What is the NESCAC SAAC?

Mission Statement
The mission of the New England Small College Athletic Conference Student Advisory Committee on Athletics is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by protecting and nurturing the health and well-being of all student-athletes.   

Purpose
The Conference SAAC is to serve as a vehicle for addressing and discussing concerns and issues facing student-athletes. The committee shall represent all students who participate in intercollegiate athletics. In addition, the committee will promote and celebrate student-athletes achievements.

Functions
The SAAC will serve as the liaison between the student-athletes of NESCAC member institutions and the administrators. The committee will serve as a voice to represent the concerns of all student-athletes and to discuss issues impacting student-athlete well-being.

Committee Members
The committee shall be comprised of 22 students-athletes. There shall be one male and one female representative from each member institution. The committee endorses ethnic and gender diversity in the composition of the committee. In addition, the committee strives to  have as many conference sports represented as possible and achieve balanced representation of individual and team sport athletes.  Individuals must have reached their sophomore year.  Each institution shall determine the process in which its committee members are selected. 

Committee members shall be appointed by October 1.

Term: Individual Committee members shall serve for a minimum of one year and may serve more than one term. Each representative should have an alternate appointed in the event that they cannot attend. Students choosing to go abroad must secure a replacement (the alternate) to serve in their absence. The committee encourages students not be appointed or elected to serve solely for their senior year. The vice-chair and chair each shall serve on the committee for a minimum of two years (one year as vice-chair and one year as chair). 

Ex-officio members of the committee shall include a representative from the Conference office, one Director of Athletics, one Senior Woman Administrator, and one Faculty member (FAR). 

Meetings
The committee shall meet a minimum of once a year (preferably twice - once each semester) at a central location. 

Communication
A list serve will be established by the Conference office through which committee members will communicate.

Structure
There shall be a chair, vice-chair, and alternate that shall be elected by the committee to serve as the executive board. The chair must be a member of the junior or senior class at his/her institution. The vice-chair and alternate must be a junior or sophomore.

The duties of the chair will be to chair all meetings of the SAAC. The chair will seek input for agenda items prior to scheduled meetings/conference calls and will forward such agenda to all committee members at least two weeks prior to the meeting. 

The vice-chair and alternate will assist the chair in running all meetings. The vice-chair will assume the duties of the chair in case of his/her absence. The vice-chair will be responsible for taking minutes and distributing such minutes to all committee members.

Upon the approval of the committee, the vice-chair will assume the duties of the chair after one year. If the committee does not approve this action, the alternate will assume the duties of chair upon approval of the committee. If the committee chooses to not endorse either the vice-chair or alternate, a new election of officers shall be held.

Voting
A quorum of 11 voting members is necessary to conduct committee business.  Each institutional representative shall have one vote.  To endorse a motion or proposal, a three-quarters majority of the individuals present is required.