Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)

WestConn SAAC Schedule of upcoming events:

Friday - March 12

SAAC has split up into 3 sub-committees that are responsible for planning and organizing our 3 Spring events (Campus Clean-up - Athletic Auction – Field Day).  At last week’s SAAC meeting, the subcommittees separated into their smaller groups to brain-storm ideas about what they want to do with these events.  There were a TON of great ideas that were generated.

These sub-committees will be meeting tomorrow at 12:15 in the O’Neill Center Conference room to start the planning and organization of the 3 Spring SAAC events.  This is NOT a regular SAAC meeting with all 50 students that have attended SAAC meetings this year….only sub-committee participants.  If any of your SAAC students who would like to come and be part of a sub-committee (whether they didn’t or couldn’t sign up prior)…they are more than welcome.

It is important that we get a lot done tomorrow with our next SAAC meeting not being until April 9th because of Spring Break and Good Friday on April 2nd.

The list of Subcommittee members is below:

Amy Hartman
Jessica Bouwman
Samantha Avery
Natalie Crosby
Kelley Collins
Michelle Hearns
Katelyn Farrell
Alyssa Heller
Meghan Mammone
Michael Baccaro
Rachel Gabrielson
Sarah Stevens
Brianna Mitterando
Nicole Perrone
Dennis Poulter
Kara Krurzkiewicz
Lindsay Gorman
Michael Yates
Jessica Arconti
Liz Vitale

Friday - February 5

Hello all,

We are starting up SAAC this Friday with our first meeting of the semester.  The SAAC meeting will be held in the O’Neill Center Conference Room (202) at 12:15 PM this Friday (Feb 5th).

At the end of last semester our numbers for SAAC were relatively low and we felt it was time to “restructure” how SAAC goes about its business, conducts its meetings, re-establish what it is that SAAC looks to accomplish, and how SAAC is portrayed not only within our athletic family…but on campus as a whole.

This could be a very exciting time to be part of something special within our athletic department…but we are going to need your support in order to start this positive change by encouraging your student athletes who choose to be part of SAAC to simply commit to being a part of the process.

What we are requesting from all of the coaching staff is to have as many of your student athletes (who do not have a commitment this Friday at 12:15 PM) to attend this initial SAAC meeting.  There will be some snacks to munch on…and if they want to bring their lunch…that’s fine also.

I can’t express how important it is to have AS MANY of our athletes at this first meeting…whether or not they think they want to be part of SAAC.  Even if they decide that they will not be part of SAAC for the remainder of the semester, I think that once they hear some of the ideas that we have for SAAC and the direction that we’re looking to go…we will have a much more energetic and enthusiastic group who DOES choose to commit.

Please feel free to call/email me with any questions.  I’m looking forward to seeing as many of your athletes as possible on Friday!

Greg Poole
WCSU Volleyball
GO COLONIALS!!!
(203) 837-9022

SAAC

WestConn's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is a student led group comprised of representatives from each of its varsity athletic teams.

SAAC meetings are held on a regular basis throughout the academic year. The purpose of the meetings include, but are not limited to: discussing questions and concerns raised by student athletes, discussing policies and procedures that impact student athletes, and planning community based programs.

Participation in SAAC provides an opportunity for personal growth and development. At the same time, it also provides an opportunity for individuals to have an active role in the administration and evaluation of the intercollegiate athletic department. As a direct link between the athletic staff and the nearly 325 student athletes on campus, SAAC affords students the opportunity to engage in open communication with members of the athletic and university staff in an effort to maximize their experiences as a student and athlete.

The goals of the group include:

1. To improve the overall athletic experience for all student athletes.

2. To enhance the image of the intercollegiate athletic department among members of the campus and local communities.

3. To serve as the liaison between all student athletes and the athletic department.

4. To develop and conduct community service activities.

History of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

An Association-wide SAAC was adopted at the 1989 NCAA Convention and was formed primarily to review and offer student-athlete input on NCAA activities and proposed legislation that affected student-athlete welfare.

The initial national committee was comprised of student-athletes from all membership divisions for the purpose of ensuring that the student-athlete voice was one that accounted for the myriad of educational and athletics experiences of both female and male student-athletes at all NCAA member institutions. In August 1997, the NCAA federated along divisional lines. The federation caused the SAAC to expand to three SAACs representing NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

Each national divisional committee is comprised of both female and male student-athletes charged with the responsibility of assisting in the review of NCAA proposed legislation and representing the voice of the student-athlete in the NCAA governance structure. This is accomplished by providing student-athlete input on issues related to student-athlete welfare that are division-specific. (Federation has increased student-athlete participation in the governance process of intercollegiate athletics by increasing the number of SAAC members from the former Association-wide committee of 28 student-athletes to a sum total of 79 members serving on the national Divisions I, II, and III committees).

The input of the respective Divisions I, II and III SAACs continues to be sought by a variety of constituencies within the Association. Student-athlete committee members have the opportunity to speak with their respective NCAA Management Councils, and the Divisions II and III SAACs continue to speak to legislative issues on the NCAA Convention floor.

National SAACs (Divisions I, II and III) at a glance:

• Generate a student-athlete voice within the NCAA structure.

• Solicit student-athlete response to proposed NCAA legislation.

• Recommend potential NCAA legislation.

• Review, react and comment to the governance structure on legislation, activities and subjects of interest.

• Actively participate in the administrative process of athletics programs and the NCAA.

• Promote a positive student-athlete image.