American University
Residence Hall Association
c/o Housing & Dining Programs | 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20016-8142
Phone: 202-885-1RHA | FAX: 202-885-1154 | E-mail: info@aurha.org | www.aurha.org
General Assembly Agenda 1 December 2011
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Call to Order
o At 10:33 pm President Cindy Zhang called the 9th General Assembly
meeting of 2011-2012 to order
Attendance
o Quorum is established
Agenda Approval
o Motion to approve the agenda
 Seconded, passed
Approval of Minutes
Hall Reports
o Motion to limit hall reports to one minute each
 Seconded, passed
o Anderson
 Decorating lobby soon
o Centennial
 Joining big RHA in a movie screening in the Perch next Friday
o Hughes
 Pajama party next week
 Gift baskets for each floor
o Leonard
 Cookies and Coffee last week was very successful
o Letts, Clark, and Roper
 Decorating lobby
 3 Events in the next two weeks
 Exchanged gifts at their hall council meeting
o McDowell
 Event next week- write 2 letters to soldiers, get a Georgetown
Cupcake!
 Planning a study break event
o Nebraska
 Throwing a holiday party
 Cookie decorating
o Tenley Campus
 7 Deadly Sins event
 Stress-busting event
Executive Board Reports
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o President
 Meetings will probably begin at 10pm next semester
 E-Board supports HDP’s establishment of a substance free floor and
a transfer student floor
o Vice President of Advocacy and Community Coordination
 What is substance free housing? Isn’t all housing substance free?
 It’s a community to facilitate personal commitment to living
a substance-free lifestyle
 HOTY point submissions are due December 7th
 Dining Survey results
 We’re still going to get more feedback next semester
o Vice President of Finance and Administration
 Has transitioned into the new position
 Ordering official AU nametags for the E-Board
 Filed his first JV transfer form
o Vice President of Programming
 Programming Roundtable is finally full!
 Winter Wonderland
 Next Friday in the Perch from 8-11pm
 The Finals Frontier
 December 14th
 A study break in the library
o Chief of Staff
 Has been updating RHA documents
 Will create a Facebook group for General Assembly members
 Hall Council Presidnets- please “friend” Brian on Facebook,
so he can add you to the group
o Then add your E-Board members
 Will create a means for easier email communication within General
Assembly
Unfinished Business
o Resolution 11-12-009
 Kate Modic presents
 Motion to extend the period of presentation and questions by 10
minutes
 Seconded, passed
 Questions
 You say that the living situation is unsafe? What is unsafe?
o Bullying does happen, and safety is tied into being
comfortable.
 Currently, if a student does come out to HDP, can they get
accommodations?
o Yes, but this change doesn’t require residents to say
anything to HDP.
Is it true that any resident can go into this housing,
regardless of your sexual orientation?
o Yes!
 Couldn’t this be abused? Couldn’t significant others begin
rooming together?
o Yes. HDP will recommend against doing so, though.
 Is it first come, first served?
o Yes.
 Are the rooms going to all be on the same floor or will they
be spread out over campus?
o It isn’t really RHA’s purpose to recommend the
logistics of how to make changes.
 How would bathrooms work?
o It’s definitely an issue. That’s why we can’t tell HDP
specifics—they will work everything out.
 Will there be “single” rooms in the gender-blind housing?
o Again, this isn’t something RHA has a say over. Our
resolution is just saying that we want gender-blind
housing as an option for students.
Motion to vote by show of hands
 Seconded, passed
Vote: 32-0-7
 Resolution passes
Point Presentation
Sean Dugdale presents
What is HOTY?
 Hall of the Year. Halls throw events and work on advocacy
issues in order to get points.
Period of presentation and questioning has elapsed
Motion to extend the period of questions by 3 minutes
Questions
 These criteria are pretty vague. How will you decide what to
awards points to?
o We purposefully left it vague.
 Shouldn’t an E-Board member have to be at the event in
order to be able to judge how good the event was?
o We would love to be at every event, but we would be
even busier than we are now. We trust you in
reporting how successful your events were.
Can we change the point system for OTMs so that it says 5 points
will be rewarded each month if a hall submits at least one OTM
Motion to move into debate for 3 minutes
 Seconded, passed
Debate
 The proposed change is discussed.
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o HOTY
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Motion to extend debate for 3 minutes
o Seconded, passed
 The proposed change is discussed.
 Motion that the HOTY policy be changed so that each hall that files
at least one OTM per month be granted 5 points, regardless of how
many OTMs they submit thereafter
 Seconded
 Vote: 25-9-5, amendment passes
 Motion to further amend the line so that the OTM is rewarded more
points if it wins a regional or national award
 No second
 Motion to suspend the rules for 2 minutes
 Seconded, passed
 Vote on establishing the new HOTY point system
 HOTY point system passes
Old Business
o Resolution 11-12-008
 Cindy Zhang presents
 Questions
 Would this apply to hall councils?
o No. Just to student-staff.
 Where in here does it say that it’s just RAs?
o It says “Housing and Dining Student Staff”
 Vote: 38-0-1
New Business
o Appointment of New NCC
 Marie Scholz presents on her recommendation of Rory Slatko
 Rory Slatko presents
 Questions
 Who will take Rory’s position when Rory takes Maries?
o Deputy NCC isn’t a required position to fill. Marie
appointed him, and if Rory feels he needs a deputy,
he will appoint one too.
 What was your nickname at CAACURH?
o What? I didn’t have one.
 Rory leaves the room
 Motion to appoint Rory Slatko as NCC by unanimous consent
 Seconded
 Rory will be the new NCC, beginning next semester
 Rory will be sworn in at the end of next week’s GA meeting
Adjournment
o At 11:43pm the 9th General Assembly meeting of 2011-2012 is adjourned