Mitchell’s 57-page report, which came 90 days after Penn State signed an Athletic Integrity Agreement in August between the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Big Ten Conference, concludes that significant progress has been made within the university, but there is still much work that remains to be completed.

With the help of his law firm, DLA Piper LLP, Mitchell will be delivering quarterly reports to the university for a term of five years. Mitchell was chosen as the athletics integrity monitor the day that Penn State signed the binding consent decree issued by the NCAA.

In his report, Mitchell explains his meetings with senior leaders and administrators at the university, including Penn State President Rodney Erickson and Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees Karen Peetz. Students were also contacted by the former senator.

“[Penn State] is conducting far more than a ‘check the box’ exercise; those responsible for the individual reforms appear to be making a good faith effort to implement them in a manner that will improve the functioning of the University,” he wrote in the report.

But Mitchell also points out that there is still much to be done, including certain items that have a deadline of 120 days after the date of the integrity agreement. Some of these include appointment of an athletics integrity officer, the installation of that officer as the chair of the newly established Athletics Integrity Council and the implementation of the newly adopted Code of Conduct for Intercollegiate Athletics.

“This report indicates the strength of Penn State’s continuing commitment to integrity, responsibility, institutional control and ethical conduct, as well as the significant progress that Penn State has made since July,” said University President Rodney Erickson in a press release issued via Penn State Live. “We are proud of our University, including most specifically our students, faculty and staff, and we also are proud of our efforts to date in complying with the Athletics Integrity Agreement. While we recognize that there is much more to do, we’re happy that Sen. Mitchell and his team recognize all that we have done and we are committed to continuing these efforts, in full compliance with the consent decree and the Athletics Integrity Agreement.”

The next report will be released in February of 2013.