The group allows these students to advise the administration on NCAA, Big East and Marquette policy and rules, and gives them the opportunity to participate in community service events.,”
The Student-Athlete Advisory Council, whose membership includes only Marquette student-athletes, is one of the lesser-known student groups on campus.
The group allows these students to advise the administration on NCAA, Big East and Marquette policy and rules, and gives them the opportunity to participate in community service events.
The latest of such events will benefit the Children’s Medical Research Foundation. SAAC members will be collecting donations from attendees Monday at the men’s basketball game vs. Villanova at the Bradley Center.
The idea for the fundraiser was brought to the SAAC by members of the women’s tennis team, who were inspired by a younger sibling of one of the team’s members.
“It’s basically a fundraiser for a girl that’s close to the Marquette community,” said Kristina Malin, senior track and field runner and SAAC secretary. “We’re getting everyone together and putting a video together to describe the cause in halftime, and we sent out e-mails to season-ticket holders” to make them aware of the fundraiser.
Nicole Wallace, a senior volleyball player and vice president of SAAC, said student-athletes will be wearing bright green shirts and will be dispersed around the concourses collecting money before and during the game.
After all of the money is collected and counted, it will be presented at a future women’s tennis match, Wallace said.
The fundraiser is one of several community service projects in which the SAAC participates throughout the year. Others include an annual bowling fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and a partnership with Lloyd Street Elementary School.
The SAAC also communicates with university administrators on matters concerning student-athletes. The group is chaired by a four-person executive board elected from the group’s membership and advised by Tom Ford, associate athletic director for academic support and student programs.
It meets every other week to discuss issues relevant to student-athletes, with Ford acting as a liaison between the council and the administrators in the athletic department. This provides adequate student-athlete representation on issues of administrative policy and rule changes that would directly affect student-athletes.
An internal policy change regarding Facebook.com recently came up with the SAAC, and stated that if a student-athlete is seen on Facebook with alcohol in his or her possession, then he or she is in violation of athletic policy and is subject to disciplinary action, according to Ford.
“They have to be much more responsible about Facebook because of who they are,” Ford said. “Administrators brought it to SAAC; SAAC endorsed it and spread it to athletes.”
When proposals come through, SAAC representatives are required to provide their teammates with information regarding the possible policy change and vote based on the way their team feels, Ford said.
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