(SAN JOSE, CA, May 21, 2021) San José State University President Mary Papazian has met with Director of Athletics, Marie Tuite, about the future leadership of the Athletics Department and agreed that Ms. Tuite will step down from her current role.
"My tenure as the Athletics Director at SJSU has been one of my greatest joys and accomplishments," stated Ms. Tuite. "I am proud to have worked alongside many incredible coaches, administrators and educators as we built world-class facilities and won conference championships, but nothing will ever compare to seeing the success of thousands of student-athletes who have competed and graduated as Spartans."
Effective immediately, Ms. Tuite will transition to the role of special director of external relations and capital project development. Her responsibilities will include increasing financial support for the athletics department, with an emphasis on a variety of facilities on the South Campus.
"I love San José State University and I am committed to its mission. My new role allows me to continue this important work, and I am grateful for the opportunity to do so," stated Ms. Tuite.
In 2019, President Papazian requested an external investigation into allegations of misconduct in 2009 by Scott Shaw, SJSU's former director of sports medicine. The 2009 allegations of improper touching during physical therapy were substantiated, as were more recent allegations raised in the course of the investigation. The investigator concluded that the conduct at issue violated the university's policies in effect at the time of the conduct.
The investigation was conducted by an external attorney investigator and was supervised by the CSU Systemwide Title IX Compliance Officer. The findings are now final.
In response to the finding Ms. Tuite stated, "As a leader, I am deeply sorry our student-athletes were impacted by Scott Shaw. I will continue to fully cooperate with any and all investigations. My key objective here is to let our community heal."
In 2020, President Papazian requested an external Title IX Procedural Response Investigation to answer questions about the original 2009 investigation and how the university responded to the findings. At the conclusion of that investigation, President Papazian pledged to, "hold ourselves accountable, make necessary changes, and continue to share our progress with the SJSU community. She added, "accountability, action, and transparency are critical to rebuilding trust."
Ms. Tuite began her tenure at San José State University in 2010, shortly after the conclusion of the initial Shaw investigation. Following seven years of university service in several executive athletics administration positions, she was promoted to the position of director of athletics. As of May 21, 2021, Ms. Tuite was one of 13 women athletics directors at an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.
San José State University has made many strides in the department of athletics over the past several years, including increasing competitiveness in all sports both in conference play and nationally. During the 2020-2021 academic year, the football and women's tennis teams won their conference championships. Several other teams, such as women's and men's water polo and men's soccer, finished with high national or conference rankings. The department's overall Academic Progress Rate (APR) has grown with a 65% increase in the number of student-athletes who earned President's Scholar and Dean's Scholar honors. The department also received some of the largest philanthropic gifts over the last several years.
Read President Papazian's open letter to the campus community on April 15, 2021.
Read a detailed document with frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding the investigation into Scott Shaw, former director of sports medicine. The FAQ will be updated as necessary.
Read a summary of the results of the 2019 external investigation into Scott Shaw, former director of sports medicine.