Preamble:

Intercollegiate athletics places great demands on the time, energy and attention of student-athletes. Colleges and universities can and must provide the opportunities for participants to be successful students and fulfilled athletes. It is the belief of Villanova University that it is the responsibility of the University to provide the necessary programs and support to help the student-athlete to achieve that goal.

Constitution and By-Laws

Article I. Name

The name of the organization shall be the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Article II. Mission Statement, Purpose and Goals

Section I. Mission Statement

The mission of the Villanova University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee shall be consistent with the University mission statement, and the mission statement of the Athletics Department. The student-athlete is recognized to be at the heart of the Athletics program. The mission of the SAAC is to assist in the creation of an environment where all athletes have the opportunity to maximize their academic, personal and social growth and arm them with the tools for a productive and satisfying life during and after college.

Section II. Purpose

Ø      To promote effective communication between  the Athletics administration and the student-athletes to better serve their needs.

Ø      To encourage involvement of student-athletes in the campus and surrounding community life.

Ø      To promote better communication and camaraderie among teams.

Ø      To examine current NCAA rules and their effect on the student-athletes and to make recommendations to the administration.

Ø      To serve as liaisons among the athletics department, coaches and student-athletes.

Ø      To increase awareness of the athletic programs on the campus and in the surrounding communities.

Section III. Goals

The major goal shall be to transform the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee into a more involved organization by structuring committees to organize various events and opportunities for the student-athletic body.

Article III. Membership

All committee members must be a sophomore, junior, or senior status. Freshman will be allowed to serve only in the circumstance that an upperclassman is not available.

There will be two representatives allowed for each team. Representatives will be chosen by the respected coaching staff by their discretion (i.e. voting, volunteering etc).

Attendance at all meetings and organizational events is required. SAAC will meet once a month and have several functions. Three (3) unexcused absences will result in your dismissal of SAAC.

Article IV. Officers

Section I. Officers

The SAAC shall elect a President, Vice President and Secretary to be known collectively as the Executive Board.

Section II. Powers and Duties

The President shall preside with the advisor (Student Services) over all the SAAC meetings and communicate regularly with the administration and help with the agenda for the regular SAAC meetings.

The Vice President shall preside over all the SAAC meetings in the absence of the President. Vice President shall assist the President with the scheduling and planning the meeting agenda with the consultation of the advisor.

The Secretary shall keep written records of all SAAC and Executive Board meetings. He/She shall record the minutes of the monthly meetings and distribute to the advisor.

SAAC representative shall attend every meeting. Attendance records will be given to coaches. They shall report back to the team about SAAC activities after each SAAC meeting and inform them of the events happening in SAAC.

Section III. Election

The appointment of the President, Vice President and Secretary shall be determined by the Student Services Office.

Article V. Meetings

Section I. Meeting Schedule

The meetings will be once a month and SAAC, in conjunction with the Student Services Office, will decide the time and place before each semester. Executive meetings will be held one week prior to general meetings.

Article VI. Amendments and Revisions

Section I. Amendments

This constitution may be amended at any time by a two-thirds vote of the general SAAC, subject to the approval of the Student Services Office.

Section II. Revisions

This document must be reviewed every year by the SAAC and resubmitted to the Student Services Office.

Article VII. Programs & Projects

Ø      Adopt-A-Family: Every team adopts needy families to provide them with food, clothing and toys for Christmas. Each team was provided a description of the family assigned to them, money was donated by team members, and gifts were purchased and delivered to families. This program is held during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ø      Adopt-A-Team: Teams are matched with other teams to support them during competition. This program gives the student-athletes an opportunity to interact with other teams.

Ø      Pen Pal Program: The student-athletes exchanged letters once a month between 5^th and 6^th graders at an elementary school located in a lower economic area. Athletes write on the importance of school, making the right choices and selecting goals for success. The students will be invited to the Villanova campus in the spring to meet their pen pals, tour the campus and see presentations on positive life choices.

Ø      Community Service: Each team is required to participate in one community service event. The SAAC representatives will be given various ideas throughout the year to communicate with their coaches and teammates on what event to participate in.

Ø      Talent Show: In 2004, we implemented the Student-Athlete Talent Show to interact teams and the athletic administration. This event will be held the first week of spring semester. SAAC will have several sub-committees to plan this event.