NCAA PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON THE FUTURE OF DIVISION I INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS STUDENT-ATHLETE WELL-BEING SUBCOMMITTEE Student-Athlete Involvement in the Governance Structure Issue. At its June 2005 meeting, the NCAA Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics Student-Athlete Well-Being Subcommittee identified the issue of student-athlete involvement in the NCAA governance structure and the development of systematic ways to increase individual student-athlete input on matters that affect his or her life as an issue for discussion. Current NCAA rules permit student-athlete representation on divisional and Association-wide committees with full voting privileges with most appointments. History of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. A student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience. The SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations and polices that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses. Presently, there are separate national SAACs for NCAA Divisions I, II and III. NCAA legislation mandates that all member institutions have SAACs on their respective campuses. Further, NCAA legislation requires that all member conferences have SAACs. An Association-wide SAAC was adopted at the 1989 NCAA Convention and was formed primarily to review and offer student-athlete input on NCAA activities and proposed legislation that affected student-athlete welfare. The initial national committee was comprised of studentathletes from all membership divisions for the purpose of ensuring that the student-athlete voice was one that accounted for the myriad of educational and athletics experiences of both female and male student-athletes at all NCAA member institutions. In August 1997, the NCAA federated along divisional lines. The federation caused the SAAC to expand to three SAACs representing Divisions I, II and III. Each national divisional committee is comprised of both female and male student-athletes charged with the responsibility of assisting in the review of NCAA proposed legislation and representing the voice of the student-athlete in the NCAA governance structure. This is accomplished by providing student-athlete input on issues related to student-athlete welfare that are division specific. Federation has increased student-athlete participation in the governance process of intercollegiate athletics by increasing the number of SAAC members from the former Association-wide committee of 28 student-athletes to a sum total of 79 members serving on the national Divisions I, II, and III committees. The input of the respective Divisions I, II and III SAACs continues to be sought by a variety of constituencies within the Association. Student-athlete committee members have the opportunity to speak with their respective NCAA Management Councils, and the Divisions II and III SAACs continue to speak to legislative issues on the NCAA Convention floor.
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National SAACs (Divisions I, II and III) at a glance:
Generate a student-athlete voice within the NCAA structure. Solicit student-athlete response to proposed NCAA legislation. Recommend potential NCAA legislation. Review, react and comment to the governance structure on legislation, activities and subjects of interest. Actively participate in the administrative process of athletics programs and the NCAA. Promote a positive student-athlete image.
The SAAC’s request for voting rights followed a long line of student-athlete inclusion within the NCAA governance structure. Before the Association restructured in 1997, the SAAC’s voice was heard only once per year, through a representative speaking from the Convention floor. That representation has grown now that the Division I SAAC has been permitted to have members sit in on Division I and Association-wide committee meetings, but the SAAC believes its credibility is compromised when votes are recorded without them. Division I currently permits student-athletes to serve as members of Association-wide committees, Management Council, two cabinets, and committees and subcommittees in an advisory capacity (though a handful of subcommittees do already allow Division I representatives to vote). Division II SAAC members hold an annual joint meeting with the Division II Management Council to discuss legislative issues, and the Division II SAAC also has a voice on the Convention floor and serves on selected task force committees and Associationwide committees without enjoying voting privileges. In Division III, two student-athletes serve on the Management Council as voting members, and student-athletes also have voting rights on committees for which they serve. Division III student-athletes do not, however; have voting rights on the six Association-wide committees. An important aspect of student-athlete welfare is to provide student-athletes a voice in matters that affect their lives. Adding student-athlete representatives to Association-wide committees, in an advisory capacity, will permit Division I student-athletes an opportunity to make significant contributions to the Association’s committee process, thereby enhancing their voice in matters that affect their lives. The primary focus in intercollegiate athletics should be the student-athlete. Therefore, student-athletes should have direct input in the management of intercollegiate athletics. Student-athlete involvement and voting responsibilities will lead to a more active role for the student-athlete within the Division I governance process. Input from student-athletes has been used throughout the legislative process and management decisions have been made after considering their input. Student-athletes should have voting responsibilities on issues that
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ultimately will affect their lives. Pursuant to NCAA Constitution 2.2.6, it is the responsibility of each member institution to involve student-athletes in matters that affect their lives; thus, the governance structure should be held to the same standard. Allowing student-athletes to serve as full committee members with voting privileges will demonstrate to student-athletes, the NCAA membership, the media and the general public that the Association is committed to involving student-athletes in matters that affect them. Student-athletes already vote on some subcommittees because the chairs have deemed it appropriate due to the involvement of the student-athletes in the discussions. Student-Athlete Voting Status. Division I – Student-athletes serve as members of Association-wide committees, the Management Council, the two cabinets, committees and subcommittees in advisory capacity. (Some subcommittees allow SAAC representatives to vote). Division II – SAAC members hold an annual joint meeting with the Division II Management Council to discuss legislative issues. Division II SAAC also has a voice on the Convention floor and serves on selected task force committees and Association-wide committees without voting. Division III – Two student-athletes serve on the Management Council as voting members. Student-athletes also have voting rights on Division III committees on which they serve. Division III SAAC also has a voice on the Convention floor. Associated Legislative Proposals Adopted in Previous Cycles. Proposal No. 1999-44 Committees – Student-Athlete Representation (added one Division I student-athlete in an advisory capacity to the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, Research Committee, National Youth Sports Program Committee, Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee and Committee on Women’s Athletics). (Adopted) Proposal No. 1999-116 Olympic Sports Liaison Committee – Student-Athlete Representation (added one Division I student-athlete to the Olympic Sports Liaison Committee to serve in an advisory capacity). (Adopted) Proposal No. 1999-117 Committees – Division I Committee on Financial Aid (added one Division I student-athlete to the NCAA Division I Committee on Financial Aid to serve in an advisory capacity). (Adopted) Proposal No. 2001-57 Committees – Student-Athlete Representation (permitted studentathletes to serve as full members on committee and subcommittees, as specified – NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, NCAA Division I Championships/
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Competition Cabinet, Football Issues Committee, and the Committee on Financial Aid). (Adopted) Proposal No. 2001-58 Association-Wide Committees – Student-Athlete Representation (permitted student-athletes to serve as full members on specified Association-wide committees – Committee on Women’s Athletics, Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, Olympic Sports Liaison Committee, Research Committee, and the Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct). (Adopted) Proposal No. 2003-115 Committees – Research Committee and NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet – Composition Student-Athlete Representation (eliminated the requirement that one student-athlete from each division serve on the research committee; further, to add an additional student-athlete representative to the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet in an advisory capacity). (Adopted) Proposal No. 2005-29 Committees – NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee – Composition – Student-Athlete Representative (to amend the composition of the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee to include a student-athlete as an ad hoc member; further, to specify that the student-athlete member shall attend in-person meetings and participate on calls not associated with an appeal of a reinstatement case). (Adopted) Current Data/Information Available via the NCAA Research Staff. o Compiled history of student-athlete representation on divisional and Association-wide committees and special task forces. Data/Information that could Be Requested from the NCAA Research Staff. o How do the patterns of student-athlete involvement compare to that of the general student body and in other institutional activities?
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NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Members Serving on Committee(s) SAAC Member Conference Name of Committee Ian Gray Big 12 Conference Division I Management Council Michael Atlantic Coast Conference Division I Management Council Piscetelli Megan McGrane Big East Conference Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Corey Steven Horizon League NCAA Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Committee William Brown TBD Beth Waggoner Lani Gholston Graham Johnson Spencer Tatum Southeastern Conference TBD Big South Conference Northeastern Conference Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Mid-America Conference Football Issues Committee (Division I-A representative) Football Issues Committee (Division I-AA representative) Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Continuing Eligibility Subcommittee Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Recruiting Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Financial Aid Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Agents and Amateurism Men's Basketball Issues Committee Championships/Competition Cabinet Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee Committee on Women's Athletics Women's Basketball Issues Committee Olympic Sports Liaison Committee
Johnathan Ball Ivy Group Chas Davis Missouri Valley Conference Cassandra Ersel Anna Chappell Jessica DePalo Bradley Daniels Ohio Valley Conference Pac-10 Conference Patriot League America East Conference
NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Members Serving on Subcommittee(s)/Working Group(s) SAAC Member Conference Subcommittee(s)/Working Group(s) Ian Gray Big 12 Conference SAAC Administrative Committee Michael Piscetelli Atlantic Coast Conference SAAC Administrative Committee William Brown Southeastern Conference SAAC Administrative Committee Jayme Butts-Hall Sun Belt Conference SAAC Administrative Committee Spencer Tatum Mid-American Conference SAAC Administrative Committee Corey Steven Horizon League SAAC Administrative Committee Kris Lara Conference USA SAAC Administrative Committee JJ Young West Coast Conference Joint SAAC Representative
The National Collegiate Athletic Association January 19, 2006 LMH/BN:ld/jcw