About SAAC:
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) represents the Division III student-athlete voice in the Division III governance structure by reviewing legislation; identifying significant student-athlete issues; implementing national student-athlete based initiatives; encouraging community outreach; and enhancing Division III student-athlete involvement in and understanding of Division III in general. More information can be found on the NCAA DIII SAAC Website.
UMass Boston SAAC Mission Statement:
UMass Boston is an NCAA Division III institution and is a member of the Little East Conference and the New England Hockey Conference. As members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), we must connect the committee with each of our respective teams, coaches, and the athletic administration while we strive to enhance the overall student-athlete experience. As athletes and leaders on campus and in the community, we must foster an environment of collaboration and service. We vow to dedicate our time and effort to serving our fellow student-athletes, the local and campus communities with our work. (Adjusted 7/29/24)
To fulfill our mission, we must:
A. Promote the growth of intellectual, physical, and social behaviors of the scholar athlete.
B. Provide a forum for discussion of matters of concern for athletic teams.
C. Discuss, adopt, and carry out procedures necessary for the general welfare of UMass Boston athletics.
D. Promote effective communication between athletics, administration, and the student-athletes to better serve the needs of the student-athlete body throughout their collegiate experience. (Adjusted 11/7/24)
F. Encourage involvement of student-athletes in community service and fundraising ideas for charity.
G. Work to enhance student-athlete mental health on campus by increasing education and resources for student-athletes while helping to reduce the stigma around mental health. (Adjusted 11/7/24)
H. Encourage communications between athletics, student body, campus community and the local community members. (Added 5/30/23)
Constitution
Article I - Name: University of Massachusetts Boston Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
Article II - Statement of Purpose:
A.To generate student-athletes voices within the University of Massachusetts Boston campus and in our respected conferences; Little East Conference/New England Hockey Conference.
B.To solicit student-athlete response to proposed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) legislation.
C.To suggest potential NCAA legislation.
D.To create a vision for student-athlete representation on campus, conference-wide, and nationally.
E. To actively engage in our local community both on and off campus, to provide a better experience for those around us.
F. To create an environment of open communication between athletes, the athletic administration, UMass Boston’s administration and campus around the needs of the student-athletes. (Adjusted 7/29/24)
G. Promote a positive student-athlete image on campus and in the community. (Adjusted 7/29/24)
H. Play an integral role in the structure of our athletics department and the formulation of policies regarding student-athletes by prioritizing student-athletes' needs, well-being, and holistic development and ensuring their voices are heard when shaping the decisions that affect their lives. (Adjusted 11/7/24)
Article III - Membership: SAAC is open to all full-time eligible student-athletes at the University of Massachusetts Boston who are in good academic standing. (Adjusted 7/30/24)
A. Each team will have representation on the committee, amounting to 10% of each roster, rounded up to the nearest whole number. This ensures proportionate representation for all teams. For example, if the Men's Soccer team has 26 members, 10% of that roster is 2.6. Since we cannot have a fraction of a SAAC member, we will round up, resulting in 3 representatives for the Men's Soccer team. The representatives can be voluntary or chosen by the head coach, the athletic director, the senior women’s administrator, SAAC advisor, and/or SAAC officers. All representatives must be approved by the head coach and SAAC administrator before officially joining SAAC. (Adjusted 7/30/24)
B. In the event a representative terminates his/her participation on an athletic team and forfeits their student-athlete status, the representative relinquishes his/her official status as a member of SAAC. (Adjusted 7/30/24)
C. Honorary membership will be taken into consideration for those who have previously served on SAAC, are in good academic standing, and are highly recommended by a coach. (Added 4/19/16)
D. All members of SAAC must be active eligible athletes on their respective teams. If a student-athlete is no longer academically or athletically eligible, the head coach is required to email the SAAC advisor that the student-athlete should be removed. However, in the case of a medical retirement (MDQ) from sport, a student-athlete may remain a part of SAAC if they wish as they can still be involved in their respective sport program. (Adjusted 7/30/24)
E. Chosen representatives must be in good academic standing with the university and be trusted to uphold the rules established by the NCAA guidelines and the UMB Student-Athlete Handbook. (Added 5/30/23)
F. Representatives will serve a two-semester term, however there is no limit to the number of semesters a student-athlete can serve on the committee. (Added 5/30/23)
G. When athletes can no longer serve on SAAC due to graduation, a class conflict, or lack of interest, the remaining team representatives should collaborate with their head coach and the SAAC advisor to select a new representative. If the coach or the SAAC advisor feels that a representative is not a good fit, they will work together to name a new SAAC representative for that team. (Adjusted 7/30/24)
H. In the event a team has a vacancy for SAAC representation based on the roster calculation in (A), the SAAC advisor, coach, and team SAAC representatives should collaborate to fill that vacancy at the beginning of the year. (Added 7/30/24)
Article IV - Meetings:
A. Meetings are held on a bi-monthly basis at an established time which works the best for the entirety of the committee at a location within Clark Athletic Center, unless communicated otherwise. Meetings times should remain consistent throughout the semester. (Adjusted 7/29/24)
B. The first meeting of each semester should occur no later than the third week of classes.
C. Executive Board meetings will be held on a consistent basis on a day and time that works best at the discretion of the Executive Committee and the SAAC Advisor. (Adjusted 7/29/24)
Article V - Attendance:
A. It is the duty of each representative to attend all SAAC meetings. Absences are excused only in the following cases: documented emergencies, athletic competition occurring during scheduled meetings, or if student has an exam. Excusable absences must email the President, Secretary, and the SAAC Advisor at least 24 hours before the meeting.
B. In an absence, the representative must delegate to teammate the responsibility to attend the meeting.
C. Three unexcused absences from a meeting are cause for dismissal from the SAAC.
- After one unexcused absence, the head coach and team representative will be notified by email. After two unexcused absences, the members shall be provided with a written warning, and the head coach will be notified again. A third unexcused absence will result in the representative being expelled and the search for a new replacement will begin. (Adjusted 7/30/24)
- Unexcused Absences Defined: An unexcused absence is defined as an absence from a regularly scheduled meeting without providing written notice to the President, Secretary, and SAAC advisor at least 24 hours in advance.
Documented medical emergencies are the only excused absences without prior written notification.
Article VI - Executive Committee:
Section I: Nominations of the Executive Board and Committee Chairs:
A. Officers will be nominated on the third Monday of April at the last SAAC Meeting of the school year.
B. Officers can only be elected if they have been a member of SAAC for at least one year.
C. Each nominated member will have to have a second member of SAAC approve of the nomination.
D. The nominated parties will be responsible for submitting a statement of why they want to be on the Executive Committee or in the Committee Chair roles by the fourth Monday of April to the SAAC Advisor.
E. Once statements are submitted the SAAC advisor, the athletic director and the Senior Women Administrator will review the statements and nominations.
F. After nominations are accepted and the statements are approved; each member will cast one (1) vote to choose the board using a google form.
G. Members will have one week to cast their votes via the google form.
H. The Executive Committee will be named in the second week of May after votes are reviewed and tallied.
Section II: Term Length of Elective Positions:
A. All officers shall serve for a one-year term. However, officers are eligible for re-election for a consecutive term providing they will be a full-time student-athlete for another full academic year and get nominated again by a peer.
B. In the event of removal, resignation, or vacancy of the President, the Vice-President will move into the President position, and the executive team announces a new Vice-President.
C. In the event of removal, resignation, or vacancy of the Committee Chair position, the executive team will elect new individuals for the position.
D. Impeachment of an elected officer can take place when two-thirds of the membership votes for impeachment. Two-thirds of the committee must be present for this to take place.
Section III: Elected Positions:
SAAC has 4/5 executive officers that make up the Executive Committee; President (or co-Presidents), Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Additionally, there are 5 Committee Chair members serving on our Social Media, Community Engagement, Events/Campus Engagement, Student-Athlete Wellbeing, and DEI committees. All Committee Chair members are nominated at the third Monday of Aprils SAAC meeting. (Adjusted 7/30/24)
President (or Co-Presidents):
- Leadership and Oversight: Provide overall leadership and direction for the committee, ensuring all activities align with the mission and goals of the UMass Boston Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
- Meeting Facilitation: Preside over all meetings, setting the agenda in collaboration with other executive members and ensuring productive, timely discussions.
- Representation: Act as the primary representatives of the committee to the athletic department, university administration, and external organizations. This will include providing regular communication updates at athletics coaches meetings (monthly).
- Initiative Coordination: Oversee the planning and execution of committee initiatives, events, and projects in conjunction with committee leadership.
- Delegation: Assign specific tasks and responsibilities to committee members as needed.
Vice-President:
- Support to Co-Presidents: Assist the Co-Presidents in all their duties and assume their responsibilities in their absence.
- Project Management: Assist with taking the lead on specific projects or initiatives, ensuring timely progress and completion. All projects/initiatives will be a coordinated team effort.
- Liaison Role: Act as a liaison between committees or task forces and the Executive Board by working closely with Committee Chairs and maintaining open communication.
- Membership Engagement: Work to increase engagement and participation among the broader student-athlete community.
- Event Coordination: Assist with planning and coordination of major SAAC events, ensuring they are well-executed and meet committee objectives.
Treasurer:
- Financial Oversight: Oversee the financial affairs of the committee, including budgeting, financial planning, and tracking expenses.
- Budget Management: Prepare and present the annual budget for approval and manage the allocation of funds throughout the year. Also, prepare a fundraising goal and plan for what funds would be used towards.
- Expense Reporting: Maintain detailed records of all financial transactions and provide regular financial reports to the Executive Board and SAAC.
- Fundraising Coordination: Lead fundraising efforts and initiatives to secure additional funds for the committee’s activities.
- Compliance: Ensure all financial activities comply with university and NCAA policies and regulations.
Secretary:
- Record Keeping: Maintain accurate records of all meetings, including minutes, attendance, and decisions made.
- Documentation: Ensure all important documents are properly filed and accessible to committee members (via the SAAC OneDrive).
- Communication: Manage internal communication within the committee, including sending out meeting reminders, agendas, and follow-up emails.
- Database Management: Keep an updated list of committee members and their contact information.
- Correspondence: Handle external correspondence as directed by the Co-Presidents or Vice-President, including maintaining a SAAC calendar of events.
(All position descriptions were adjusted on 7/30/24)
Committee Chair:
- Committee Management: Assist in the coordination and management of the various committees within SAAC (which may change year to year), ensuring each committee is functioning effectively and meeting its goals.
- Communication Facilitation: Serve as a key communication link between the committee and the Executive Board, ensuring information flows smoothly and issues are addressed promptly.
- Support and Guidance: Provide support and guidance to committee members, helping them plan and execute their initiatives and projects.
- Resource Allocation: Assist in the allocation of resources, including time, funding, and personnel, to ensure committees have what they need to succeed and to achieve their goals.
- Reporting and Accountability: Oversee the progress of committees, ensure they are meeting their deadlines and objectives, and provide regular updates to the Executive Board and the SAAC community during meetings, as needed.
(Added 7/30/24)
Article VIII - Amendment Procedures:
- Articles may be amended by two thirds vote of the total membership in favor for passage of amendment.
- An amendment must be proposed in writing at least once before it is voted on.
