A little conversation sparked a big idea at the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's November meeting in Indianapolis.

During their discussions with NCAA President Myles Brand and members of the Divisions I and II Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, the Division III SAAC developed a plan to create a "SAAC Best Practices'' that will assist student-athletes in the implementation of initiatives from five "domains" that are considered most important for student-athletes.

The domains are:

• Communication (for example, engaging CEOs and other campus leaders, commitment and communication with the national SAAC);

• Establishment and use of a conference SAAC Web site;

• Community outreach and sportsmanship initiatives;

• SAAC meeting structure (for example, in-person meetings, conference calls); and

• Leadership opportunities (for example, leadership conferences, professional development).

"It all actually came about accidentally,'' said Division III SAAC Chair Andrew Baldwin. "When we met with President Brand, we were discussing different ways to engage presidents of the institutions. We were trying to find a way to communicate this to our fellow student-athletes in Division III. We wanted to create this document to distribute at regional leadership conferences and at conference meetings. As we went on, we came across other issues we felt were important and created this working document.''

The "SAAC Best Practices" will be distributed at conference SAAC meetings and at Division III Student-Athlete Regional Leadership Conferences. It can be used as a tool to enhance the student-athlete experience and to keep student-athletes informed about important issues in Division III athletics.

Baldwin, who competed in tennis at Nazareth College, said that increasing the dialogue between student-athletes and CEOs on campuses was a recurring theme in the Division III meeting.

Since the SAAC Best Practices is a work in progress, it's too early to tell how matters will proceed.

"Much of why we were focused on this is because of the strategic plan calling for more presidential involvement in the NCAA,'' Baldwin said. "At our July meeting, we discussed what role we could play. We wanted the strategic plan to have some sort of goal.''

SAAC members also are committed to doing their part in the Future of Division III -- Phase II initiative.

An essential component within the initiative is cultural and campus integration. The committee discussed the value that student-athletes gain from the athletics experience and how they interact within all aspects of campus life. There is a goal to break down barriers of perception and show that student-athletes in Division III are multi-talented and often are involved in a variety of campus activities and cultural experiences, Baldwin said.

The committee also reviewed the legislative proposals that will be debated at the NCAA Convention in Dallas. The committee will continue discussions when it meets at the Convention.