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The RHA ConstitutionRHA Main | Month at a Glance | Funding Request | RHA Constitution
Table of Contents PreambleWe, the representatives of the Western Washington University residence system with authority delegated to us by Western Washington University and the state of Washington, do hereby establish and ordain this constitution of the Residence Hall Association. Article I - Name and PurposeSection 1 - NameThe name of this organization shall be the Residence Hall Association (hereafter referred to as RHA). Section 2 - PurposeRHA is a student-run organization whose purpose is to provide communication, education, leadership and community development opportunities for students in the residence hall system. Students who comprise the system are of different abilities, races, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religions, ages, gender and political affiliations. We strive for an appreciation, understanding and celebration of the diversity within our population. Article II - MembershipSection 1 - TypesThree types of members shall exist: (1) active, (2) officer, (3) Liaison, (4) ex-officio. Section 2 - Definitions(1) An active member shall be defined as a student elected by the residents of the residence hall/apartment complex where that student resides to represent his/her hall/apartment complex. The other type of active member is the Resident Advisor (hereafter referred to as RA)/ Residential Learning Assistant (hereafter referred to as RLA) Liaison, which can be one or two (maximum - 2) RAs/RLAs chosen to act as a liaison between the RA/RLA staff and RHA. (2) An officer shall be defined as a member who has been elected by active members and residential representatives to serve as President, Vice President/National Association of College and University Residence Hall Communications Coordinator (hereafter referred to as VP/NCC), Secretary, or Treasurer. (3) A liaison shall be determined as the Associated Students (hereafter referred to as AS) Liaison and the National Residence Hall Honorary (hereafter referred to as NRHH) Liaison. Both shall be appointed to the Executive Board with a vote of confidence by RHA. (4) An ex-officio member shall be defined as a member who holds a non-voting position. All hall presidents and advisors shall hold ex-officio membership. The RHA Executive Board in conjunction with active members may appoint other ex-officio members as they see fit. Section 3 - QualificationsAll active members and officers shall be full-time students at Western Washington University and reside in the residence system. The exception to this qualification shall be the AS Liaison, who is encouraged to reside in the residence system. The RHA President and VP/NCC must have been an active member of RHA for at least two quarters prior to their elected terms. Officers are encouraged to maintain a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA during their elected term. As academic success is integral to a students ability to matriculate from the University, officers with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.25 will be deemed ineligible to continue holding their elected position. Section 4 - Numerical CompositionEach hall/tenant's council shall have (two) 2 active members on RHA. The RA/RLA Representatives will be filled by appointment by University Residences. Each council must be represented by at least one (1) representative with exceptions to be considered by the executive board. There shall be four (4) officers, two (2) liaisons, and a number of ex-officio members. Section 5 - Terms of Office(1) The term of office for all members shall be one (1) academic year. There shall be no limit to the number of times an RHA member may be re-elected to RHA from his/her residence hall or apartment complex. (2) Executive officers may serve a maximum of two (2) years in the same position and a maximum of four (4) years on executive council. Article III - MeetingsSection 1 - QuorumA quorum of RHA shall consist of 51% of the active membership. No legislation shall be officially approved unless a quorum is present. Vacant seats shall not be included when calculating to determine if a quorum is present. Section 2 - Voting RightsThe hall/apartment complex's population shall determine the number of votes available to each council. Each council has one (1) vote per 100 residents, with a minimum of two (2) votes per council. Delegates can choose to vote in a block or the split the number of votes as their hall/tenant's council wishes. Population of the hall/apartment complexes changes and votes recalculated as needed at the beginning of each academic quarter. The President may vote only in order to break a tie. The VP/NCC shall retain voting rights (one vote) except when chairing the RHA meetings at which time he/she will only have a tie-breaking vote. The Secretary, Treasurer, and AS Liaison shall retain voting privileges (one vote each) in all cases. Section 3 - Voting ProcedureVoting in RHA shall be by numerical cards. At the request of two (2) active members, a roll call vote or ballot vote shall be taken with the results published in the minutes. Motions requiring a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote include funding requests, closing of nominations, officer recall, and suspension of the constitution. Constitutional amendments require a three-fourths (3/4) majority approval. All other motions will be passed on a simple majority (51%) of members in attendance with voting rights, not to include abstentions. Section 4 - AttendanceAny RHA officer, liaison, or active member who is absent for more than two (2) meetings, excused or unexcused, in any quarter shall receive a written warning notice from the Secretary. Any member who accumulates a total of four (4) absences in a quarter, including proxies, shall be removed from RHA and the Hall/Tenants' Council shall provide a replacement. Excused absences shall not be counted. The Secretary shall determine if an absence shall be excused. The Executive Board shall act as an appeal board. Active members are required to attend their individual hall/tenants' council meetings, as stated in their hall/tenants' councils' constitutions. Active members may be removed from RHA due to lack of attendance to hall/tenants' council meetings. If no representative is present from any given hall/apartment complex, at an RA meeting, minutes and RHA information will be sent to the respective hall council President. Section 5 - ProxiesIf an active member of RHA foresees an absence, he/she must appoint a proxy from his/her hall or apartment complex, or else their absence shall be considered unexcused. The Proxy takes his/her voting privileges for that meeting by sending written consent with the proxy or by contacting the RHA President or their designated Executive Board officer. Section 6 - Rules of OrderRHA shall operate under the rules and guidelines established by this constitution and its bylaws. In cases where this constitution and bylaws have not spoken to an issue of order, the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall prevail. The President shall not ignore any motions made in a legal fashion and/or any student from the residence system that wishes to speak. Article IV - Officers and LiaisonsSection 1 - Duties of the OfficersAll officers shall establish and maintain at least five posted office hours per school week, serve as Hall Council Liaisons, Casino Night Chair Liaisons, and sit on at least one AS or University Committee. PRESIDENTThe President shall preside over all RHA meetings, chair RHA Executive Board meetings, appoint ad-hoc committees, notify members of all RHA meetings, giving sufficient notice; be the chairperson of the Presidents' Council, act as the spokesperson of RHA on all official matters, serve as budget authority for RHA matters, in conjunction with the Treasurer, abide by and enforce this constitution. The President or his/her designee, as approved by the Executive Board, shall also sit on Activities Council, Housing and Dining, Service and Activities (S&A) Fees Committee and certain sub- committees and councils because of his/her position. VP/NCCThe VP/NCC shall assume the duties of the President in the case of absence or vacancy, act as an ex-officio member of all RHA committees, act as Western Washington UniversityÕs NACURH Communications Coordinator, facilitate conference planning and attendance, be disciplinarian in cases of officer absence, chair Casino Night Chair Meetings, serve as the NCC Liaison to NRHH, serve as Parliamentarian, abide by and enforce this constitution. SECRETARYThe Secretary shall keep all records of RHA, including correspondence; distribute weekly agendas and RHA minutes to active members, ex-officio members, executive board advisors, and all Resident Directors and Assistant Resident Directors and Executive Board reports monthly. He/she will also monitor and follow up on member attendance problems, as well as grant absences to active members, coordinate active member orientation in Fall Quarter in collaboration with Advisors, provide a quarterly summary in the Executive Board quarterly reports, work with the Treasurer to produce quarterly evaluations, produce special events evaluations, abide by and enforce this constitution. In addition, the Secretary will provide recognition to membership. TREASURERThe Treasurer shall keep accurate, written records of all monetary transactions, collect all debts, distribute and present the official treasury report at each RHA meeting (not including special session), answer any questions from RHA membership concerning the treasury report, serve as budget authority for RHA matters in conjunction with the President, coordinate RHA's budget orientation, facilitate the presentation of the Housing and Dining Budget to RHA. In addition the Treasurer shall produce quarterly evaluations, produce special events evaluations, abide by and enforce this constitution. Section 2 - Duties of the LiaisonsLiaisons shall share the responsibilities of one officer in regards to Hall Council Liaisons and Casino Night Chair Liaisons. Each Liaison shall sit on at least one AS Committee. Liaisons shall hold office hours as specified by their parent organizations, at least one to be held within the RHA Office. Liaisons will also share the responsibility of ÒAnnouncements and RemindersÓ at the end of each RHA meeting. AS LIAISONThe AS Liaison shall act as a liaison between RHA and the Associated Students. He/she shall be elected by the student body in the AS Elections and shall uphold and enforce this RHA Constitution. NRHH LiaisonThe NRHH Liaison shall act as a liaison between RHA and NRHH. He/she shall be an NRHH executive designated by the NRHH executive board to fill this position. He/she shall uphold and enforce this RHA constitution. Section 3 - HistorianOne or more executive board members or RHA members shall be designated as the RHA Historian. The Historian's purpose is to organize and produce an RHA scrapbook. The scrapbooks(s) will be held in the RHA Executive Board Office Section 4 - WebmasterOne or more executive board members or RHA members shall be designated as the RHA Webmaster(s). The WebmasterÕs purpose is to update and maintain the RHA webpage, to be housed on the University server. Section 5 - VacancyIn the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the VP/NCC shall automatically advance to that position. In the event of a vacancy in the office of VP/NCC, the Secretary or Treasurer shall fill the vacancy until a nomination and immediate election. The election to fill a vacancy of the office of VP/NCC should take place at the earliest possible meeting. If the offices of President and VP/NCC both become vacant (either temporarily or permanent), the Treasurer shall act as chairperson until another election can be held. In the event of a vacancy in the offices of Secretary or Treasurer during the summer months, it is the executive board's responsibility to appoint a temporary replacement. Active members must then approve the appointee once the council resumes meeting. If the appointee is not suitable to the council, then nominations and elections will take place to find a new officer. If the vacancy occurs during the academic year, nominations and elections of a new officer should be made as soon as possible. Article V - Other Ex-Officio MembersSection 1 - Advisor(s)The Advisor(s) shall be appointed by University Residences to advise and assist RHA in fulfilling its mission as a student organization. The advisors shall act as a resource and shall uphold and enforce University Residences and University policy. The RHA Advisor(s) shall attend all Executive Board meetings, RHA meetings, and Executive Board Casino Night meetings. The Advisor(s) shall assist the incoming RHA President with planning and implementation of the Executive Board retreat designed to train incoming Executive Board members, help with ongoing team development among the Executive Board and the council. The Advisor(s) shall serve as an information link to residence life and student affairs, provide information about policy changes and other issues affecting students, meet 1:1 weekly with the RHA President, be familiar with the RHA Constitution, policies and procedures, as well as Robert's Rules of Order and Parliamentary Procedure. In the event that neither Advisor is able to attend an RHA council meeting, it is their responsibility to appoint an appropriate proxy for the length of their absence. Section 2 - Other Ex-Officio MembersHaIl/Tenants' Council Presidents are recognized as ex-officio members of RHA and encouraged to attend RHA meetings. Other ex-officio members may be appointed by the Executive Board and are encouraged to attend RHA meetings. Article VI - Active Members' DutiesSection 1 - Council RepresentativesHall/Tenant's Council representatives are required to attend all RHA meetings, as well as their respective hall/tenants' council meetings. Members will be held accountable for the representation of their hall/tenants' council at RHA meetings. The responsibilities of council members are to report information acquired at RHA meetings back to their hall/tenants' councils and to act as the, voice of the residents who live in their halls/apartment complex when voting at RHA meetings. Section 2 - RA/RLA RepresentativesThere shall be a maximum of 2 RA/RLA Representatives sharing one vote. The RA/RLA Representative is selected by University Residences Central Staff and appointed to the council with a vote of confidence by RHA general members. Technically, all RAs and RLAs are considered ex-officio and are welcome to RHA meetings. There must be at least one RA who fills this position, with the option of the second vacant spot being filled by either an RA or an RLA. The RA/ RLA Representative is responsible for reporting RHA business to the residential staff and getting input from RAs/RLAs through newsletters, voicemail, email or by other means. The RA/RLA Representative(s) will have voting rights while he/she adheres to RHA active member attendance and RHA special programs policies and participation. The RA/ RLA Representative will have extended proxy rights if RHA conflicts with his/her duties as a Resident Advisor or Residential Learning Assistant. To retain voting rights he/she must adhere to and enforce this RHA constitution. Article VII - Executive BoardSection 1 - MembershipThe members of the RHA Executive Board shall be the President, VP/NCC, Secretary, Treasurer, NRHH Liaison, and AS Liaison. All Executive Board members shall have one vote on the Executive Board. The RHA Advisor(s) shall also sit on the Executive Board as an ex-officio member. Section 2 - PurposeThe RHA Executive Board shall provide oversight to RHA, make recommendations, establish the RHA agenda, oversee the implementation of legislation passed by RHA, including the enforcement of RHA policies; make emergency decisions when it is impossible to convene the entire RHA (subject to ratification or rejection by RHA at its next regular meeting or special session), and assist RHA in operating according to proper procedures and goals. Section 3 - MeetingsThe RHA Executive Board shall meet once a week. The President shall set the agenda and chair the Executive Board meetings. Section 4 - AttendanceOfficers may miss a maximum of two (2) Executive Board meetings per quarter. Excused absences will not be included. The VP/NCC shall determine if an absence shall be excused, with the exception of the President excusing the VP/NCC. Article VIII - Election of OfficersSection 1 - TimelineAll nominations shall be held and closed at the beginning of Spring Quarter, date determined by the executive board. Officers shall be elected at the following meeting of the Spring Quarter. Newly elected officers shall serve as interns to their new positions for the remainder of the school year and shall assume office the last official meeting of Spring Quarter. The current Executive Board will establish training expectations for the new Executive Board prior to elections. Section 2 - NominationsNominations may come from active members only and any nominated candidate may decline the nomination if he/she wishes. The RHA nominations for officers shall be closed by two-thirds (2/3) vote of members with voting rights. Section 3 - EligibilityFor the positions of Secretary and Treasurer, candidates must have been living in the Residence Halls since at least the beginning of the previous Winter Quarter. Candidates for these positions need not be current members of RHA but must currently live on campus. For the positions of VP/NCC and President, candidates have been active members of RHA for 2 consecutive quarters (Winter and Spring). Section 4 - Vote Required for ElectionA majority vote shall be required for election. If there are three (3) or more candidates, only the top two (2) shall be involved in a runoff election if one candidate on the first ballot does not obtain a majority. Section 5 - Election VotingElection voting will take place by ballot. Each Hall/Tenants' Council may appoint one ex-officio member for the election meeting who will be eligible to vote for candidates running for Secretary or Treasurer only. RHA encourages outside candidates to serve as their hall's voting representative. The Executive Board shall be responsible for orientating these additional representatives about election procedures and officer duties. Article IX - Removal of OfficersService to the residential students at Western as an RHA executive board member (officer) entails the timely and effective performance of duties associated with an individual's respective area of responsibility. If a situation arises where a member of RHA, be it an officer, active or ex-officio member, believes that an officer is not fulfilling their duties, the following procedures will apply:
Article X - FinanceSection 1 - Source of FundsThe officer in question must abide by the decision. Judicial action may be taken against the officer if circumstances warrant this. Section 2 - Fund AllocationsRHA shall have the authority to appropriate funds from the RHA Treasury as deemed necessary. Section 3 - Minimal Allocations by the Executive BoardThe RHA Executive Board shall have the authority to grant or reject expenditure requests of fifty dollars ($50) or less, with RHA having override authority. The RHA Executive Board may also approve the spending of up to one hundred dollars ($100) quarterly for office supplies, with RHA having override authority. Section 4 - Approval of FundsFunding Proposals may only be voted on at a meeting if they appear as an action item on the meeting's printed agenda. Funding Proposals may be brought before RHA from the meeting floor and then discussed. These proposals will automatically appear on the agenda of the following meeting. Funding Proposals must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members present. Refer to the by-laws for specific guidelines on procedure and approval of funding proposals. Article XI - NACURHSection 1 - MembershipRHA is a member of NACURH. Section 2 - DuesRHA will vote to pay annual dues, as required by NACURH. Section 3 - ConferencesRHA will attempt to provide representation at regional and national conferences. Article XII - Amendments to the ConstitutionSection 1 - Vote RequiredThis constitution may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of members with voting rights. Section 2 - ProcedureAn amendment shall be voted on no sooner than one (1) week following its introduction to RHA. Section 3 - Proposing an AmendmentAn amendment to this constitution may be proposed two ways:
Article XIII - Suspensions of Portions of this ConstitutionSection 1 - Portions Subject to SuspensionThe following sections of articles may be suspended for a period of time specified by RHA: Article 11, Section 3 (Òreside in the residence systemÓ is not suspendable), Article 11, Section 3 (only the method of voting is suspendable), and Article X, Section 4 (approval of funds). Section 2 - Vote Required for SuspensionSuspension of the above portions of this constitution requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote.
Residence Hall Association Constitution By-Laws Meetings
RHA Policies and Guidelines
RHA Executive Board Election Code
Funding Proposals
Stipends
Hall LiaisonsEach officer shall be assigned a number of halls/apartment complexes (which will be decided by the Executive Board) for which he/she shall serve as a liaison between the RHA active members, Hall/Tenants' Council, and RHA Executive Board. He/she shall also meet other hall liaison expectations as established by the RHA Executive Board. RHA-Sponsored Councils
Suspension of By-LawsBylaws may be suspended for a period of time specified by RHA with a two-thirds (2/3) vote. |
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