The University of South Florida announced Wednesday a program that provides all of the school's student-athletes with access to a 13" MacBook Pro. The school said in a statement that the program was intended to allow student-athletes the ability to work on course assignments and to view academic materials "at any time." The university also said it would be adding new lectures to iTunes U for all of its students.
"The goal is to create an anywhere, anytime learning environment for each of our student-athletes," USF Director of Athletics Doug Woolard said in a statement. "Apple's MacBook Pro will assist in providing comprehensive academic support services while accommodating the demanding practice and travel schedules of our student-athletes. Our traveling teams will now be connected to classes, academic advisors and tutors anywhere in America, or for that matter the entire world."
The laptops must remain property of the school -- in this case the Athletics Department of USF -- due to NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2. As such, the devices will be checked out to students every semester.
USF also said that the program was being funded by the NCAA Academic Enhancement Fund, private funds raised from the school's Bulls Club annual auction, and a grant from the Verizon Foundation.
Roughly 360 USF Student-Athletes & Their MacBook Pros
Photo Courtesy of USF