Every current Fresno State student-athlete received an Apple iPad 2 this semester through the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund.
According to a release from Fresno State Athletics, the NCAA offers support for programs that “directly support the educational, financial and health and safety needs of student-athletes.”
The iPads purchased through the Kennel Bookstore, are a way to offer student-athletes who are constantly on the road a way to connect to the campus and keep up with their assignments, said Fresno State deputy director of athletics Betsy Mosher.
“Our student-athletes, and students generally, are on the go so much that having a mobile device is where the world is going,” said Mosher. “We’re happy to be able to do something for them.”
The department indicated it has been considering this program for a couple years. According to the press release, the money given by the NCAA can only be used to directly benefit student-athletes and cannot replace programs that are currently in place.
The department has been saving money for a number of years that would serve as a safeguard if anything bad were to happen, Mosher said. The result was a large amount of money in one-time funds that needed to be spent, the press release said.
“You have to spend it down, and it is required that you can only keep so much in there,” Mosher said.
The iPads came installed with Pages, iStudy, Keynote and Number, and the Fresno State Blackboard application. An Apple representative led four separate training sessions on how to best utilize the iPad. Each student-athlete was required to attend a session before receiving his or her iPad, said the press release.
“As we continue to examine how to best support our student-athletes, it’s important to remember that the Student Assistance Fund plays a key role in addressing the unmet financial needs that can develop in a student-athlete’s life,” said NCAA president Mark Emmert in the press release. “The Fund hasn’t always gotten the attention it deserves, but it is a vital resource benefiting thousands of student-athletes.”
The cost of purchasing the iPads was more than $200,000. Student-athletes were given one iPad, which then became their property. The iPad cannot be sold or given to anyone else and will not be replaced by Fresno State if it is lost or stolen.
The program will continue to incoming student-athletes, and the same rules will apply to them, Mosher said.
The Collegian attempted to contact student-athletes for comments, but was referred to the press release by Fresno State Athletics and was informed that no athletes would be available for interviews.