MCLA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

2023-2024 SAAC Executive Board 

Justina Pardi	Tyler Cotting	Elle Walter-Goodspeed	Ken Fukuda	Em Marlay-Wright
Co-President	Co-President	Co-Vice President	Co-Vice President	Social Media
Softball	Men's Soccer	Volleyball	Men's Basketball	Women's Soccer

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has the responsibility of communicating, reviewing and advising the Athletics Department on any concern, which directly or indirectly affects the welfare of their academic or athletics involvement.  The Committee meets regularly throughout the academic year.  Two or more representatives from each team must attend meetings; however any student-athlete may attend and contribute.  The SAAC Executive Board encourages student-athletes to speak to a board member for more information.  Meeting minutes are posted on the SAAC web page.  The SAAC Executive Board positions include: Co-Presidents, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Social Media Representative.

Mission:

The mission of the MCLA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is to create a positive athletic experience for all student-athletes, promote a positive student-athlete image on campus, and create a sense of unity within the college and athletic department.

Article I -- Executive Board:

Roles and Responsibilities

A. Co-Presidents (1 male identified team representative & 1 female identified team representative)
1. Preside over all meetings while being sure to keep the SAAC constitution in mind while directing the committee
2. Serve as liaison between athletic administration and student-athletes

B. Vice President
1. Second in command, hold responsibilities of the president when the presidents are not present
2. Oversee subcommittees
3. Exercise the role of the presidents if they are not present

C. Treasurer
1. Maintains the budget and records expenses throughout the academic year
2. Record all meeting notes, votes and confirm votes are eligible before the final reading of election outcomes.

D. Secretary
1. Distribute meeting minutes to SAAC body, executive board, SAAC advisor(s), and Director of Athletics
2. Issues voting procedures, maintains ballots for nominations

E. Social Media Representative
1. Create posts that promote a positive image for MCLA athletics on SAAC social media outlets

F. Advisor
1. Serves as liaison between the committee and athletic administration, oversee the general operation of SAAC
2. Enforce the attendance policy for all team representatives
3. Mediate when issues arise

Article 2 – Nominations and Election of Executive Board Members
Nomination of Board Members

A. Any SAAC representative in good standing shall be able to nominate and vote during executive board elections, including nominating oneself for vacant positions.

B. An executive board member who will vacate their position due to graduation may recommend, thus nominating, a replacement to fill their previously held title

C. Representation of two-thirds of SAAC members must be present to nominate a representative for an open executive board position
1. Nomination by Proxy
            i. Representatives that are unable to attend, due to an excused absence only, shall be able to nominate a representative.
            ii. Any nomination must be made in writing and submitted to a member of the executive board or adviser prior to a nomination meeting.

Article 3 – Terms of Office

A. Elected executive board members serve for an unlimited time.

B. Exiting board members maintain their responsibilities until the end of the academic year.

C. It is the responsibility of the existing board member to ensure that their successor is competent and informed of all duties bestowed upon them.

D. An incumbent officer can be re-elected to the executive board in any position. There is no term limit for any board position.

Article 4 – Voting, Movements and Methods of Overrule and Amendments

Section 1 -- General Voting

A. At least two-thirds of the representative body must be in attendance for a vote on any legislation or election to be counted, and enacted.

B. Each representative shall receive one vote, with only 2 votes from each team.

Section 2 – Ratification of Constitution

A. All proposed amendments must be made in writing and addressed to the executive board, to be read to the representative body for a motion to be ratified.

B. Any member can motion to amend constitution, and must be supported by at least one member for motion to be considered open for a vote by the president.

Article 5 – Representative Eligibility

Section 1 – Eligibility

A. Any student-athlete is eligible to serve as a SAAC representative.

Section 2 – Ineligible Representative or Team, and Reinstatement

A. Any member of SAAC shall be removed from their position as a representative if any of the following are true-

        1. Representative has been removed from the team, voluntarily or otherwise
        2. Have had three consecutive unexcused absences
        3. Executive board determines the representative has displayed poor personal judgment that could reflect poorly on the institution,
            SAAC or student-athlete population

Article 6 – Meeting Requirements and Absences

Section 1 – Meetings

A. All representatives are expected to attend and fully participate in all planned meetings.

B. Representatives should be open-minded and respectful of others contributions, regardless of whether they personally agree or disagree.

C. Decisions made should be seen as in the best interest of the student-athlete body.

D. Arrive in timely manner, and notify an executive board member or adviser if you expect to be late for any reason.

Section 2 – Absences

A. Excused absences are those that are due to-
       1. Required meeting for class or speaker
       2. Varsity event takes place on or off campus during scheduled meeting time
       3. Family emergency
       4. Prior approval by executive board member or advisor
               a. SAAC members may send a designated representative in their place if the primary representative cannot attend

B. Unexcused absences will be addressed as follows -
       1. An email warning from the president to the student-athlete
       2. Written warning to the student-athlete, coach and advisor, with imposed action
       3. Disciplinary action taken by president, and notification sent in writing to student-athlete, coach, advisor and Director of Athletics.