Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Best Practices

 

Division III Strategic Objective 3.2:  Increase opportunities for member institutions and conferences to share best practices in support of the Association's core values.

 

 

I.       Communication.

 

  1. How student-athletes can engage CEOs, directors of athletics, the athletic director's direct reports, coaches and other campus leaders to be advocates of their intercollegiate experience.

 

Division III Strategic Objective 3.1:  Increase opportunities and support for chief executive officers to participate and make more informed decisions about intercollegiate athletics.

 

CAMPUS

▪         Invite CEOs to Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meetings quarterly.

▪         Encourage student-athlete participation in CEO directed project teams.

▪         Forward SAAC meeting report to CEO.

▪         Invite campus director of athletics and/or the individual to whom they report to the meetings.

▪         Attend coaches' meetings.

 

CONFERENCE

▪         Select SAAC members in leadership positions to attend annual conference meetings (e.g., commissioners', director of athletics', faculty athletics representatives' and CEOs' meetings).

▪         Forward conference SAAC meeting report to commissioners, director of athletics, faculty athletics representatives and CEOs.

 

  1. Commitment and communication with the national SAAC.

 

Division III Strategic Objective 4.3:  Increase the timeliness, clarity, conciseness and effectiveness of membership communication.

 

CAMPUS

▪         Use e-mail correspondence to communicate with conference and national SAAC.

 

CONFERENCE

▪         Support the SAAC conference partnership program.

▪         Virtual focus groups.

▪         Develop or maintain conference SAAC listserves ensuring your national SAAC representative is a member.

▪         Hold at least one annual conference SAAC in-person meeting and/or conference call and communicate meeting information to national SAAC representative.

▪         Distribute and respond to the Division III quarterly newsletter.
  1. Establishment and use of a campus and conference SAAC Web site.

 

Division III Strategic Objective 4.4:  Increase use of technology to improve the effectiveness and efficiencies of Association processes.

 

CAMPUS

▪         Use athletic homepage to post SAAC information (e.g., chair and vice-chair contact information, meeting information).

▪         Establish campus listserve or electronic bulletin board.

 

CONFERENCE

▪         Use Division III conference SAAC or Technology Grant opportunity.

▪         Use conference homepage to post SAAC information.

▪         Use e-mail correspondence to communicate with national SAAC.

▪         Establish conference listserve or electronic bulletin board.

 

 

II.    Community Outreach and Sportsmanship Initiatives.

 

  1. Community outreach.

 

Division III Strategic Objective 1.3:  Increase opportunities for student-athletes to integrate their academic, athletics and social interests.

 

CAMPUS

▪         Host at least one community outreach event per year.

▪         Partner with other student and community groups (e.g., SAAC, student government, Greek life).

▪         Participate in other campus community outreach events.

 

CONFERENCE

▪         Organize at least one, conference-wide community service event per year.

▪         Set a goal to reach 100% institutional participation.

 

  1. Sportsmanship initiatives.

 

Division III Strategic Objective 2.3:  Increase sportsmanship in intercollegiate athletics among student-athletes, coaches and fans.

 

CAMPUS

▪         Encourage teams to develop sportsmanship policies or initiatives.

▪         Work with coaches and athletics staff to support policies and initiatives.

▪         Involve the community and campus staff (e.g., CEO, FAR, SWA, CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinator, SAAC advisor, Student-affairs staff) in sportsmanship discussions.

▪         Create a student-athlete generated sportsmanship statement.

 

CONFERENCE

▪         Encourage conference to develop conference-wide sportsmanship policies or initiatives.

▪         Track misconduct by institution and sports teams.

▪         Develop a conference sportsmanship award.

▪         Submit nominees for the NCAA Sportsmanship Award annually in June.

▪         Create a student-athlete generated sportsmanship statement.

 

 

III. SAAC Committee and Meeting Structure.

 

  1. How to fully engage student-athletes in the efforts of campus and conference SAAC.

 

Division III Strategic Objective 1.1:  Increase support of reform efforts that emerge from the governance structure.

 

CAMPUS

▪         Hold at least one meeting per month with representatives from each athletic team.

▪         Establish committee leadership through a definition of roles (e.g., chair, vice-chair and subcommittees).

▪         Establish a meeting structure (e.g., constitution and bylaws).

 

CONFERENCE

▪         Meet at least once annually (e.g., fall or spring).

▪         Hold conference calls as needed to address conference SAAC issues.

▪         Establish committee leadership through a definition of roles (e.g., chair, vice-chair and subcommittees).

▪         Establish a conference meeting structure (e.g., constitution and bylaws).

           

 

IV.  Leadership opportunities.

 

Division III Strategic Objective 1.3:  Increase opportunities for student-athletes to integrate their academic, athletics and social interests.

 

CAMPUS AND CONFERENCE

▪         Participate in NCAA Student-Athlete Regional Leadership Conferences.

▪         Encourage the establishment or enhancement of campus CHAMPS/ Life Skills Program.

▪         Establish conference and campus professional and/or personal development programs for student-athletes (e.g., resume development, nutrition).