Once again addressing the allegations of improper benefits to student-athletes, University of Miami president Donna Shalala vowed the school "will learn from any mistakes" in a letter to the editor of the Miami Herald.
Considering UM was sanctioned within an inch of its life in 1996 after a Pell Grant scandal and -- yep -- allegations of improper benefits, there really must be a first time for everything.
Shalala offered little new information on the NCAA investigation into former booster and convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro's allegations he provided football and basketball players with cash, gifts, and prostitutes.
But she did characterize the previous weeks as "quite painful for me," and said it was not known how long the investigation might take.
"It is way too early to know all of the details — and the NCAA is taking the lead in our joint investigation — but the allegations alone cause serious concerns.
"Here’s my commitment: I will do, and we will do, everything possible to find the truth, learn from any mistakes and take measures to prevent any such behavior from happening again."
Shalala wrote that new athletic director Shawn Eichorst is reviewing the compliance policies and procedures of the athletic department, and promised to "pursue this investigation wherever it leads us."
The former Secretary of Health and Human Services under Bill Clinton, Shalala knows from scandal. While under some fire by media in the wake of the scandal, she told school paper The Hurricane on August 18 that she has no intention of resigning.
“Officially I’m here and I’ll be here as long as you all here and as long as I feel healthy and energetic, and I can still make contributions,” she said. “So you should not be thinking there’s some end out there. I’ll be here for a long time.”
