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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mark Aydelotte or Shirley Melikian Armbruster     (559) 278-2795

May 1, 2003

University Receives Supplemental Letter from NCAA

California State University, Fresno has received a supplemental Letter of Inquiry from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The supplemental letter focuses on the academic fraud issues that prompted President John D. Welty's decision to hold the men's WAC champion basketball team out of post season competition in March.  None of the issues outlined in the supplemental letter involves any member of the current team or coaching staff.

The letter formalizes the interaction between the NCAA and the university regarding the previously detailed academic fraud issues.  The university is preparing a written response to the NCAA on the issues outlined in the supplemental letter. 

After the initial response is filed a formal hearing will be held with the NCAA infractions committee.

Instances of academic fraud were found earlier this year as part of a joint investigation by the university and the NCAA.  Allegations were made that some student athletes had assistance in completing writing assignments by an individual who was paid to complete those assignments.  Those allegations were reported in the Fresno Bee newspaper. The investigation by the university and the NCAA substantiated most of those allegations.

Prior to his action to self-impose the penalty of holding this year’s WAC champion men’s basketball team out of post season competition, President Welty had already imposed a set of corrective actions in the university’s athletic program in response to an ongoing joint review by the university and the NCAA.

Welty took the actions in December in formal response to the original July 24, 2002, letter of official inquiry from the NCAA and after a subsequent investigation of the issues identified in that letter.

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