Residence Hall Association Constitution
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Residence Hall Association of Central Washington University (CWU), herein referred to as RHA.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of RHA shall be to provide opportunities and resources for student programming and leadership training while fostering communication among CWU Residence Halls.
Article III - Membership
A member of RHA shall include: each person residing in a CWU residence hall, including Community Programmers (CPs), Resident Assistants (RAs), Residence Hall Managers (RHMs), and each Executive Officer of RHA that is recognized by the Senior Director of the Office of University Housing and New Student Programs (UHNSP).
Article IV - Residence Hall Leadership Council
Representation in this organization shall consist of the elected Residence Hall Leadership Council (RHLC) Officers, herein referred to as RHLC Officers. These RHLC Officers shall be the official representatives for their respective residence halls at the RHA meetings.
Section 1: RHLC Officers are defined as those individuals selected by their hall residents and recognized by the RHA Executive Board. RHLC Officers will represent each hall’s set number of votes, as described in Article X, Section 3.
Section 2: These representatives shall be determined through a selection process facilitated by the residence hall staff. The method of selection shall be determined by the hall staff but must include some form of voice from residents of the hall. The RHLC selection process is to take place within two weeks of the first RHA meeting of the academic year. Their term of office shall begin once appointed and will be terminated at the end of the academic year, regardless of election date.
Section 3: RHLC Officers must attend weekly RHA meetings, as well as designated RHLC meetings. If a member of the RHLC is unable to attend the designated meetings, the RHLC Advisor(s) or another RHLC member must be notified as soon as possible.
Section 4: Each RHLC will be responsible for holdingone educational, one community service, and one social program per quarter. These may be coordinated with the hall’s residence staff or with other halls, and will count as a program/activity for each party involved.
Section 5:At the completion of each program, a Wrap-Up Report evaluating the program must be filled out and returned to the RHA Executive Secretary within two weeks.
Section 6: Each RHLC shall hold regularly scheduled meetings, at least twice per month, that are open to all hall residents.
Section 7: If for any reason an RHLC Officer cannot fulfill their term of office, the vacancy shall be filled as deemed necessary by the RHLC Officers and Hall Staff Advisor.
Article V - RHLC Officer Position Descriptions
Section 1: RHLC Officer Expectations:
Each Officer must participate in at least one recognized standing RHA committee during each quarter. Participation shall be defined as attendance/involvement at committee meetings and/or functions.
Section 2: President
The President shall sign all necessary official documents, (excluding financial documents), preside over all RHLC meetings and be the official spokesperson for the RHLC. Prior to Hall meetings, the President will create an agenda to discuss business and programming. The President also has the responsibility to delegate the RHLC duties not described in the following sections and be actively involved in President’s Round Table. This Officer shall maintain regular communication with the RHA Executive Board and the RHLC Advisor(s).
Section 3: Vice President
The Vice President shall take minutes for the RHLC meetings and submit them to the RHA Secretary within one week. In addition, this Officer is responsible for assuming all of the President’s duties in the absence of the President.
Section 4: Programming Coordinator
The Programming Coordinator shall be responsible for organizing programs and community service events for the hall and shall be assisted by the RHLC. This Officer may work in conjunction with the hall’s RAs or other halls when putting on programs or community service events. The Officer shall fill out a Wrap-Up Report on the completion of any program and submit it to the RHA Secretary within two weeks of the program.
Section 5: Publicity Coordinator
The Publicity Coordinator shall be responsible for keeping the hall’s residents informed of upcoming RHLC and RHA events for the hall/campus. This Officer is responsible for posting all advertisements for RHA events passed on to the Publicity Coordinator by RHA. The Publicity Coordinator is also responsible for promoting all programs for the RHLC and maintaining the RHA/RHLC bulletin board in their hall.
Section 6: Member(s) At Large
The role of Member(s) At Large is decided as needed; any position specification is open for the Member(s) At Large (including title of position). There may be additional RHLC Officer(s) added.
Section 7: Advisor(s)
The advisor(s) shall be a staff/building team member from the RHLC’s hall. The duties of the advisor(s) include running RHLC elections at the beginning of the academic year, actively supporting programs sponsored by RHA, attending RHA and RHLC meetings, signing all appropriate documents, and providing all the necessary resources for the hall’s RHLC.
Article VI - RHA Executive Officers Descriptions
Section 1: Description of the Executive Board
The elected RHA Executive Officers shall consist of a President, Vice President/National Communications Coordinator, Treasurer, and Secretary. These are paid positions through the UH&NSP. In addition, Officers shall abide by state and federal laws and university policies. The term of office shall be one academic year, concluding at the last meeting of that academic year. Officers shall assume their duties at the final RHA meeting of the Academic year in which they were elected, and will be officially sworn in at the RHA/NRHH Banquet prior to their term.
Section 2: Eligibility
To be eligible for office, the elected Officer must live in a CWU residence hall during the term of office. No Officer may hold more than one Executive office in RHA simultaneously. Also, if the Officer’s Cumulative GPA drops below 2.5 for one quarter, that Officer shall be placed on RHA specific academic probation for the following quarter. If that officer’s Cumulative GPA does not meet the 2.5 requirement at the conclusion of the probation quarter, that officer’s resignation is required, and the resignation is to be presented by the first RHA meeting of the following quarter. The reason for the officer’s resignation shall be kept confidential from the general body.
Section 3: General Responsibilities
Executive Officers shall attend all RHA general body and executive meetings. All Officers shall be responsible for going to the RHA office at least twice a week to pick up messages and perform general office duties, for no less than six hours a week. At the end of their term, RHA Officers are responsible for training the Officers elect, RHA Officers shall attend a fall training course to be determined by the RHA Advisor(s). There shall be at least one RHA Officer or appointed member at each residence hall’s first all hall meeting of the year to discuss and describe RHA to residents. The Executive Board will appoint one individual to attend the weekly scheduled ASCWU Board of Directors (BOD) meetings.
Section 4: President
The President shall preside over all RHA meetings and be the official spokesperson for RHA within the CWU campus. This Officer shall oversee marketing and publicity for all RHA events, programs and functions, and shall be responsible for forming a process, whereby constant communication is maintained between RHA,NRHH, RHLCs, and their respective advisors. The President will ensure the formation of quarterly committees and programs, and shall form and preside over a committee of the president’s choosing. This committee must serve the general body of RHA and be approved by the rest of the Executive Board.This committee will be responsible for holding at least one related program each quarter. The President is also responsible for the supervision of the other members of the Executive Board, to maintain constant communication among them, create agenda for executive board and general body RHA meetings,and delegatingany additional duties. The President shall also sign all official documents.
Section 5: Vice President/National Communications Coordinator (VP/NCC)
The VP/NCC will be recognized through the CWU RHA as one position, which one officer, consisting of duties of each of the VP/NCC roles. Each of the roles shall be defined as follows:
A. Vice President (VP)
The duties of the VP shall consist of assuming all the duties of President, if the President is temporarily absent. This Officer shall be in charge of, and have the power to call, RHA Executive Officer elections and form and preside over a committee of the VP/NCC’s choosing. This committee must serve the general body of RHA and be approved by the rest of the Executive Board.This committee will be responsible for holding at least one related program each quarter.
B. National Communications Coordinator (NCC)
The duties of the NCC are to follow the job description as described in the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) NCC Handbook and the Pacific Affiliation of College and University Residence Halls (PACURH) Regional Policy Book. The NCCshall be responsible for communicating important information from members of CWU’s RHA to the regional and national networks and vice versa. This Officer is responsible for maintaining and training potential users of the Resource File Index (RFI), and shall coordinate and prepare conference delegations. During the course of a conference, the NCC shall represent CWU with proper conduct and ensure voting rights.
Section 6: Treasurer/Historian
- Treasurer
The Treasurer shall accurately maintain all RHA financial records and accounts to the best of the Officer’s ability, and submit reports of the financial standing of RHA to the general body. This Officer shall assume all the duties of the President, if both the President and VP/NCC are temporarily absent, and shall maintain regular contact with the UH&NSP Fiscal Specialist, in order to confirm budget figures and paperwork. The Treasurer shall make recommendations to the general body about funding requests, and will advise the Fundraising Committee and be responsible for all fundraising activities. The fundraising committee will put on at least one fundraiser each quarter. Also with the submission of a Funding Request the Treasurer will notify the contact person for discussion from the general body, and relay the Executive Board’s recommendation for the funding request prior to the general body meeting.
- Historian
The Historian shall keep record of the events of the year to be used by future executive board members. They will maintain a detailed record of programs, with information on how to put them on. They will create a record of the executive board members of their year in office that will include their contributions and a short biography to be stored as a historical record of the year. They will also record major events and changes within the organization.
Section 7: Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining all files for RHA, recording the minutes for eachgeneral body, executive board, and dual executive board meetings and distributing them to the appropriate individuals or groups. This Officer shall be responsible for keeping a record of attendance at RHA meetings. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the allocation ofHall Of The Year points, and shall be responsible for compiling the attendance, minutes, agenda, and any other documents distributed to the general body during the year, and keep them organized and accessible to all RHA members. The Secretary willform and preside over a committee of the Secretary’s choosing. This committee must serve the general body of RHA and be approved by the rest of the Executive Board. This committee will be responsible for holding at least one related program each quarter.
Section 8: Advisor(s)
UH&NSP shall appoint an Advisor(s) to RHA, to oversee all related meetings, events, and paperwork. The Advisor(s) will also meet with individual Executive Board Officers biweekly, or as deemed necessary.
Article VII - RHA Elections
Section 1: Elections
The VP/NCC shall announce a date at which applications for Executive Officer positions will be available, and the date at which elections shall take place. The VP/NCC shall also state the eligibility requirements for the Executive Officer positions. The VP/NCC shall also chair Executive elections.
During the election meeting, all candidates shall be given the opportunity to make a speech concerning their qualifications for the specific Executive Officer position, followed by a question and answer period from the RHA general body. The candidates will be asked to leave the room for the general body discussion. Time limits on speech and discussion will be established by the Executive Board. The VP/NCC, in consultation with the Executive Board, is encouraged to elaborate on these requirements and present details for approval to the RHA general body.
Section 2: Eligibility
To be eligible for election and office, each candidate must be an active member of RHA, not on disciplinary probation with the University, and have lived in a CWU residence hall for three quarters prior to taking office. Each elected Officer shall be required to live in a CWU residence hall during his or her term of office. No Officer may hold more than one Executive Office in RHA simultaneously. At the time of election, the candidate must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Upon receiving the application, an RHA advisor will perform a grade check to ensure that the applicant meets the GPA requirement. Each candidate shall be allowed to run for only one position during a given election with the exception to the instance in which a candidate elects to bid down. Here in the process of bidding down shall be defined as a process by which the officer may choose to run for an alternate Executive position should they not be elected to the initial position. Bidding down will be in the order in which executive officers are ranked in Article VI.
Section 3: Letter of Intent
All candidates must submit a written letter of intent, no longer than three pages to the RHA Executive Board at least nine days prior to election date. Letters must be made available to the voting body at the meeting prior to the election date. A letter of intent must be written for each position the candidate chooses to bid down to. This will be in addition to the letter of intent they must write for the initial position they are running for. Only the letter of intent regarding the initial position they are running for will be distributed to the voting body prior to the election. Additional letters of intent do not need to be accompanied by additional letters of recommendation. Additional letter of intent will be distributed to the body only when the situation of bidding down during a given election occurs. Candidates shall not be required to state their intentions to bid down in any letters of intent.
Section 4: Letter of Recommendation
The letter of intent must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation from:
1. A CWU faculty member or a professional staff member of UH&NSP, and
2. An RHM, RA, or Community Programmer within the candidate’s current or former hall.
Section 5: Timeline
A specific election timeline shall be established by the VP/NCC, in consultation with the Executive Board, and presented in writing to the RHA general body. This timeline should include date of nominations, date and time that letters of intent are due, date and time that letters of intent are to be made available, and the date and time of the elections. Once presented to the general body, the timeline shall not be changed without the consent of the general body.
Section 6: Quorum
A quorum of 75% of the total number of all residence halls must be represented for elections to take place. The candidate with the majority (over 50%) of the votes cast shall be awarded the office. The Method of voting will be Single Transferable Ballot. Voting rights rest with student RHLC representatives and other non-staff hall residents.
Single Transferable Vote Method shall be defined as follows:
1. The Single Transferable Vote Method should be used for the election of new Executive Board Officers.
2. The Single Transferable Vote Method shall follow the following steps:
a. Each RHLC will receive the number of ballots in regards to the allocated number of votes, where they rank the candidates in order of preference, with first being the most desired candidate.
b. Each candidate needs a majority (above 50%) to be elected.
c. If, after all the votes have been transferred, a candidate achieves a clear majority, the candidate is then selected.
d. If, after all the votes have been transferred, no candidate achieves a clear majority, each candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated, and shall be ineligible to receive any additional votes. In the event that all remaining candidates receive the lowest number of votes (a tie), no candidate shall be dropped and the members revote for a second round. If a tie still exists for the lowest number of votes, the presiding chair will select the candidate to be eliminated.
e. Each vote that belonged to the eliminated candidate(s) is/are transferred to the voter’s next preference at full value.
f. If this candidate is one who was previously eliminated, step “e” is repeated.
g. If the voter has not listed any additional preference or was unable to do so, his/her vote is exhausted.
h. Steps “a” through “g” are repeated until a candidate receives quota and is elected.
Section 7: Special Elections
If an Executive Board position becomes vacant at some point throughout the year, a special election will occur in accordance with Article VII of the RHA Constitution.