In light of recent scandal surrounding alleged sexual abuse by coaches at Penn State and Syracuse universities, the UW-Madison Athletic Board discussed how it could prevent a similar situation at Wisconsin.
Athletic board members said the department has a variety of mechanisms to respond to an abusive situation.
At the university, adult athletic department employees must follow specific guidelines, such as not transporting student-athletes in personal vehicles.
The university also has a “threat assessment team” to assist if allegations of abuse were to arise.
Athletic Board Chair Dale Bjorling said Penn State does not have an athletic board and the different parts of the athletic department are not as connected as they are at UW-Madison.
“If you have a concern, talk about it,” Bjorling said. “In the Penn State situation, football was separate from the rest of the athletic department. They were their own enterprise. Here, things are more integrated.”
