2006-07 SAAC COMMITTEE GOALS

GOAL ONE
To facilitate a positive student-athlete image by promoting good sportsmanship and publicizing the accomplishments of student-athletes. This may include athletic and academic accomplishments as well as community service activities.

Identified drivers, restrainers and methods of implementation:

1. Drivers:
   • Campus newspapers.
   • Community media (newspapers, radio and television).
   • Working with media representatives.
   • SAAC providing information to the various forms of media.
   • SAAC newsletter.
   • Provide information to student-athletes related to Conference expectations of sportsmanship and ethics.
   • Continue to emphasize sportsmanship through the use of the signed sportsmanship statement.
   • Recognize institutional staff members who promote student-athletes and intercollegiate athletics.
   • Forward information on acts of good sportsmanship to the Conference.
   • Team captains participate in the process by nominating student-athletes (and coaches) for their acts of good sportsmanship.
   • Each institution establishes a sportsmanship award.
   • Institutions select the name of the sportsmanship award; name after a significant person or event. Make the award an honor to receive.
   • Support from administrators, coaches and student-athletes.
2. Restrainers:
   • Time and effort.
   • Negative media coverage.
   • Negative faculty response.
   • Hierarchy of information (or lack of information).
   • Little dissemination of information - stories on good sportsmanship.
   • Lack of participation.
   • Identifying significant person or event in which to name the award.
3. Implementation:
   The committee agreed that while this goal is still important, many of the current problems with intercollegiate athletics result from its culture and that the problems often do not come directly from student-athletes but rather, from the fans. The committee identified several ideas that may help in promoting good sportsmanship at intercollegiate athletic contests. These include:
   
   • Improved seating.
   • Monitor fans as they arrive at the contest for any items that may promote unsportsmanlike behavior.
   • Strictly enforce facility rules and provide punishments that are the same across the board.
   • Be aware that team sports have a tendency to have more problems.
   • Work to change the culture of intercollegiate athletics.
   • Increase accountability.

GOAL TWO
To bridge the trust gap between student-athletes and coaches/administrators.

Identified drivers, restrainers and methods of implementation:

1. Drivers:
   • Prior relationships with coaches and/or administrators.
   • Getting to know key people in the athletics department (e.g., AD, SWA, FAR, Compliance Coordinator).
   • Rules Education.
   • Use of the Champs/Life Skills Program.
   • At the annual team meeting, provide student-athletes with a list of responsibilities/duties of the key people in the athletics department.
   • Determine the coaches/administrators responsibility to report confidential discussions with student-athletes.
2. Restrainers:
   • Lack of knowledge - not knowing who to go to with certain issues.
   • The stressful nature of certain situations.
   • Prior relationships with coaches and/or administrators.
   • Fear.
   • Consequences - good/bad.
   • Time and effort.
3. Implementation:
   • Encourage institutions to allow student-athletes to sign regarding the 20 hr/week rule without coaches present. Academic advisors can be used to monitor the 20 hour rule and provide better circumstances for student-athletes to report any violations of the rule.
   • Encourage administrators to attend SAAC meetings. This may result in improved communication between student-athletes and administrators. It also provides a venue for student-athletes to express any concerns or issues they may have.

GOAL THREE
To improve student-athlete lives by raising awareness of welfare issues.

1. Health:
   • Eating disorders
   • Drinking
   • Drugs
   • Nutrition (NCAA)
   • Over-training (obsession)
   • Mental
     • Stress
     • Suicide
2. Safety:
   • Sexual harassment
   • Date rape
   • Aggression/discipline
   • Self defense
   • Parties
   • Laws
3. Social/societal
   • Homosexuality
   • Title IX
   • Understand what you represent
   • Financial
   • Voting
   • Gambling
   • Tolerance
     • Diversity (racism, cultural)
     • Religion (MWC)
     • Respect

Identified drivers, restrainers, and methods of implementation:

1. Drivers:
   • Educating people of what is out there and ways to, once recognized, improve situations.
   • Accessibility.
   • Educational seminars.
   • Pamphlets.
   • Support staff (and academic staff).
   • Campus resources.
   • NCAA / conference resources.
   • Community support.
   • Develop tolerance (respect among peers).
2. Restrainers:
   • Lack of support.
   • Lack of student-athlete open-mindedness (administrators as well).
   • These issues are sensitive and must be approached with caution.
   • Finding quality resources for specific issues.
3. Implementation:
   • Encourage quality versus quantity of seminars.

GOAL FOUR
To inspire and develop student-athletes into leaders of character beyond athletics. This will positively impact their professional environment and community.

Identified drivers, restrainers and methods of implementation:

1. Drivers:
   • Athletes to speak (testimonies to kids, etc.).
   • Someone to mentor them.
   • Get them to THINK about how they're experiences have helped them to grow in this respect. (Also enhances their professional skills, i.e., speaking, appearance, etc.).
   • Encourage/motivating them.
   • Seminars.
   • Resources (books, etc.).
   • Publicity/advertisement (awareness).
   • News articles (highlights).
   • Service Opportunities in the community.
   • Leadership development programs.
   • Mentors.
     • Older adults/role models for athletes
     • Upper-class to lower-class
     • Coaches.
     • Athletic Directors to Coaches to Athletes
   Determine the coaches/administrators responsibility to report confidential discussions with student-athletes.
2. Restrainers:
   • Apathy.
   • "Bad apples" / selfish individuals.
   • Close-mindedness.
3. Implementation:
   " Encourage student-athletes to become well-rounded by providing various educational and professional development opportunities. " Continue to become involved in the local community.

GOAL FIVE
Assisting institutional student-athlete advisory committees to become successful by improving the awareness and functionality of the institutional SAAC.

• Create bylaws and define roles.
• Create a "SAAC" class and receive academic credit.
• Create a leadership class.
• Accept the personal responsibility of informing other student-athletes of the SAAC and its functions.
• During freshman/newcomer orientation conduct a session on the institutional SAAC.

GOALS ACHIEVED

The following goal was achieved, however, the committee would like it to be a continuing initiative.

To facilitate better communication with campus faculty as it relates to missed class time policies and to pursue this as an issue for all students rather than for student-athletes only.

Identified drivers and restrainers:

• Drivers:
  • Conference Academic Initiatives Committee.
  • Create uniform missed class time guidelines that allow student-athletes who miss class due to competition to make up work missed during his or her absence. This includes providing assistance to a student-athlete.
  • Enhance relationship between the athletic department and faculty.
  • Provide faculty advanced written notice of absence.
  • Provide competition schedules to faculty.
  • Conduct an annual forum with the athletics department and faculty to discuss missed class time and other academic and athletic issues.
  • Keep faculty informed on athletic issues (may use electronic communication).
  • Invite faculty to athletic meetings and events.
  • Communication with other institutional organizations regarding whether missed class time due to events is a problem for those groups.
  • Review schedule of general university events, including athletics, to determine how other groups might be affected.
  • Provide written statement to provost or academic committee on campus regarding student-athletes' position on missed class time policies.
  • Provide information to student-athletes at the first meeting of the year outlining the expectations for each student-athlete as it relates to missed class time due to competition.
• Restrainers:
  • Time constraints of faculty and student-athletes.
  • Identifying an individual(s) who will be responsible for keeping faculty informed on athletic issues.
  • Tentative athletic schedules.
  • Personal accountability.

ARCHIVED SAAC COMMITTEE GOALS

• 2005-06 Committee Goals
• 2004-05 Committee Goals
• 2003-04 Committee Goals
• 2002-03 Committee Goals

TheMWC.com   WEB