1. To promote communication between athletics administration and student-athletes.
2. To promote a better understanding of the needs of student-athletes.
3. To provide feedback and understanding of athletic department matters.
4. To solicit student-athlete responses to proposed NCAA DIII legislation.
5. To actively promote and support Houghton University athletics and encourage interaction and a sense of community between athletics teams.
6. To enhance the image of student-athletes on campus and in the community by encouraging involvement of student-athletes in campus and community projects.
7. To provide programs for student-athletes that will encourage academic achievement, health promotion, social responsibility and general awareness.
8. To create an opportunity for student-athlete representation on campus-wide committees to discuss issues pertaining to the student-athlete's well-being.

MEMBERSHIP
 

1. Membership shall consist of two representatives from each of the men's and women's varsity athletic teams.
2. Each member serves as a liaison between the committee and his or her individual athletics team.
3. Each team shall be entitled to a single vote in all matters before the committee.
4. Members will serve as a team representative through their senior year. A committee member who does not fulfill their responsibilities or an emergency situation arises, their membership may be altered.
5. A member who becomes ineligible (academically, chapel attendance, etc.) or who is placed on disciplinary probation will need to resign their position and a new representative from their team will needed to be voted in.

 
SELECTION
 

1. Committee representatives are nominated by their teammates and voted on by their team. Nominations and voting are approved by the Head Coach of each team in the spring for the upcoming year.
2. Teams are expected to have at least one of their representatives be a junior or senior.
3. An interim representative(s) for a team will be nominated for a semester when a current representative has commitments to an abroad program.

 
RESPONSIBILITIES
 

1. Attend all committee meetings and activities.
2. If unable to attend, inform SAAC Advisor and communicate with fellow team representative.
3. Represent the team's views at committee meetings.
4. Report to the team and the coach on all SAAC activities.
5. Organize team members to help with special projects.

 
EXPECTATIONS
 

1. Members must conduct themselves in a professional level, acting as leaders and liaisons to their respective teams.
2. Members are accepting the responsibility of representing the NCAA DIII student-athletes, Empire 8, and Houghton University.
3. Members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner.
4. It is the responsibility of the SAAC members to become informed and educated about the various issues affecting NCAA Division III.
5. At all times, SAAC members must keep their campus and conference committees educated about current issues.
6. While attending meetings, members must be open-minded and respectful of other people's

opinions.
 
ATTENDANCE
 

1. Attendance at all SAAC meetings is required. Absences are excused only in the following cases: family emergencies, athletics competition or academic reasons (*Semester Abroad).
2. Two unexcused absences are cause for dismissal.
3. If an individual plans to miss a meeting, he or she must inform the SAAC Advisor/Co-Advisor regarding the planned absence and provide a written notice before the meeting date.
4. The SAAC member is required to refer relevant campus and conference issues to the full committee prior to a missed meeting.
5. The absent member is responsible for communicating with a fellow SAAC member to discuss agenda items covered during the missed SAAC meeting. *Representative(s) that participate in a semester abroad program will be excused for the semester and replaced by an interim representative(s) from their respective team (for that semester).

 
OFFICERS/EXECUTIVE BOARD
 
Elections and voting for officers will take place in the Spring Semester. Current Executive Board members are welcome to run again for their elected position. The committee will elect, by election
the following positions:
 
1. President

• Presides over meetings.
• Sets the agenda for meetings with the SAAC Advisor.
• Serves as the student-athlete liaison to the institution and Athletic Department.
• Functions as spokesperson to the conference SAAC, national SAAC, and community.
• Guarantees the commitments of SAAC are carried out to the best of his/her ability.
• Serves a one-year term.

2. Vice President

• Presides over meetings and functions of the president in the president's absence.
• Oversees subcommittees that may be formed as a response to the needs of the conference SAAC
• Performs all duties which are required of the office by the committee.
• Serves a one-year term.

3. Secretary.

• Responsible for maintaining attendance records.
• Responsible for recording meeting minutes and reports and delivering them to the appropriate individuals or groups (e.g., President, Executive Director of Athletics, Conference SAAC chair, SGA).
• Serves a one-year term.

4. Treasurer.

• Responsible for submitting budget requests.
• Responsible for keeping written records of money spent and raised by the conference SAAC
• Serves a one-year term

5. CIA Representative (This may or may not be one of the four elected Officers)

• Athlete appointed by Student Government Association to serve on the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics.
• Responsible for reporting back to the CIA and SGA on issues that impact athletics at Houghton University.

 
VOTING AND ELECTIONS
 
All executive board-elected positions are appointed during the Spring Semester. Their term will be for a full academic year.
 
Section 1: An official is elected when he or she receives the majority (over 50 percent) of votes during an election.
 
Section 2: Impeachment of an elected official can take place when two-thirds of the members vote for impeachment. Two-thirds of the committee must be present for this to take place. If an elected
official is impeached, a new election will take place immediately following the impeachment vote.
 
Section 3: On votes concerning student-athlete issues and the steps that should be taken to deal with these issues, every team or institution will have one vote; the committee's action will be
determined by majority vote.
 
MEETINGS
 
1. Meetings shall be held monthly or as necessary.
2. Quorum shall consist of 50 percent of the members.
3. The SAAC Advisor/Co-Advisor will brief the committee on such topics as proposed policy change and NCAA legislation. Special projects may be introduced at organized committee meetings.
4. The attendance policy shall be as follows:
    a. Two representatives from each sport are expected to be present at each meeting;
    b. After one unexcused absence of an elected representative, a letter will be sent to the representative and the team coach reminding them of the attendance policy, and;
    c. After two unexcused absences of an elected representative, the chair will ask the coach of the representative to recruit a replacement.
 
AMENDMENTS
 
Proposed amendments to the constitution must be presented in writing to the entire membership, and a three-fourths approval vote is required for passage of the amendment.