Amherst College Student Athlete Advisory Committee

Below are the minutes from our Feb 11th, 2007 Meeting

Introductions

Sub-committee reports

• Publicity

1. Bulletin board in Keefe atrium
1. two pages allowed per team
2. top page: schedules
3. bottom page: results, upcoming games
4. to be placed next to existing activities easel
5. Can Athletics Dept. pay for a prototype?
6. Page updates to be done by SAAC reps every Tues.
2. All-school fan shirt
1. Purple, slogan?
2. for sale at the start of each season
3. Team unity
1. Addressed by SAAC members
2. team dresses in matching outfits on the day of an event, to signify to the rest of the campus that there is a game that day
4. Website (Ned)
1. Homepage
1. Rep links w/ bios (i.e., email, sport, hometown, accomplishments, aspirations, etc.)
2. Committee links
1. Minutes
2. Mission statement and bylaws
3. Sub-committee summaries
3. Links to various SAACs, Amherst Athletics, NESCAC Athletics, SID schedules, etc.
4. Connections to SAAC website to be made thru SID, NESCAC, campus orgs, and club sports homepages
• Sportsmanship
1. Signs in the gym
1. durable, permanent
2. Be loud, be proud, be positive
3. “sponsored by your SAAC”
4. Perhaps one in the gym atrium as well?
2. Tees for the upcoming NESCAC tourney
1. Emmanuel is handling the order
2. Not for sale
3. To be handed out in Valentine, Keefe, and/or @ the event
4. “LORD JEFF NATION: loud proud positive”
5. Suggestion : players themselves hand out the shirts
3. Letter addressing parent conduct
1. Comes from the SAAC
2. included in the coaches’ mailing
3. include a description of the SAAC
4. Sportsmanship contract
1. Signed by all athletes
2. Included in event programs
• Constitution
1. Walk thru of rough draft (see handout)
1. Condense “Purpose” section from 8 to 5 purposes
2. In the interest of maintaining a manageable, productive size, one rep. per team, to be chosen by the teams
3. “Membership” Rules 4 and 8 are identical
4. Similarities between rules 2 and 5, both address questions on open meetings
5. Club Water Polo added to list of membership teams
6. Suzanne suggests creating a voting roster
7. Potential IM sub-committee proposed
8. Suggestion that a clause be added to the “meeting frequency” section, indicating that the schedule is “subject to change”
9. “Sub-committees” section to be included in the by laws
10. Coach Carmean: attendance and minutes should be sent to all coaches via email or included in Department meetings handouts
11. Semantics adjustment: “51% voting majority” should be changed to “50% +1” in “Voting Procedures” language
2. Final draft to be ready for April meeting
3. Email suggestions to Chris or Noah
4. FYI: Meetings will be held in the Red Room to accommodate all reps, alternates, and guests
• Committee on Athletics and Education reps visit
• 3 faculty, 2 students, and one coach, plus Dean Lieber
• Liaison program
1. Designed to foster communication between student-athletes and the faculty
2. Liaisons should be:
1. “An addition to the coaching staff”
2. Participating on and off the field
3. Selected thru the team
3. Students also have a role in developing the relationship
4. This will take TIME
• Suggestion of a rep who has dual-membership on SAAC and CAE, to be appointed by the AAS
• Benson: an effort to raise faculty awareness that student-athletes care equally about academics and athletics, and try hard to accommodate both
• Compilation of class/sporting events conflicts (including practice schedules) should be made
• Could the academic day begin an hour earlier?
• Piper: practice conflicts not only with class and lab, but also lectures, and student-athlete non-attendance at these lectures furthers the athlete/non-athlete divide
• Compromise needed between practice and academic schedules
1. Debate arrives at the right time because “there is a lot of discomfort already with the academic schedule, and therefore, the situation will be more fluid”
• Night classes?
• Could the SAAC or the CAE send a rep to the CEP (the committee in charge of academic scheduling)
• Coach Carmean: A faculty handbook on athletics? Pre-formulated letters addressed to the faculty from coaches for conflict situations?

Meeting adjourned 9:00PM - Minutes taken by Sarah Harper