teach us about prevention
Keith Kaufman, professor of clinical psychology, Portland State University

Tuesday, Oct. 30
-- 11 a.m.–noon
Evidence-based interventions for older children and adolescents who experienced sexual abuse; policy and pragmatic issues regarding implementation of evidence-based therapies at the local and state level
Lucy Berliner, director, Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress, and clinical associate professor, School of Social Work and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington

-- 1–2 p.m.
Legal child sexual abuse investigation issues
John E.B. Myers, professor of law, McGeorge Law School, University of the Pacific (Sacramento, Calif.)

Attendees and members of the public are encouraged to submit questions in advance for speakers at the conference, as well as for panelists at the free community forum scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at Eisenhower Auditorium on the University Park campus. Questions may be sent to justicecenter@la.psu.edu. Please include only one question per email, noting the specific topic or speaker to which the question should be addressed, and using the subject line "Question for CSA conference" or "Question for Sunday forum."

"Our goal is for attendees and online viewers to learn about the latest research on the prevalence of child sexual abuse, its traumatic impact, and best practices for prevention." Staley said. "By its conclusion, I hope we will all be inspired to go back to our communities and share what we have learned so that as a society we can better protect our children."

The complete conference agenda and additional information can be found at http://protectchildren.psu.edu/.

Topics: child sexual abuse conference, elizabeth smart, sugar ray leonard, center for the protection of children, child abuse prevention

Penn State Retains Feinberg Rozen, LLP to Facilitate Possible Settlements of Pending Litigation

Pennsylvania State University announced today that it has retained the law firm of Feinberg Rozen, LLP to help facilitate the possible settlement of all outstanding personal injury litigation arising out of allegations of sexual abuse in connection with the Sandusky matter.  The law firm – headquartered in Washington, DC – has received national recognition for helping to resolve mass litigation arising out of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks; the 2010 BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Virginia Tech Shootings in 2007 and the Massey Coal Mine Explosion in West Virginia in 2010.  Both Kenneth R. Feinberg and Michael K. Rozen will make themselves available to assist Penn State, the victims of Mr. Sandusky and their counsel.

It is anticipated that the facilitation effort will take place over a concentrated three month period in the hope that all outstanding and anticipated litigation can be resolved by the end of the year.

“In retaining Feinberg Rozen, LLP, with their nationally-recognized expertise, we are seeking to make sure we do the right thing in terms of providing a just outcome for the victims,” said Penn State President Rodney Erickson.  “We hope to enable a process that will result in settlement of many of the civil cases so that the victims will not have to be drawn through legal process.”

“We have been retained by Penn State to help both the University and individuals alleging sexual abuse reach a voluntary settlement in those individual cases where terms and conditions can be agreed upon,” said Feinberg. “We are not administering a compensation fund and have no binding authority to compel a settlement. We will merely facilitate the effort and only in those cases where individuals and their lawyers are so inclined. Having managed similar cases in the past we are confident we can help all parties involved in this matter and are pleased to have been selected for such an important role.”

For more information contact Penn State spokesperson David La Torre at 717.608.6337 or david@latorrecommunications.com

Topics: president rodney erickson, president erickson, feinberg rozen, llp, litigation

President Erickson to address National Press Club Oct. 31

Penn State President Rodney Erickson will give a status report on the state of the University in a major speech to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, as part of the club’s Speakers Luncheon Series. Erickson will discuss what the University has learned from the child sex abuse scandal, reforms it has put in place, and its ongoing commitment to its core mission of teaching, research and service.

Erickson’s Oct. 31 remarks will underscore some of the University’s outstanding accomplishments this year: Penn State’s ranking as one of the top 50 world universities; the University’s student-athlete 88 percent graduation rate that tops the NCAA Division I average; the robust growth of Penn State’s research enterprise with more than $807 million in research expenditures; and the $10.7 million Penn State students raised last year for THON -- the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, which annually raises funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer.

“In the face of the challenging times we’ve experienced, it’s important that the world knows Penn State is and always will be a world-class university with a mission of teaching, research and service,” said Erickson. “Penn State is defined not by the actions of a few, but by the deeds of hundreds of thousands committed to making our world a better place -- leaders in our communities, academia, business, research, athletics and philanthropy.”

Following the University’s Oct. 29-30 conference on child sexual abuse, Erickson also will discuss Penn State’s commitment to making child sexual abuse prevention part of the University’s mission.

“Penn State is adamant about focusing our energy in a positive way to help identify, prevent and treat child sexual abuse -- a challenge that, as we have learned in the most personal of ways, knows no bounds.”

The National Press Club is one of the nation’s premier speaking venues and boasts more than 3,500 members. Luncheon speakers are selected by a committee under the direction of the club president.

For more information about President Erickson’s speech, please visit www.press.org. To reserve tickets, e-mail reservations@press.org or call 202-662-7501. 

Topics: president rodey erickson, president erickson, rodney erickson, press club

NCAA establishes independent task force for $60 million endowment

The NCAA today announced it has established an independent task force to develop the philosophy and guidelines for the $60 million endowment, created under the Consent Decree, that will benefit external programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse and victim treatment.

“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.”

The 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 Dr. Nan C. Crouter to serve on the task force.

As vice dean for clinical affairs at Penn State 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 Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. 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.

Dr. 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).

Topics: ncaa, ncaa investigation, consent decree, president erickson, ncaa task force

Board of Trustees meets; President Erickson’s remarks

Penn State President Rodney Erickson delivered the following remarks during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees, held Sept. 14 on the University Park campus.

Good afternoon and welcome. This is the first board meeting of the new academic year, and classes have been in session for about three weeks. I want to say how nice it is to be surrounded by the rhythms of academic life -- papers to be written, quizzes to be graded and department potlucks to be attended. I’ve often thought that one of the main symbols of our academic life -- especially for young faculty or grad students -- is a covered casserole dish.

Perhaps more than any other year, we have all welcomed this return to normalcy and the energy that the students bring to campus.

It seems that at least one administrator thought school looked like so much fun, he decided to return to the classroom as well. Bill Mahon will be stepping down from his position as vice president for University Relations later this year. He has accepted a faculty position in the College of Communications beginning in the upcoming spring semester. Much as we’ll miss him, I couldn’t be more pleased for our students and faculty. Bill will contribute a truly unique set of experiences in public relations and journalism, as well as leadership in internal and external communications and social media.

Notably, Penn State’s social media initiatives were recently ranked No. 1 in the country, according to an assessment of 1,600 schools.

In addition, U.S. News & World Report ranks Penn State among the Top 50 Best National Universities. Our reputational ranking is also outstanding. This year, Penn State moved ahead two places to 36th place. We’ll have a chance to thank Bill later, but let’s take a moment to recognize him now.

We won’t have the final numbers for the incoming class until later this fall, but I had the opportunity to welcome a very enthusiastic group of students at the President’s New Student Convocation, and they turned out in record numbers for Be a Part from the Start the next day.

At this point, we’re fairly confident that our final new student enrollment at University Park will be just over 7,700, which will be a 120-student increase over last year’s incoming class. The numbers for the Commonwealth Campuses are still changing, but we do expect to be down somewhat from last year.

It’s also not too early to think about next year’s class, and it’s clear that high school seniors are thinking about us. We opened the application window on September 1 and almost immediately about 1,000 students pushed the send button to submit their application. This is fairly typical behavior of ambitious, college-bound seniors, and we will certainly keep you updated throughout the year.

This September also saw the launch of a new way to celebrate all that is right about Penn State.  "Faces of Penn State" showcases the personal accomplishments, public contributions and pioneering spirit resulting from the Penn State experience, education and community.  The students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and local community members featured in the campaign embody Penn State’s values of teaching, research and service, and have reached significant personal or professional achievements.

The campaign will select individuals on a rolling basis throughout the academic year and highlight their stories on faces.psu.edu. Since its launch, the page has had more than 4,100 visitors. For a brief introduction to this campaign, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7eiqhZwDyE

With that theme in mind, I have few people I’d like to recognize today.

First, I’m very pleased that Evan Pugh Professor Bruce Logan could join us to receive his medal. The title of Evan Pugh Professor is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a faculty member of our University and is given to faculty whose research, publications and creative work are of the highest quality; who are acknowledged national and international leaders in their fields; who are involved in pioneering research or creative accomplishments; and who demonstrate excellent teaching skills. Bruce, can you please join me at the podium?

Dr. Logan joined the Penn State faculty in 1997. His research has focused on the sustainability of the water infrastructure and the production of electricity from biomass to help provide energy for the needs of water infrastructure. He specializes in microbial fuel cells, biological hydrogen production and new methods of renewable energy production. Dr. Logan received his doctorate from University of California, Berkeley. He is a Fellow of the Water Environmental Federation and International Water Association. Dr. Logan received the Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize for his research in water science and technologies in 2009.

Congratulations!

Also with us today is Chris Staley, the Penn State Laureate for 2012-13. Chris is a ceramic artist and distinguished professor of art, and his work is included in collections around the world. He also is a gifted and visionary teacher, who has been reaching out to the community with a series of videos on YouTube.  So far, he has discussed whether you can teach creativity -- the answer is yes by the way. And recently he addressed "How do you Grade Art?," which attempts to explain why some paintings that look like your child did them are hanging on museum walls. I encourage you to go online to watch the video; you’ll see there are good reasons! During Chris’s laureate year, he plans to visit many of the Commonwealth Campuses, and he’ll be delivering a lecture at an upcoming Penn State Forum. Chris, can you please stand to be recognized? Please join me in thanking Chris Staley for sharing his talents with the Penn State community.

As a direct result of our outstanding faculty, Penn State’s research enterprise continues to show robust growth. Over the last decade, our research expenditures have doubled to reach more than $807 million last year. That is quite a feat and a credit to Hank Foley, our vice president for research, and our terrific faculty given the fiscal challenges that have faced our economy, the federal agencies and other funding sources. It also is a confirmation of the value of the research being conducted across our great University.

Consider a few examples:

Penn State’s Applied Research Lab was just awarded a $48 million contract through the Defense Advanced Research Agency to lead an effort to streamline the design and manufacture of U.S. Department of Defense equipment, including weapons and other complex systems. This project has the potential to revolutionize the design and building process for complex defense systems and to significantly shorten the time from prototype to field use. ARL will lead a team comprised of commercial, military and academic partners.

Last week, Penn State was named as one of four universities who will collaborate on a national nanotechnology research effort to help develop self-monitoring health devices. This effort will be supported by a $18.5 million National Science Foundation grant, and it has the potential to transform health care by improving the way doctors, patients and researchers gather and interpret important health data.

The Penn State team includes faculty from the colleges of Engineering, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Education, and Health and Human Development, with Tom Jackson, Penn State professor of electrical engineering, serving as the center’s research director.

The National Science Foundation also has recognized Penn State with a $3 million IGERT grant to support innovative Big Data Social Science training for future researchers.

Political scientist Burt Monroe will lead a multi-disciplinary team from the colleges of the Liberal Arts, Information Sciences and Technology, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Health and Human Development, and Engineering to develop new curricula and training in advanced technologies of data science and analytics.

There also will be a challenge mechanism, under which interdisciplinary teams compete to innovate solutions to real social data analytics problems. IGERTs are scarce, and this is only the second in Penn State's history.

Another research area where Penn State continues to make new discoveries is in the deepest seas.

Iliana Baums, assistant professor of biology, recently validated a hypothesis developed by Darwin in 1880. Darwin believed that most species could not cross the Eastern Pacific marine barrier, and Dr. Baums's study is the first comprehensive test of that hypothesis using coral. Her work has important implications for climate change research, species-preservation efforts, and the economic stability of the eastern Pacific region.

Another seafaring researcher, professor of biology Charles Fisher, was recently honored with the Excellence in Partnership Award by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program for his work in the Gulf of Mexico.

And here’s one more noteworthy award. Suzanne Shontz, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, was among 96 researchers named by the White House as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. This is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers.

This fall, people everywhere will see “Why We Dance,” a 60-minute documentary on THON. Created by Penn State Public Broadcasting, this project chronicles the student-run philanthropy, and the children, families and students who are changed by the experience.

The premiere will take place this afternoon at the Hershey Theatre, and over the next several weeks, this video will be shown to a wide range of audiences.  It also will be broadcast throughout Pennsylvania on Sept. 27 and will be available online and through Comcast on Demand.

I wish to introduce some of the people responsible for the project. Would the following people please stand: Craig Weidemann, vice president for Outreach, Jeff Hughes, executive producer, Cole Cullen, producer and director, and Laura Miller, marketing strategist. Please join me in recognizing their dedication and excellent work.

This week also saw the first Career Days of this year. We had more than 500 employers attend the three-day long event and interview thousands of students. Our fall career days are just one of a vast number of career fair offerings over the course of a typical year. We also have been encouraged by the fact that prominent employers are targeting Penn State as one of their top tier schools for recruitment. What’s more, at Penn State the Career Days are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of career assistance for students.

Penn State Careers Services offers student resume databases and job postings, on-campus interviewing, employer partner programs, access to career programs for Commonwealth Campus students, and graduate follow-up surveys. All of this supports Penn State’s No. 1 ranking among career recruiters and the recent Princeton Review ranking that placed our Career Services at the No. 2 spot in the nation.

One upcoming event that has received national attention is “The Child Sexual Abuse Conference: Traumatic Impact, Prevention and Intervention.” Organized by the Penn State Justice Center for Research and Penn State Outreach, the conference will convene some of the nation’s top experts in child sexual abuse and child trauma research, prevention, and treatment for a public forum on this nationwide problem. Speakers will include Sugar Ray Leonard and Elizabeth Smart, both of whom suffered sexual abuse as children.

The response has been excellent and registration is now full. I would like to introduce the organizers of the conference, and ask that they please stand. From the Penn State Justice Center, we have Doris MacKenzie, who serves as director, and Kate Staley, who conducts research. Pam Driftmier is director of conferences at Penn State Outreach. Please join me in thanking them for planning this important conference.

Also, I’m pleased to announce that Benjamin Levi, professor of pediatrics and humanities, has assumed the directorship of the Center for the Protection of Children at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital Dr. Levi is a practicing pediatrician and highly published expert in the area of mandated reporting of suspected child abuse. He will focus on development of the Children’s Hospital clinical program for child protection, a program integral to the center’s mission to improve the detection, treatment and prevention of child abuse.

Moving on to community news, I want to say how much I enjoyed participating in the fifth annual LION WALK this year. This is a joint initiative between Penn State and State College Borough. Over the course of the evening more than 150 volunteers reached out to residents in more than 700 homes. Our message of  “We are…one community,” was well received by all -- especially when it was delivered by the Nittany Lion, who had gifts for the students! Joining us were State College Borough Chief of Police Tom King, State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, Tom Poole, Damon Sims, along with many other Penn Staters.

Another annual tradition is Ag Progress Days, which were held in August at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs. Although I was not nearly as popular as the rabbits or the go-cart races, it was a great pleasure to speak to a capacity crowd at the annual Government and Industries Luncheon and to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, which paved the way for land-grant education.

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Penn State Beaver for the dedication of their new Wellness Center.  This beautiful project was a true community collaboration made possible through the use of the Beaver campus Student Facility Fee, generous philanthropy and the commitment of the faculty and staff. Centers such as this further our goal of enhancing the student experience, both in an out of the classroom.

Later this afternoon, we’ll dedicate the 2011 Senior Class Gift, which is a Veterans Plaza in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, Penn State distinguished alumnus and Medal of Honor winner. This dedication comes just days after heavily armed militants attacked the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, killing four Americans.  One of the fallen was Sean Smith, a Foreign Service information specialist, Air Force veteran and active World Campus student.

Sean was unexpectedly deployed to Libya last week for what was to be one month. His concern, beyond leaving his wife and two children in the Netherlands, was keeping up with his World Campus coursework due to “power outages and meeting deadlines.”

Words cannot adequately convey the magnitude of this loss. Sean and his family are in our thoughts and prayers. This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the importance of honoring our veterans and those who risk their lives in service of our country. I hope you will join me at 5:30 in Schwab Auditorium as we recognize the many veterans and military families who have served our nation with courage and fortitude.

Moving on to Athletics. This season, our athletes continue to show their commitment, pride and unity through their actions and support for one another. Penn State has 800 student-athletes and 31 varsity sports, but just one team. This is evidenced by the camaraderie among the coaches, the athletes and the community. As Bill O’Brien said, “We’re one team. We should be able to support our coaches and student-athletes in every sport, no matter where they play.”

That was certainly the case for the women’s soccer home opener against No. 1 ranked Stanford. The match attracted an overcapacity crowd of 5,117 spectators, which smashed the previous mark of 3,912. The game was a heartbreaker for the Nittany Lions, but the fans were treated to a thrilling competition.  There will be more action to come this season with star players like juniors Maya Hayes and Taylor Schram. Last weekend, Maya and Taylor were in Japan, playing in the U20 World Cup with the USA Team. They helped their team win an upset victory over Germany to claim the World Cup. Both of these women are phenomenal players, and they’re currently back at Penn State…just in time to host Wisconsin on Sunday.

Penn Staters also made their mark in the ultimate international competition -- the Olympics. A total of five Penn State alums earned medals at this year’s games, and a school record 17 Penn Staters represented their school and countries. Medal winners include: Megan Hodge and Christa Harmotto, who won silver for Women’s Volleyball; Erin McLeod and Carmelina Moscato, who earned bronze for Team Canada’s soccer, or rather, football team; and Natalie Dell, a 2007 graduate and member of the club-level Penn State rowing squad, who earned a bronze medal for Team U.S.A.

Finally, I wish to turn your attention to Penn State employees, who loyally support our community members in need through the United Way.

In the face of difficult economic times and very challenging University times, Penn State employees continue to help others. Centre County United Way is Penn State’s “charity of choice,” and you will find our employees working year-round on ways to raise funds that approach $1 million dollars for local United Way agencies.

Trash to Treasure is one of the biggest fund-raisers, but our employees pitch in for Day of Caring, and they come up with other creative ideas as well -- like a Dunk-the Dean contest and the Big Burger Challenge, where teams strive to be the first to finish a 15-pound burger. I’ve heard that the Physical Plant team usually wins, but then again, they go up against the Penn State Student United Way group, which usually has a vegetarian or two.  If any of the trustees want to form a team, contact this year’s Penn State United Way chair, Damon Sims.

Now, please join me in recognizing Damon for his leadership, Chris Brady, who served as last year’s chair, along with all faculty and staff who contribute to this worthy charity.

Now I’ll be happy to take your questions.

Topics: board of trustees, president rodey erickson, president erickson