Gannon University Athletics

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.)

Constitution
Created: September 13, 2009
Amended: October 28, 2009

Mission Statement
The Gannon University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will provide an open line of communication between the athletes and the administration, as well as maintain an overall athletic community mindset, connecting every athletic team. We will develop our leadership skills, support student-athlete welfare, and mature into well-rounded individuals while maintaining and promoting a positive image on the Gannon University campus, in the Erie community, and on the state and national levels though community outreach and other social events.

Article I
Name: The name of this organization shall be the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Article II
Purpose and Goals
Section 1: The purpose of Gannon University SAAC is to make known the student-athlete voice, to encourage an exchange of ideas and resources within the campus, and to uphold our Mission Statement.
Section 2: The goals of the SAAC are to uphold and fulfill the Mission Statement.
Section 3: Gannon SAAC is part of the PSAC SAAC and also the National SAAC. Each collegiate institution provides a SAAC for the student-athlete voice to be heard.

Article III
Membership
Section 1: Membership is open to any athlete on one of the 19 DII teams. However, each team shall select at least two representatives to the SAAC each school year before mid-September. Each team is to be sure at least one representative will be returning to Gannon in the fall of the next year. (One rep must not be a senior)
Section 2: All representatives are required to pass along relevant information discussed at the meetings to their respective teams.
Section 3: If a representative has three unexcused absences from the committee, he or she will be dismissed. If this should happen, a new representative from the respective sports team will be selected.

Article IV
Officers
Section 1: The officers in SAAC will be known as the executive board. The executive board shall consist of a president, a vice president, a treasure, and a secretary.

Article V
Elections
Section 1: Each officer shall be elected by majority vote of the committee at the end of the school year (spring semester). In order to be eligible to become an officer, the member must have given one full year of service. He/She must also be in good academic standing and eligible to compete. (Minimum 2.5 GPA)

Article VI
Term of Office
Section 1: The executive board shall serve one academic year. An officer is available for re-election for a consecutive term providing he/she will be returning to Gannon University for one academic year.

Article VII
Amendments and Ratification
Section 1: An amendment must be submitted to the committee at least one meeting in advance of the vote.
Section 2: The by-laws may be amended by a two-third’s majority vote. The vote is only valid if at least two-thirds majority are present.
Section 3: The SAAC President and SAAC Advisor must sign off on any amendments before they are submitted to the SOLD office. Approval of Amendments will also be on acceptance of the Director of the SOLD office.

Article VIII
Non-discrimination Statement: This committee will not discriminate based on ethnicity, age, gender, sex, religion, or sport.




By-Laws
Created: September 13, 2009
Amended: October 28, 2009

Mission Statement
The Gannon University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will provide an open line of communication between the athletes and the administration, as well as maintain an overall athletic community mindset, connecting every athletic team. We will develop our leadership skills, support student-athlete welfare, and mature into well-rounded individuals while maintaining and promoting a positive image on the Gannon University campus, in the Erie community, and on the state and national levels though community outreach and other social events.

By-Law I
Officers
Section 1: The President will run all SAAC meetings, come up with community service ideas, be the student-athlete liaison to the University, serve on the University’s Athletics Committee, approve any events or ideas, and any other duties as required.
Section 2: The Vice President will run any meetings or approve any events should the President not be capable. The Vice President will also oversee any sub-committees that are set-up throughout the course of the year and make reports to the President. The Vice President will perform any other duties as required.
Section 3: The Treasurer will keep a running balance of the SAAC budget. He/She will collect dues from teams and report on the budget balance twice a year to the committee. The Treasurer will also be responsible for any food at SAAC meetings. The Treasurer will perform any other duties as required.
Section 4: The Secretary will keep a record of the meeting minutes. The minutes will then be emailed to all representatives and coaches. The Secretary will perform any other duties as required.

By-Law II
Sub-Committees
Section 1: Sub-Committees shall be created at the request of the Committee members. There shall be a committee chair and at least one other member.
Section 2: Sub-Committees will report to the Vice President and President on their progress. They will also give reports to the SAAC at general meetings.

By-Law III
Meetings
Section 1: Each sport is required to at least one representative at each meeting. If both of the elected representatives for the year cannot attend, a substitute should be chosen to attend in their place. If there is a sporting event on the day of the meeting, that team will be excused.
Section 2: A team will be charged $25 if no representative attends a required meeting.
Section 3: The first meeting of the year will be held in September with at least one meeting per month until the conclusion of the spring semester.
Section 4: Meetings will be scheduled by the discretion of the President, SAAC Advisor, and Athletic Director. Committee members will be notified at least one week in advance.
Section 5: At the first meeting of the year, an executive board shall be chosen, if one is not already established.

By-Law IV
Finances
Section 1: SAAC is allotted $600 each year from the PSAC. There is also $4000 available for speakers, handbooks, etc should we apply for it. This is the duty of the Treasurer.
Section 2: The SAAC should always be an on-going organization at Gannon University. However, should the NCAA do away with SAAC, the funds will not be received by Gannon University and will remain with the PSAC. Any funds the organization has raised should be donated to the Athletics Department.

By-Law V
Procedures for disciplining and/or removing members
Section 1: If a member is concerned about a fellow member or about an Executive Board member’s position he/she shall submit a formal written complaint to the Advisor.
Section 2: The advisor will schedule mediation between the complainant and the accused party. An effort will be made for differences to be resolved in this mediation.
Section 3: If differences cannot be reconciled in mediation, the complaint shall come before the Executive Board and the committee. The advisor will notify all parties one week before the meeting.
Section 4: The advisor will present a summary of the complaint and act as a mediator during discussion.
Section 5: During the meeting, both sides of the issue will be presented. The member or officer accused is permitted to speak before the committee about the charges made concerning his/her performance.
Section 6: If removal is not necessary, the Executive Board will recommend a fitting penalty which then needs to be passed by ¾ majority of the Committee. Officers or members may only be removed if all these procedures have been followed fairly and with ½ vote of the (other) officers and ¾ majority of the committee. The officer or member is not permitted to participate in the deliberation regarding the charges.

By-Law VI
Amendments and Ratification
Section 1: An amendment must be submitted to the committee at least one meeting in advance of the vote.
Section 2: The by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote. The vote is only valid if at least two-thirds majority are present.
Section 3: The SAAC President and SAAC Advisor must sign off on any amendments before they are submitted to the SOLD office. Approval of Amendments will also be on acceptance of the Director of the SOLD office.

By-Law VII
Non-discrimination Statement: This committee will not discriminate based on ethnicity, age, gender, sex, religion, or sport.