Rutgers University to Commission Independent Review of Circumstances and Process Around Men's Basketball Program
April 8, 2013
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Rutgers University President Robert L. Barchi and Board of Governors Chair Ralph Izzo announced today plans to commission an independent adviser to conduct a review of the circumstances surrounding the men’s basketball program as well as the procedures used to investigate allegations related to former head coach Mike Rice.
The Board of Governors and President Barchi will meet on Thursday, April 11, to discuss the process for identifying an independent adviser to conduct this review.
In a joint statement, University President Barchi and Board Chair Izzo said, “We believe it is in the interest of the entire Rutgers University community to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the inappropriate behavior in the men’s basketball program and how they were addressed, and to make recommendations on how we can improve. We believe that such a review will benefit from the involvement of an independent adviser, and it is our intention to move quickly with this review.”
On a related matter, Board Chair Ralph Izzo commented in response to media reports concerning the role of the board in this matter:
“During a news conference held at Rutgers University on Friday, April 5, I was asked if members of the Rutgers Board of Governors had seen last fall the video containing excerpts of men’s basketball practices. At the time, I responded that at the December 14, 2012 meeting of the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics the committee received a report that action had been taken with the head basketball coach for inappropriate behavior. I also stated that I had reviewed the minutes of the committee meeting and had spoken with some of the members who were present at the December 14 meeting. Also at the news conference last Friday I said that, while the details are a little unclear, what is clear is that video was reviewed.
“In continuing our lesson learned efforts, I was able to confirm on Saturday, April 6 that the chair of the Board of Governors Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics reviewed the video in early December. The video was not seen by the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics or by any other member of the Board of Governors.”
Established in 1766, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is America’s eighth-oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nation’s premier public research universities. Serving nearly 60,000 students on campuses in Camden, Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers is one of only two New Jersey institutions represented in the prestigious Association of American Universities.