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SAAC

Mission

Organization and Governance

Meeting Information

Minutes

Team Representatives

Student Athlete of the Month

Student Athlete of the Year

Accomplishments

SAAC History

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SAAC

The mission of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is to strive to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image. SAAC provides a link of communication between UW-Madison student-athletes and the athletic department administration on relevant issues pertaining to student-athlete well-being. Additionally, SAAC organizes events to network, serve, and develop with each other, the greater UW-Madison campus and the Madison community. SAAC also discusses and provides feedback to the Big 10 Conference SAAC and the NCAA Division I SAAC on important issues that directly affect the student-athlete experience on a conference and national level.

SAAC is made up of two voting representatives from each of the 23 athletic teams here at UW-Madison. Any student-athlete is welcome to attend SAAC meetings and get involved, even if he/she is not a voting representative.

SAAC elects officers each year: a President, Vice President, a Secretary, Advertising Chair, Community Service Chair, and two Associated Students of Madison Representatives. All of these positions are one year terms. Of the officers, two student-athletes represent SAAC on the UW Athletic Board, attend board meetings and inform the rest of the student-athletes in SAAC of issues that potentially affect them. SAAC representatives can bring to the board issues voiced at SAAC monthly meetings and serve as the liaison between student-athletes and the greater Athletic Board.

2012-2013 Leadership Board:
President: Kodee Williams, women's soccer
Co- Vice Presidents: Chris Meyer, men's golf and Carrie Edmunds, women’s track and field
Secretary: Drew Shields, men’s cross country
Advertising Chair: Erica Spiegelberg, women’s track and field
Community Service Chair: Alexis Mitchell, volleyball
ASM Rep: Lavinia Jurkiewicz, women’s cross countryMbr> ASM Rep: Hannah Berner, women’s tennis
Staff Advisor: Bridget Woodruff

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Mission

The mission of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is to strive to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image. SAAC provides a link of communication between UW-Madison student-athletes and the athletic department administration on relevant issues pertaining to student-athlete well-being. Additionally, SAAC organizes events to network, serve, and develop with each other, the greater UW-Madison campus and the Madison community. SAAC also discusses and provides feedback to the Big 10 Conference SAAC and the NCAA Division I SAAC on important issues that directly affect the student-athlete experience on a conference and national level.

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Organization and Governance

The University of Wisconsin Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is a representative group made up of two student-athletes from each sport who provide the direction for SAAC by addressing the needs of fellow student-athletes. They also vote on various Athletic Board sub-committees that deal with issues directly affecting student-athletes.

SAAC focuses their events, activities and education on three different areas: social, community service, student-athlete welfare. SAAC participants elect to work on committees that set goals to accomplish events, activities and education in these three areas.

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Meeting Information

All meetings are held in Heritage Hall at Camp Randall Stadium. Meeting dates for the 2012-2013 academic year are:

• September 11th at 6:30 pm
• October 9thl at 6:30 pm
• November 6th at 6:30 pm
• December 4th at 6:30 pm
• February 5th at 7:30 pm
• March 5th at 7:30 pm
• April 2nd at 7:30 pm
• May 7th at 7:30 pm

Minutes

• September 11, 2012
• October 9, 2012
• November 6, 2012
• December 4, 2012
• February 5, 2013
• March 5, 2013 - meeting canceled
• April 2, 2013
• May 7, 2013

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Team Representatives:

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Student-Athlete of the Month & Student-Athlete of the Year

"In recognition by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee of excellence on and off the field of competition."

This award was developed by the SAAC in the spring of 1997 in order to recognize the exemplary portrayal of the Badger student-athlete. Nominations will come from advisors, coaches, and the student-athlete body which will be submitted to the Office of Academic Services and presented at the designated SAAC meeting. At the meeting, two representatives from each team are eligible to vote. The nominees, one from each sport designated for the specific month, with the popular vote shall claim the award. The following guidelines have been established to determine potential recipients for the award:

• Be academically eligible and in good academic standing
• Have obtained an outstanding achievement or recognition in academics
• Make a significant contribution to their respective team
• Be actively engaged in community service

At the end of the academic year all of the Student-Athlete of the Month award winners become the nominees for the Student-Athlete of the Year Award. All student-athletes will have an opportunity to vote for the Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Month. The winners are announced at the annual Buckinghams.

The monthly breakdown is as follows:

September:
Football - Shelton Johnson
Women’s Soccer - Lauren Gunderson
Men’s Golf - Thomas O’Bryan
Women’s Cross Country - Victoria Paulson

October:
Men’s Soccer - Chris Prince
Volleyball - Alexis Mitchell
Women’s Golf - Lindsey Danielson
Men’s Cross Country - Alex Brill

November:
Men’s Basketball - Jared Berggren
Women’s Hockey - Brianna Decker
Men’s Swimming and Diving - Michael Weiss

December:
Women’s Swimming and Diving - Ivy Martin
Men’s Hockey - Ryan Little

February:
Wrestling - Scott Liegel
Women’s Basketball - Morgan Paige
Women’s Track and Field - Dorcas Akinniyi

March:
Women’s Tennis - Hannah Berner
Men’s Tennis - Oskar Wikberg
Men’s Track and Field - Elliot Krause

April:
Men’s Rowing - Ben Ruble
Women’s Rowing - Kendall Schmidt
Softball - Mary Massei

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Accomplishments

NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

• Proposed approved legislation that permits student-athletes to serve as full members (with voting rights) on specified NCAA Division I committees and subcommittees.
• NCAA Division I Management Council approved a Division I SAAC request to direct the NCAA enforcement services staff to focus more resources on voluntary workouts and possible violations of voluntary workout legislation.
• Proposed approved legislation that permits an institution to provide a maximum of three complimentary admissions to a student-athlete for an institution's game or contest during which the student-athlete is being honored but not participating provided such complimentary admissions are used by the student-athletes' parents, legal guardians and/or spouse.
• Division I Management Council approved a request from the Division I SAAC to expand the uses of the Student-Athlete Special Assistance Fund.
• Helped to write by-law proposals that allowed Division I student-athletes to accept Olympic prize money.
• Helped to assure that student-athletes on full scholarship can work during the school year.
• Helped to define recruiting practices that are less intrusive on prospective student-athletes.
• Stopped legislation that would have increased the time demands on student-athletes.

UW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

• Secured free admission for student-athletes to all home contests (excluding football, men's hockey, and men's basketball).
• Secured University housing for all incoming freshman student-athletes from the 2002-2003 school year on.

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SAAC History

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