Statement by PSU president Rodney Erickson

ENE Xtra

Discussion

July 23, 2012

Statement by PSU president Rodney Erickson

Anonymous Associated Press Mon Jul 23, 2012, 09:45 AM CDT

The tragedy of child sexual abuse that occurred at our University altered the lives of innocent children. Today, as every day, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims of Mr. Sandusky and all other victims of child abuse.

Against this backdrop, Penn State accepts the penalties and corrective actions announced today by the NCAA. With today's announcement and the action it requires of us, the University takes a significant step forward.

The NCAA ruling holds the University accountable for the failure of those in power to protect children and insists that all areas of the University community are held to the same high standards of honesty and integrity.

The NCAA also mandates that Penn State become a national leader to help victims of child sexual assault and to promote awareness across our 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. This total of $60 million can never reduce the pain suffered by victims, but will help provide them hope and healing.

The NCAA penalty will also affect the football program. There is a four-year ban on all post-season games, including bowl games and the Big Ten Championship game, and a future reduction in the number of football scholarships that can be granted. We are grateful that the current student athletes are not prevented from participation because of the failures of leadership that occurred. Additionally the NCAA has vacated all wins of Penn State football from 1998-2011.

We also welcome the Athletics Integrity Agreement and the third-party monitor, who will be drilling into compliance and culture issues in intercollegiate athletics, in conjunction with the recommendations of the Freeh Report. Lastly a probationary period of five years will be imposed.

It is important to know we are entering a new chapter at Penn State and making necessary changes. We must create a culture in which people are not afraid to speak up, management is not compartmentalized, all are expected to demonstrate the highest ethical standards, and the operating philosophy is open, collegial, and collaborative.

Since receiving Judge Freeh's preliminary recommendations in January, the University has instituted several reforms. Today we accept the terms of the consent decree imposed by the NCAA. As Penn State embarks upon change and progress, this announcement helps to further define our course. It is with this compass that we will strive for a better tomorrow.

Penn State will move forward with a renewed sense of commitment to excellence and integrity in all aspects of our University. We continue to recognize the important role that intercollegiate athletics provides for our student athletes and the wider University community as we strive to appropriately balance academic and athletic accomplishments. Penn State will continue to be a world-class educational institution of which our students, faculty, staff and alumni can be justifiably proud.

___

Online: http://live.psu.edu/story/60475

Text Only

ENE Xtra

Photo slideshow: A treasure lost Renowned artist Charles Banks Wilson died Thursday, May 2, 2013, at age 94 and was laid to rest Tuesday in Miami, Okla. Wilson’s paintings permanently line the state Capitol dome and have been shown at the Smithsonian Institution, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Library of Congress.
May 8, 2013
Charles Banks Wilson remembered as storyteller
“He was a treasure, a great man, and his art will preserve Native American culture forever." — Quapaw tribal Chairman John Berrey

May 8, 2013 2 Photos
Transcript of long-missing woman's 911 call
Caller: I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years, and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now.

May 7, 2013 4 Photos
Photo slideshow: Boston bombing suspect in the crowd Photographers snapping pictures on race day catch images of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings that helped law enforcement officials identify and find them. Here are some of those images.
April 20, 2013 2 Stories
City of Enid polling places
Click headline to open polling places list.

March 5, 2013
FAA may close Woodring tower
Looming March 1 federal budget cuts have FAA looking at closing Enid airport tower.

February 22, 2013 1 Photo
Photo slideshow: Hayes HealthierUS Students at Hayes Elementary School were full of pride to be “one of a kind” Thursday when they celebrated being the only Oklahoma school to garner the Silver Award in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s HealthierUS School Challenge.
February 15, 2013 1 Photo 1 Story
100 injured by meteorite falls in Russia
Interior Ministry spokesman Vadim Kolesnikov said 102 people had called for medical assistance following the incident, mostly for treatment of injuries from glass broken by the explosions. See videos embedded.

February 15, 2013 3 Photos
100 injured in Russian meteor blast
February 15, 2013
Photo slideshow: Preserving memories Wess and Jolene Gray have begun a project at their photography business they think will preserve the memory of some of those people in businesses that won’t be around much longer, or trades that are dying out or going through massive changes. Wess said the photos are a way of preserving some occupations that don’t exist anymore. A photo is a memento that will trigger a memory, and Wess said people need something to take them away from the cares of the day. Here are a few of his photographs that hang on the wall of their photography studio.
February 9, 2013 1 Story
More ENE Xtra Headlines

ENE Xtra

Search Results

Discussion

Statement by PSU president Rodney Erickson

Site Map

Contact Us