President of RHA /
Transition Binder /
From: Lyza M Reichelt To: Katy Hardy /

Table of Contents.

  1. Letter of Encouragement
  2. Purpose of RHA
  3. Timeline for academic year
  4. Who to know (about) in administration
  5. SGA – RHA relations
  6. Info about the different meetings you attend (and run)
  7. Voting rules and information to remember (and PRACTICE)
  8. Robert’s Rules
  9. PFC committee
  10. GA
  11. Exec
  12. Constitutional review
  13. Hall Director interviews
  14. Morning After Homecoming Clean-Up
  15. Voting
  16. Other information that has passed on over time

Extra:

Keeping a calendar

Practicing running meetings

Taking notes/keeping agenda and to-do list

Being confident

Handling conflict

Reading the constitution

Resources

Friend/co-worker relations

Explanation of our hiring process (in the face of danger)

Leader of Encouragement/Advice

Dear Katy,

Congratulations on being selected as President for this amazing community we call the Residence Hall Association. It is one amazing and life changing experience.

This time last year, I was freaking out. Slowly but surely, I have become more and more comfortable with this position, as you will. Just give it some time.

Advice:

  1. Read the constitution. Every month. You will forget things.
  2. If you find yourself being unproductive during your office hours, try to have two hours in the morning or evening where not many other people are there.
  3. Read the Robert’s Rules books and pay attention/follow along during SGA meetings. Think about what words are used during our meetings.
  4. Talk with Julie and Mike about anything and everything!
  5. Get behind everything. Everyone else on Exec will be looking to you as leader/captain/etc, so when they need encouragement you have to be the one to give it. Don’t speak negatively – ever.
  6. Always highlight and write time/days of everything that comes across your plate.

Purpose of RHA

Timeline

August

  1. Lion’s Camp
  2. Teambuilding
  3. Team charter
  4. Personal goals
  5. *make sure everyone is included. This is an important time to build bonds and trust with each other.
  6. Training
  7. More teambuilding and getting to know each other
  8. Get everything ready for when students arrive
  9. Mock General Assembly
  10. Go through each act and use correct terminology to get GA members comfortable with everything
  11. Use people’s names to encourage
  12. Encourage discussion and questions
  13. Encourage Feedback!
  14. Welcome Back Picnic
  15. Help SPE with set up and take down
  16. Encourage participation
  17. Your first speech!! Keep it short, plug upcoming programs and Hall Government in general.
  18. Dress to match other Execs or upper casual for when standing next to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor
  19. Welcome Back Dance
  20. Help with set up and take down, run machines
  21. Be there and have fun!

September

  1. Re-Recognition
  2. You Must attend this meeting with one other Exec member
  3. It will be announced via email, so keep your eyes open.
  4. We must go in order for RHA to remain a recognized student organization
  5. SGA meetings begin
  6. Dress up if you want, be involved
  7. At SGA you have speaking rights, but not voting rights.
  8. Any other Exec Programs

October

  1. Bring Leaders Together Conference (BLT)
  2. Takes place at Lion’s Camp with leaders from WURHA schools
  3. You, Christina and the NRHH WCC go together (overnight)
  4. It consists of some refreshers in Parli-pro, legislation writing, and games
  5. Usually they will pull the Presidents aside, allow you all to get together and chat about situations happening on your own campuses within not only your organizations. These are great people to stay in contact with, ask questions of if you need input from other campuses, network, etc.
  6. The N/WCC will let you know exactly what you need to do
  7. Homecoming!
  8. Encourage GA to participate with their halls
  9. Perhaps do the parade or tent village as group, or do the competitions as a group.
  10. Lauren is on Homecoming Committee, so you should have some inside information on this event.
  11. Possible GA Halloween Social if interest. Keep it in mind.

November

  1. Family Day
  2. Your Second Speech! This one is more important, parents will listen and encourage their students too. Just a basic welcome, introduction of Board, and plug about events and conferences and hall government.
  3. Eat with family, chat up the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor and whomever else may be there. Let them know who you are, that you have a pleasant personality and that you are looking forward to working together.
  4. Help set up and take down again
  5. Dress to match other Execs or upper casual for when standing next to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor

December

  1. GA holiday Social at the Zsido’s
  2. Eat food, do a gift exchange, make friends!
  3. NRHH Recognition Reception
  4. Possible speech giving opportunity. NRHH or Julie will ask if NRHH thinks it would be appropriate. Talk about what RHA has done over the semester and how critical the Hall Governments are in helping
  5. Have fun, dress up
  6. Winter Break
  7. Check the email every one and then, especially if you feel you will be the only one doing it. Also, work on your transition binder and ideas for the next semester.
  8. Most importantly, take a break and enjoy your family and friends.

January

  1. Winter training.
  2. Present a program if needed, or help with other Exec’s if they choose to one for their programs (Mandy did one for FF last year).
  3. Revisit and revise the team charter.
  4. Attend re-recognition. Again.
  5. Remind/encourage people to apply for executive board next year.

February

  1. Executive applications
  2. They close this first or second week, selection committee is chosen, interviews take place and next year’s board is selected. VP4PR Tyler will be the lead, unless he is re-applying, then someone else will have to.
  3. Freeze Fest.
  4. Encourage Executive Board to participate so Lauren doesn’t have to do everything herself.
  5. Committee meetings.
  6. Remind Exec to attend committee meetings and schedule their own committee meetings for the semester.

March

  1. Hall director interviews.
  2. There is a specific section dedicated to this process. Julie will keep you in the loop with everything.
  3. Constitutional review process.
  4. You need to really backwards plan this. More info later.

April

May

People to know (about) in Administration

(5)SGA – RHA Relations

So beginning with Andrew and Ryan Rutledge, SGA and RHA began a really cohesive team. Both presidents passed down to their successors the importance of these relations, now deemed “RHA SGA relations” which are to be kept at an ‘all time high’. It’s really not that big of a deal…we just push our tables next to each other at the involvement fair, sit together at Chancellor’s Cabinet, that kind of thing. What has really helped this year, is Christina Knowlton. She is an active senator and delegate (and now N/WCC), and without knowing has helped both organizations keep each other in line. One other piece to consider is that RHA began being invited to different important meetings at the time of Kyle Lannon (he got us the seat on CC). So what I really like is that SGA informs me about meetings that are possibly important for RHA to have ears at.

(9) Morning After Homecoming Clean-up

This event began 2 years ago when Liz and I ran it. SGA, RHA and the Old Main Neighborhood Association (OMNA) get tons of volunteers to clean-up the community around campus the Sunday after Homecoming. You might be thinking, “o, what a drag…”, but let me tell you, it is actually pretty dang fun! Both Liz and I would really like to see this event continued, mostly because it really impresses community members, which is important. So if you can work with next year’s SGA Pres, VP, or any other position on their E. Board, that would be great.

Here are the steps.

  1. Right at the beginning of the semester talk with SGA and get a commitment to work together on the project.
  2. Have someone design t-shirts if necessary, and decide if RHA or SGA will be paying for them.
  3. Two weeks prior send a sign-up sheet around GA to get volunteers. This event counts as volunteer hours, and office hours if you so choose. Set the minimum at ten to motivate some people. Make sure Exec volunteers too! Everyone can bring friends of course too.
  4. The week before confirm how any volunteers there will to finalize the shirt order (either for RHA or SGA to call in). Also, if lunch is being provided, call ahead and designate someone to pick it up, or deliver it.
  5. A few days before, remind the volunteers via email the time and meeting place of the event.
  6. While you have been doing this, SGA should have been contacting OMNA. They are typically the ones who divide the city into 4 or 5 sections, print maps and highlight a copy for each group to follow. SGA should also have been gathering volunteers, and informing the Mayor, Chancellor (Vice chancellors and Dean’s and whomever else) and sheriff of this event.
  7. In the past on the day of, the Mayor and Chancellor have said a few words of encouragement before sending us off. SGA gather garbage bags and plastic gloves, then after t-shirts have been given up, 4- 5 groups are made based on the number of maps created. Then, send everyone on their way. It usually takes only an hour to cover all the land.
  8. When everyone gets back, take pictures and keep track of what was all collected.

Some of the basic rules we have come up with:

  • It is not our job to clean up after a house party. Only reach a few feet into a lawn to pick up garbage.
  • Unless there is one item – then go for it.
  • Try to keep one bag for recyclables and one for garbage.
  • To make the event a little more fun/rewarding, make a challenge out of it.
  • Most unique item
  • Weirdest item
  • Most bags collected
  • Someone suggested that we make a BINGO card with funny things to check off.
  • You get the idea.

(10) Voting

SGA worked so hard on the Get Out the Vote Campaign this past year for the presidential election, and asked for support from RHA in order to access the 3,500 other students who needed to be informed. David Boardman kept track of all we did those first months of school and is putting it into a training binder to be used as a resource for other elections. Obviously, last year was a huge deal because it was a huge election, but what we did can be done for any election. RHA had a few major roles – paying for mailbox stuffers and posters for the halls, working on the Voter Van route, sending emails to residents, and keeping the delegates and HD informed. I have attached the emails I wrote to HDs and Delegates.