OSU A&M Board of Regents forms task force to review policies and procedures in the wake of Penn State University athletic investigation

Friday, July 27, 2012

*OSU/A&M Board of Regents news release

At the OSU A&M Board of Regents meeting today, Chair Andy Lester called for a system-wide review of policies and procedures as they relate to the recent athletic department investigation at Penn State University. The following is Chairman Lester's statement:

In the almost five years I have served on this board, I have come to appreciate the skill, dedication and hard work of each of my fellow regents. As regents, each one of us is keenly aware of the responsibilities entrusted to us to provide thoughtful and thorough oversight of the institutions we govern.

We have all been reminded of the importance of these duties as we watched the recent events unfold at Penn State University. Those tragic and unspeakable events serve as a lucid reminder of how important it is to work cooperatively with our institutions to make certain what happened there does not happen at any of our institutions.

It is my belief our board has no choice but to take this opportunity to conduct a comprehensive review of our board and institutional policies, practices and procedures. We have an absolute responsibility to the many stakeholders at our institutions to apply the lessons learned from Penn State to strengthen our policies and to communicate clearly with all members of our college and university communities and the citizens of Oklahoma.

Therefore, as chair, I am announcing the formation of a task force consisting of both regents and members of our college and university communities to commence a detailed and systematic review of our policies and procedures with the expressed aim of ensuring they are comprehensive, responsive and decisive.

Regent Tucker Link has agreed to chair the task force.

The Oklahoma Legislature created the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges on July 11, 1944. The board oversees and governs five institutions, including Connors State College, Langston University, Northeastern Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, and Oklahoma State University. The Oklahoma governor appoints eight of the nine board members with the consent and approval of the Oklahoma State Senate. Board members serve eight-year terms. The Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture automatically serves on the board. The board's mission is to guide and uphold policies and procedures of the institutions it governs.