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.
Section 6: Each RHLC shall hold regularly scheduled meetings, at least twice per month, that
are open to all hall residents.
1
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
2
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 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:
3
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
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
4
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.
5
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.
Section 8: Special Appointments
In the event an elected RHA officer cannot fulfill their duties or can no longer hold the position, and
in the event that a special election has failed or is impractical, then the remaining RHA officers, with
the consideration of the RHA advisors, hold the right to appoint an RHA member to fill the vacant
position and perform all duties of said position discussed in Article VI. At the general body meeting
before the position is officially filled, there must be a motion from a hall to appoint the member to
the position, followed by a second. The RHA body will then be given the opportunity to discuss the
appointment before a moving into a single transferable vote to appoint the member. There must be
a majority vote in order for the position to be filled.
Article VIII - Resignation of RHA Executive Board Officers
6
Section 1: 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 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.
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 institute the removal procedure, a petition must be set in motion and signed
by a minimum of 20% of the current RHLC Officers. The names of the Officers signing the petition
for removal shall be kept confidential.
Section 3: Advisor(s), Officers, and general body members must be notified within 48 hours after a
petition for removal has been presented.
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% of the RHLC Officers 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 speak in alphabetical order on issues pertaining to the removal procedure on the
table.
c. For closing statements, the RHLC Officer instituting the removal procedure shall speak first, and
the person being recalled shall speak second.
Section 8: Voting will be done by confidential hall vote, and then counted by the RHA Advisor(s).
This process will be witnessed by the mediator, described in Article IX Section 4.
7
Section 9: A 75% majority vote of present voting members constitutes removal of the Executive
Officer.
Section 10: Within a two-week period, after removal, there is to be an election for the vacant
position, according to the electoral process found in Article VII.
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, votes shall be taken as one of three processes.
A.) A standard voice vote
B.) 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 executed
when the motion is monetarily based.
C.) 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.
Section 4: The following are requirements to make an amendment to the RHA Constitution:
A. The desire or need for a constitutional change must be brought to the RHA Executive Board.
This can be done by any member of RHA before February 1st of the current academic year to
give adequate time to review the constitution.
B. A Constitution Committee will form to review the constitution. This committee will be
presided over by the RHA President and attended by the RHA member who called for the
formation of the committee. Any member of RHA is allowed to attend the meetings.
C. A petition stating the specific constitutional changes must be signed by 20% of the total
number of RHLC Officers before the Constitution Meeting.
D. The proposed changes will be presented to the RHA body at an open forum, during a weekly
RHA meeting, to hear comments and opinions before the amendment can be passed.
8
E. A quorum of 75% of the total number of halls shall be required to bring a constitutional
amendment to a vote. A 90% majority vote shall be required for the change to become
effective.
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 the RHA president. 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.
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 all conference
delegates accountable. For each conference, the NCC shall establish requirements for each delegate.
A delegate is to be defined as an on-campus resident, 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
and an outline of all funds allocated for that conference up to that point will be given to the general
9
body every time a funding request is proposed.
Article XII – Hall Funding
Section 1: Hall Funding
If a hall's RHLC wishes to receive additional funding, 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 be presented by the
applicant at the next general meeting. The presentation shall last no more than five minutes,
followed by a question and answer period, not to exceed five minutes. After the request is
presented, the Treasurer will state the Board recommendation to the body.
The RHLCs will be allowed two minutes to caucus simultaneously regarding the funding request
currently being presented. At any time an RHLC can request additional time in two-minute
intervals, no more than three times, to decide their votes.
Section 2: Non-Hall/RHLC Funding
For a funding request to be presented to the general body from an outside club/organization,
proposed beneficiaries must include on-campus residents. Procedure for such requests shall be the
same as in the preceding section. When said budget is exhausted, the parties involved may still
make funding requests, but the funding will be taken from another part of the RHA accounts.Section
3: Reserves Right of Refusal of Funds
RHA reserves the right to refuse funds of any hall’s RHLC, club, or organization due to fraudulent,
discriminatory, or inappropriate use of the funds. Any hall’s RHLC, club, or organization found in
violation of these guidelines must return the appropriated funds to RHA. Should the RHLC or
organization requesting money not fulfill all required paperwork and 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 RHLC or organization returns to request more RHA funds.
B. After the second offense the Executive Board will henceforth enforce the right to deny
funding requests submitted by the RHLC requesting money
Section 4: The Senior Director of UHNSP and/or an appointed official has the right to veto all RHA
approved funding requests.
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
10