April 26, 2004

I thank the commission for your commitment to this important yet difficult task.

The university is extremely grateful.

I want to assure you that your work is essential to helping guide our decisions and we will take your recommendations very seriously.

Before I address the issues into which you are inquiring, I would like to say a few words about the University of Colorado.

We pride ourselves on our impressive academic history and our ability to offer students a superior education and opportunities for personal growth and development.

Among our current or recent faculty members are three Nobel Prize winners and seven MacArthur Genius Award winners.

A survey just published in The Economist ranked CU-Boulder the 11th best public university in the world.  We continually rank in the top five among public universities in research grants awarded by the National Science Foundation and NASA. 

Seventeen CU graduates have flown in space as NASA astronauts.  That is among the highest output of any university in the nation.

We also must not forget that the overwhelming majority of our students are intelligent, responsible, ethical women and men who care deeply about each other and their university. They want and expect a first-rate education.

But, over the past several months, the outstanding achievements of our students, faculty, and staff have been overshadowed by deeply troubling allegations about out football program and athletic department.

The gravity of the issues the university is facing is lost on no one in the CU community.

The lives of young women and young men have been forever changed.

We know that it is extremely important for us to do what we can to address these issues in the most judicious and expedient manner.

This is why I welcome the opportunity to address the commission and to thank you for your commitment to this task.

Among the important steps the chancellor and I already have taken to address the issues include the following:

With my support, Chancellor Byyny and Athletic Director Tharp implemented additional measures related to the recruiting process in 2002, creating what we believed at the time to be one of the strictest recruiting programs in the NCAA.

In the fall of 2000, I charged a systemwide committee to recommend a clearer and more comprehensive university policy on sexual harassment.  I also recommended that there be a strong educational component to the new policy.  I accepted the recommendations by the committee and that newly revised policy is now in place.

I strongly endorsed the chancellor’s recommendations for changes in policies and programs to address the increasing problem of alcohol abuse on the Boulder campus.  And, I support the Boulder campus’ ongoing efforts to improve its sexual assault protocol.

We intensified an ongoing review of our policies and procedures as well as their implementation not just with regard to the football program and recruiting, but also with regard to alcohol abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault on campus. 

We began our internal investigation with both an internal audit and outside counsel.

At my urging, this commission was established to examine the allegations related to recruiting and our athletic culture.  Numerous members of the university community have been working diligently since the commission’s inception to provide you with open and candid testimony as well as with all the documents and information you need. 

I understand that the co-chairs of the commission met with university representatives to develop a plan for the provision of the remaining documents and information you need as you complete your investigation.

We supported the governor’s appointment of the Colorado Attorney General as a special prosecutor.

We recommended the appointment of Dr. John DiBiaggio because of his nationally renowned expertise in athletic reform, which we believe is uniquely augmented by the fact that he is a former president of three major universities.

We believe having someone outside of CU who can experience first-hand the everyday life in the athletic department can provide to the chancellor and me an extremely valuable perspective on which we can base some of our decisions.

The chancellor and I also placed head football coach Gary Barnett on paid administrative leave pending the completion of the investigations.

And in early March we implemented further recruiting changes resulting in the nation’s most stringent set of policies and procedures regarding Division IA football recruiting. 

I believe all the information that will result from the investigations will help us realize our vision to become a national example of how to create a culture of personal respect and responsibility in our football and athletic programs and throughout the campus.

We are grappling with questions of morality, judgment, culture, privacy rights, and confidentiality.  These are all complex issues that do not lend themselves to easy answers.

Over the next few weeks, Chancellor Byyny and I will be receiving information from a variety of sources.  A critical part of this information is your report. 

We value the collective expertise and breadth of experience that the commission represents, and we will continue to provide you the information you request to help you reach sound recommendations.

We will take all the information into consideration as we make a plan for moving forward.  But we should all be aware that these issues will not be permanently resolved in the Spring of 2004.  They will require constant attention, constant monitoring and review, and constant vigilance to ensure that we create the kind of campus environment our students, faculty, and community deserve.

I give you my personal commitment that we will respond.

We will not tolerate sexual harassment or exploitation in our athletic department or anywhere in the university.

We are determined to have a high level of oversight and accountability in our football program and athletic department.

We will rise to our responsibility to create a culture that is respectful, healthy, and safe for all students.

And, we are determined that through our words and our actions, we will restore confidence that the University of Colorado is and will continue to be a great university, in academic achievement, in athletic achievement, and in the positive cultural environment it creates for its students.

I am happy to respond to any questions you may have.