SFC cuts athletics budget over new life skills program

Portland State’s Student Fee Committee has made cuts to the athletic department’s budget in hopes that the department would be more committed to a program that would help student-athletes develop off the field.

The reason the SFC gave for the cuts was because members were concerned with the lack of department programming that addressed student-athletes’ development outside of athletics. The cuts would not affect student-related positions, wages, athletic scholarships or graduate assistants.

Athletic director Torre Chisholm said the department will appeal the SFC’s decision.

“I think they want to see or feel that [the athletic department] has a tangible influence on student-athletes outside of athletics,” Chisholm said.

SFC Chair Aimeera Flint said that student-athletes’ needs are not being fully addressed.

The athletic department said it wanted to implement a life skills program, but did not list any items in their budget that corresponded to request funding for the program, Flint said.

“The life skills program includes student-athletes’ development outside of academics and athletics [such as] character development, time and financial management, diversity training and alcohol abuse awareness,” Chisholm said.

According to Chisholm, the reason there were no items pertaining to the life skills program in the budget is because it is unknown how much funding will be necessary for the department to carry out its plans.

“There was not a life skills line item because we didn’t know what the expenses would be,” Chisholm said.

Chisholm said he is working with Flint to create a 15-member task force, which will primarily consist of students and will include some student-athletes, to assess the department’s devotion to a life skills program that will ensure the education of student-athletes in areas outside of athletics.

The task force will review the department’s programs to make recommendations for addressing these concerns.

Chisholm said he will present to the task force the efforts the athletic department is making to enhance its life skills program in hopes that by sometime around the fourth week of spring term the task force will be able to determine the department’s commitment level.

The athletic department is planning to launch several life skills initiatives, Chisholm said.

These include having a former student-athlete return every other week to speak about being an athlete while attending school, which Chisholm said is set to launch this January, quarterly seminars on a variety of topics and a community engagement portion that would require each athletic team to perform two volunteer efforts each year.

Chisholm said in order to make these initiatives take effect he planned to purchase materials for the student-athletes, such as books or binders with readings pertaining to a speaker’s presentation, and hold mentorship trainings for the former student-athletes who are slated to participate.

While Chisholm said he has some idea of what these materials may include, his plan was to figure out what the total expense would be and then file a reserve request later this academic year to receive additional funding from the SFC.

The life skills program, Flint said, would provide valuable services for student-athletes.

“It’s about accountability and implementing programs that serve student needs,” said Alex Robinson, an SFC member.