September 18, 2017

The August 29, 2017 expiration of the original Athletic Integrity Agreement, signed by Penn State with the NCAA and the Big Ten in 2012, is an important milestone on a longer journey for the University. Along this journey we have made significant changes that are now part of our institutional identity. These include: the creation of our Ethics and Compliance Office; the hiring of an Athletic Integrity Officer; the transfer of our athletic compliance office to the Ethics and Compliance Office; the establishment of an Ethics and Compliance Hotline; the introduction of our Code of Conduct; the development of comprehensive integrity and compliance trainings and the implementation of an action plan to ensure compliance with Title IX; and are but a few of many.

The aggregate effect of these steps has earned Penn State praise and allowed the external monitoring of the Athletic Integrity Agreement to end in August 2015, two years earlier than the expiration of the agreement.

For a community whose motto is “We Are,” these changes are part of who we are at Penn State. As we move ahead, beyond the term of Athletic Integrity Agreement, we are maintaining the changes we made as part of that original agreement as our new Athletic Integrity Program. The Athletic Integrity Program, as set forth in the Operating Guidelines of the Athletics Integrity Council, demonstrates our commitment to conducting our athletic programs with the utmost integrity and with our mission firmly in mind. It maintains our Intercollegiate Athletics Code of Conduct as our ethical guidepost. It continues the Athletic Integrity Council as our primary internal oversight group and maintains Board of Trustee lines of oversight that have worked well in the last five years.

In July, we welcomed our Athletic Integrity Officer, Robert Boland, who will help lead this program forward. As we look ahead to a bright future, there are many people to thank for their dedicated work in reaching these achievements, especially Julie Del Giorno, our initial Athletic Integrity Officer. I also wish to thank the coaches, staff, student athletes, faculty and others who have supported our efforts in Academic Integrity. At times the journey was challenging, but we are a stronger institution for our many efforts.

Sincerely,
Eric J. Barron