Responding to last week's protests regarding Penn State's anti-sweatshop policies, Penn State President Graham Spanier issued a statement Wednesday intended to reaffirm the university's commitment to fair labor practices.

The statement outlines the history of Penn State's involvement with the Fair Labor Association, an organization that monitors working conditions in factories where apparel is manufactured.

In February, Penn State announced its affiliation with the Worker Rights Consortium, which also monitors the collegiate apparel industry.

The university continues to follow the code of conduct of the Fair Labor Association.

"It is important to offer a reminder about Penn State's aggressive track in monitoring labor conditions, as well as an opportunity to advise the campus community on how we evaluate and adopt any practical new policies," Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said.

The university was urged last week to adopt the Designated Supplier Program by a group of protesting students from United Students Against Sweatshops and Student Labor Action Project, as well as other concerned students.

Under the Designated Supplier Program, workers would be ensured a living wage and union representation, said Theresa Haas, president of United Students Against Sweatshops.

According to Spanier's statement, Penn State is investigating the Designated Supplier Program but has not yet determined if adoption is feasible or desirable.

Penn State supports the basic concept of the Designated Supplier Program, Kendig said.

"We want to work collaboratively with the [Worker Rights Consortium] and the [Fair Labor Association] to make sure it is both practical and enforceable," Kendig said.

Haas and the other students sought to have a meeting with Spanier on March 30 to present him with a written demand that the university adopt the Designated Supplier Program.

They were told that he was not in the office that day, and they have not been able to schedule a meeting with him since.

Haas pointed to the assertion in Spanier's statement that "the concept of a 'living wage' [as delineated by the Designated Supplier Program] has long been discussed but remains elusive in actual practice."

"The living wage is elusive to workers only because the brands and universities refuse to pay it," she said.

Haas said Spanier's statement presents information that she has already discussed with other administrators, including Associate Vice President for Finance and Business Daniel Sieminski.

"We continue to look at the [Designated Supplier Program] and are involved in discussion to try to get a much better understanding of how it would be implemented, whether it is feasible, and if it is long-lasting," Sieminski said.