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 holding one 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.

1 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

2 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

3 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 delegating any 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 NCC shall 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

A. 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.

B. Historian

4 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 each general 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 of Hall 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 will form 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. Elections must be held during a regularly scheduled meeting of the RHA body. 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

5 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 which may be written by any of the following: A) A CWU faculty and/or staff B) A UH&NSP professional or student staff member C) An officer or advisor of another club or organization affiliated with CWU Section 5: Timeline A specific election timeline shall be established by the VP/NCC, in consultation with the Executive Board, and presented to the RHA general body. This timeline should include date of nominations, date and time that letters of intent are due, date that letters of intent and recommendation are to be made available, and the date of the elections meeting. 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. The Single Transferable Vote Method must be used during elections (see Article X, Section 3). Section 7: Special Elections If an Executive Board position becomes vacant a special election will occur in accordance with Article VII of the RHA Constitution.

Article VIII - Vacancies on the RHA Executive Board Section 1 - Resignations: In the case of resignation, the Executive Officer resigning, or a person designated by that Officer as a representative, must present the resignation to the Executive Board at least two days prior to the general body meeting before it shall become effective. See

6 Article VII for election procedure. Ultimately, the decision to hold a new election will be decided upon by the Executive Board in conjunction with the RHA general body. Section 2: Special Elections A vacant position on the Executive Board shall be filled by a special election, which shall follow the election procedure outlined in Article VII of the RHA Constitution. Section 3: Special Appointments If a special election has failed to fill a vacancy, or is impractical, the remaining RHA officers, with the consideration of the RHA advisors, shall appoint an RHA member to fill the vacant position. The appointment must be confirmed by the RHA body following the voting procedure given in Article VII Section 6. The confirmation process shall include time for discussion. Article IX - Removal of RHA Executive Officers

Section 1: Only an RHLC Officer may present a petition for removal of an Executive Officer.

Section 2: In order to initiate the removal procedure, a petition must be signed by a minimum of 20% of the current RHLC Officers and presented to the RHA Advisors. The names of the Officers signing the petition for removal shall be kept confidential.

Section 3: Upon receipt and verification of a petition to remove an RHA Executive Officer, the Advisors shall notify the Executive Officers and general body members within two (2) working days.

Section 4: The person to whom the removal is being directed to and the RHLC Officer calling for the removal must agree on a mediator before the meeting is held. This is to ensure a fair and impartial mediator for the meeting at which the petition for removal is being presented. The mediator must be an individual that is unknown, on a personal level, to both parties involved.

Section 5: A quorum of 75% is required at the meeting when the removal petition is presented.

Section 6: During the meeting, both the person being recalled and the presenter of the petition shall have 10 minutes for both opening and closing statements. Only the mediator, RHLC Officers, NRHH Officers, and current RHA Executive Officers may have a chance to speak on the issue at hand, for no more than two minutes. The aforementioned bodies may yield their turn to any present individuals. RHLC Advisor(s) are to remain neutral, and may speak for points of clarification and information.

Section 7: The speaking order during the meeting shall be as follows: a. For opening statements, the RHLC Officer instituting the removal procedure shall speak first, and the person being recalled shall speak second. b. Each hall shall be yielded the floor in alphabetical order to speak on issues pertaining to the removal procedure on the table. RHLC Advisors are to remain neutral, and may speak for points of clarification and information. c. For closing statements, the RHLC Officer instituting the removal procedure shall speak first, and the person being recalled shall speak second.

7 Section 8: Voting will be done by confidential hall vote as described in Article X, Section 3. This process will be witnessed by the mediator, described in Article IX Section 4.

Section 9: A 75% majority vote of present voting members constitutes removal of the Executive Officer.

Section 10: After removal there is to be an election for the vacant position according to Article VIII

Article X - Legislative Procedure

Section 1: Meeting Procedures: All meetings of RHA shall be conducted in a fair and orderly manner, utilizing Robert’s Rules of Order (for Parliamentary Procedure). This orderly conduct is under the discretion of the President.

Section 2: Motions: The RHLCs and NRHH Officers may introduce a motion at a general meeting of RHA. A motion may be used to make a decision regarding actions or activities to be administered by RHA. A simple majority vote shall put the motion into effect unless otherwise described by the Constitution.

Section 3: Voting: Each occupied Residence Hall shall be allocated a total number of votes equal to the number of residents within the hall at the start of the academic year divided by 50, rounded to the nearest whole number, with a minimum of 2 votes. NRHH shall be allotted 2 votes as well. Voting members are NRHH and RHLC Officers, excluding Advisor(s). At the discretion of the President or as required by this Constitution, votes shall be taken following one of the following three processes. A.) Roll Call Vote: RHLC Officers will confer with each other and any residents present from respective halls, to determine how their hall’s votes shall be allocated. A hall’s votes do not need to be unanimous, as a hall can split their votes. This voting procedure is must be executed when the motion is monetarily based. B.) Confidential Hall Vote: Secret ballots that are based on the number of votes per residence hall. For voting regarding funding and constitutional issues, the allocated hall votes must be used. C.) Single Transferable Vote 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

8 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, their vote is exhausted. h. Steps “a” through “g” are repeated until a candidate receives quota and is elected. Section 4: Amendment process 1. The desire or need for a constitutional change must be brought to the RHA Executive Board. The board will discuss the proposed change or changes and decide whether to form a Constitution Committee. The committee may also be called for the purpose of reviewing the Constitution to determine if changes are necessary. A majority vote of the Executive Board shall be required to form a Constitution Committee. The committee must be chaired by an Executive Board member. 2. The committee shall draw up a proposed revision to the Constitution and present it to the RHA body during an open forum at a regularly scheduled meeting. The procedure outlined in this section shall be followed to make changes to the Constitution. 1. A motion must be made to open changes to the Constitution. This motion requires only a second. 2. A motion shall be made to bring specific proposed changes to Constitution to the table. i. The person proposing the change shall then have 5 minutes to present on the proposed changes. ii. There shall be a 5 minute period for questions from the body. This may be extended by a motion from the body; the maximum length shall be at the chair’s discretion. iii. There shall be a one minute caucus, which may be waived either at the chair’s discretion or by a motion from the body. iv. There shall be a 5 minute period for discussion of the proposed change(s) by the body. This may be extended by a motion from the body; the maximum length shall be at the chair’s discretion. v. A motion shall be made to make the proposed changes on the table. An effective date should be given. If an effective date is not given or recorded the changes shall, by default, take effect at the beginning of the following Fall Quarter. A standard roll call vote shall be taken. Acclimation may be called on this motion. vi. This procedure shall be repeated until all proposed changes have been heard. 3. Once all changes have been brought to the table or tabled to a later meeting, there must be a motion made to close changes to the Constitution before any more business can be carried out.

9 Section 5: Suspension of the RHA Constitution will be allowed in a two meeting proceeding. During the first meeting a change will be proposed and discussed. During the second meeting a 90% majority vote shall be required for the suspension to take place. Section 6: In the event that the desire or need for a change to the RHA logo arises, all proposed changes to the logo must be reviewed by a logo committee of RHA general body members. The Committee will be presided over by an RHA executive board member. The proposed changes will be presented to the RHA body at a designated RHA meeting. A quorum of 75% of the total number of RHLC Officers shall be required to bring a logo change to a vote. A 90% majority vote shall be required for the change to become effective. Article XI - Meetings and Conferences Section 1: Meetings The RHA shall hold meetings of the general body on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in a designated location determined by the RHA Executive Board during the academic year. A quorum (>= 75%) of occupied residence halls must be present for business to be heard. The Executive Officers shall hold a Board meeting at least once each week, to take place before the general body meeting on Wednesday. Section 2: Conferences The NCC, following consultation with the Executive Board, and while exercising careful consideration of the budget, shall make reasonable efforts to organize delegations to regional, national, and/or any other conferences that would serve as a benefit to CWU UHNSP Organizations. In addition, the NCC shall establish a process for selecting, organizing, and holding accountable all conference delegates accountable. For each conference, the NCC shall establish requirements for each delegate. A delegate is to be defined as must be an on-campus resident the quarter following the conference who is active in RHA and their hall’s RHLC. This student is to be an ambassador of CWU, as well as RHA. These requirements may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Fundraising 2. Meeting Attendance 3. Presentation(s) before and/or after the conference 4. Written and/or verbal report(s) Funding for the conference must be brought to the attention of the RHA body no less than thirty days before the conference. An outline of the estimated total funds to be requested for a conference, including all funds already allocated for that conference, will be given to the general body as part of the funding request.

Article XII – Hall Funding Section 1: Hall Funding If an RHLC, staff team, or other group wishes to receive funding from RHA, a Funding Request Form must be filled out, and will be reviewed by the RHA Executive Officers. Applications are due on or before a predetermined day set by the Executive Board. The funding request will then

10 be presented by the applicant at the next general meeting. The funding request presentation shall follow the following procedure: A) The requesting person or group shall be given five (5) minutes to speak on the nature of the request. This time may be extended by a motion which is seconded and not dissented. B) At the end of the question and answer period a motion must be made to allot funds to the requestor and seconded. Following the motion the RHA Treasurer shall read the Executive Board's recommendation (also known as the 'Board Rec'). C) Following the requestor's presentation the body shall be given five (5) minutes to ask questions of the requestor. This shall be followed by a one (1) minute caucus, which may be extended or waived by a motion which is seconded and not dissented. D) Five (5) minutes shall be given for the body to discuss the funding request. RHLC Advisors must remain neutral and shall not be allowed to speak. E) Following the discussion period there shall be a one (1) minute caucus, which may be extended or waived by a motion which is seconded and not dissented. F) Following caucus the motion will be voted on by roll-call vote. Acclamation may not be called on a funding request. Section 2: Reserves Right of Refusal of Fund RHA reserves the right to refuse a request for funds by any person or organization due to fraudulent, discriminatory, or inappropriate use of the funds. Any person or organization found in violation of set guidelines must return the allotted funds to RHA. Should the person or organization requesting money not complete the given stipulations by the set date, the consequences shall be as follows:

A) After the first offense the Executive Board shall give a board recommendation of no when the person or organization returns to request more RHA funds.

B) After the second offense the Executive Board will henceforth deny funding requests submitted by the person or organization requesting money.

Revised: February 22, 2007 February 18, 2009 February 25, 2009 March 4, 2009 May 11, 2011 May 9, 2012 May 8, 2013 November 20, 2013 September 22, 2016