HOUSE COMMITTEE
HANDBOOK
Your personal guide to becoming the best House
Committee Member you know you can be
Your commitment to excellence as a NMMU Residence student will mean:
 Be globally aware and support diversity;
 Be self aware and strive for meaningful relationships;
 Be an engaged member of community;
 Take full advantage of opportunities for learning;
 Explore leadership;
 Live a balanced and purposeful life
Your choice:
Choose your experience, your limits and your outcomes
Compiled by
B A Willemse
Student Life Officer
(Revised June 2009)
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TABLE OF CONTENT
Definition – What is a House Committee Member?
4
Things you need to know about becoming a House Committee Member
5
Building Character & Encourage Meaningful citizenship
6
Residence Contract and Code of Behaviour
8
Student Housing Constitution
10
General Job Description
18
The House Committee Member as an Administrator
19
The Importance of the first 2 weeks
21
Refining Your Skills as a Student Leader
22
How to Facilitate a Meeting
23
Managing your floor
25
TEAM Work
26
Building Community
28
Programmes and Activity (Some ideas)
31
Handling Difficult Situations
32
Resolving Room-Mate conflict
33
Solving Problems Effectively
34
Conflict Resolution through Mediation
35
Be Able to Say “NO”
37
LEAD
38
Emergency Procedures
39
Inspiration
42
Contact Numbers
43
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Here you are………..a student leader.
Wow! What a title.
What a responsibility!
Do you feel prepared for the excitement and challenges,
that lie ahead?
Whether you are a new and emerging leader or one who is more
established, brushing up with some leadership tips is a great way
to start off the year.
Actually, it’s a great way to start off each month or even week!
Being a leader is an on-going process, one that is never complete.
In this publication attempts have been made to give you tips to
assist you sail through your time as a Student Leader
GOOD LUCK!!
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DEFINITION
(What is a House Committee Member?)
1. A House Committee Member is a student who lives in a university residential
facility and acts as a resource for the students on their floor or in their area of
the building;
2. The House Committee Member plays a key role in creating an environment
for students that is conducive to academic, personal and social growth;
3. House Committees develop social, academic and cultural activities for the
residents;
4. A House Committee member is a friend, resource, mentor, role model and
community leader in their hall;
5. House Committee Members develop strong leadership and interpersonal
skills, which build them into strong leaders and give them skills they can use
for the rest of their lives.
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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BECOMING A
HOUSE COMMITTEE MEMBER
1. Not every student is going to appreciate the things you do for them, and sometimes
they will judge you unfairly;
2. You will have to deal with situations where you did not end up agreeing with the
outcome;
3. Never be afraid to introduce yourself to anyone;
4. The most difficult situations to deal with are not always the conduct related incidents
involving alcohol or drugs, but the drama related incidents, like roommate conflicts, an
unhygienic flatmates etc.
5. It will seem at times you are overworked and underpaid;
6. Flat mates only seem to study when you try and get them to attend activities and
programmes;
7. You need to remain impartial on controversial issues when interacting with flatmates
and the decisions they are trying to make;
8. You are human, you will make mistakes, but do not dwell on them, leave the past in the
past and start afresh;
9. Communication with other House Committee Members, flat mates and Res Staff is
essential
10. Ten months goes so fast, but being a HK can be one of the most fulfilling experiences
you will ever have.
Communication with your fellow House Committee, flat mates and Res Staff is essential
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BUILDING CHARACTER & ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL CITIZENSHIP
What is a good citizen?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Being proud of where you live
Being able to follow rules
Being able to take care of the community, environment and helping others;
Being respectful
Steps to become a Good Citizen
1. Loyal & Trustworthy
a. Love your family (Res family and your own extended family)
b. Encourage others
c. Always tell the truth
d. Keep promises
e. Follow rules
f. Don’t take things which are not yours
2. Fair
a. Take turns
b. Play by the rules
c. Treat everyone the same
3. Responsible
a. Make good choices
b. Trustworthy
c. Don’t make excuses
4. Respectful
a. Obey rules
b. Don’t laugh at someone or imitate them
c. Listen
d. Don’t be rude, smirk, curse or call names
e. Don’t criticize
f. Share something you have with a friend
g. Don’t litter
h. Say please and thank you
i. Don’t barge into another’s room without being invited
j. Keep voice down
k. Don’t hand washing from bedroom window
l. Don’t play loud music
m. Keep TV sound low
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5. Tolerant
a. Make friends with different cultures
b. Respect other and their differences
c. Don’t think everyone should be the same
6. Courageous
a. Try new things
b. Be brave
c. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
7. Caring
a. Be helpful
b. Be kind
c. Think about the feelings of others
8. Empathy
a. Don’t laugh at others ideas
b. Listen to what people say
c. Help someone with a problem
d. Show compassion
e. Listen
f. Share
9. Ambitious
a. Work hard
b. Set goals
c. Always do your best
“Do what is right”
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RESIDENCE CONTRACT AND CODE OF BEHAVIOUR
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University commits itself to creating a living and
learning environment within the residences.
This contract is based on the University vision of creating a living and learning
environment within the residences and the promotion of values consistent with
academic success and personal growth. A Code of Behaviour has been established to
assist in building a learning community, where respect, consideration and the dignity of
each person is a priority. The Residence Contract must be read in conjunction with the
Code of Behaviour, Student Housing Policies, University General Prospectus, Student
Charter and any other relevant University regulations.
Students in residence have a right to
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live in a clean and secure environment;
facilities and programmes that support the pursuit of academic success;
study without interruption or interference;
be free from unreasonable noise;
be free of intimidation or harassment;
have access to staff who provide assistance, guidance, and support as needed;
enjoy individual freedom regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, national origin,
disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
I, Ms/Mrs/Mr ………………….………………………………………..commit to being responsible for
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monitoring and accepting responsibility for the behaviour of my guests;
reporting violations of rules and regulations to appropriate staff;
treating others with respect and tolerance;
maintaining the residence buildings and facilities in good order;
pursuing my academic studies in a diligent, honest and professional manner;
contributing positively to the community by participating in educational and
developmental activities;
adhering to the rules and regulations as contained in the Student Housing
policies, (General Rules and Regulations: D/123/09);
complying with reasonable requests made by staff, university officials, or fellow
residents;
payment of residence fees1.
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The Department of Student Housing will strive to ensure that there is a safe and secure
environment and that facilities are in place for the delivery of the Universities academic,
social and cultural objectives. The Department undertakes to provide services that are
efficient and of high standards to be able to support and maintain the learning and living
environment for students.
The Department of Student Housing is committed to addressing students with dignity
and respect and in a fair, reasonable, and equal manner. The Department acknowledges
that students have the right to provide constructive feedback or lodge complaints
regarding the conditions, environment and service delivery at the residences, using the
proper channels of communication.
CONTRACT BETWEEN
Department of Student Housing, the Residence Members of …………..
And
Ms/Mrs/Mr …………………………..
Student Number……………..
Room No……………………… Residence……………….
By signing this contract the student agrees to abide by the Code of Behaviour, the
Student Housing Policies, rules and regulations contained in the University General
Prospectus, Student Charter and any other relevant University regulations. It is a binding
agreement between all residence students and the Department of Student Housing.
Signed the ……………. (day) of …………………… (month) ……………… (year).
Signature:
Signature:
Print Name:
Residence Manager
Department of Student Housing
Print Name:
Student
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STUDENT HOUSING CONSTITUTION
1.
ARTICLE 1 – NAME
The name of the residence is NMMU Residences
2.
2.1.
ARTICLE 2 – PURPOSE
The university residences must be a home for all registered residents where an atmosphere conducive to learning and holistic development of
the individual is catered for.
2.2.
Where the needs of its diverse members are catered for with the provision of suitable social and educational programmes.
2.3.
Where adequate facilities and infrastructure are provided for.
2.4.
Where adequate security is provided for.
2.5.
Where the mission, vision and objectives of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) are vigorously promoted.
3.
ARTICLE 3 – GUIDING PRINCIPLES
3.1.
Democracy
3.2.
Transparency
3.3.
Fairness
3.4.
Integrity
3.5.
Tolerance
3.6.
Promotion of diversity
3.7.
Equity
3.8.
Equal opportunities
3.9.
Academic Excellence
4.
ARTICLE 4 - DEFINITIONS
4.1.
Residence – a defined geographical location with specific infrastructures accommodating a defined number of registered students.
4.2.
Resident – a registered student in a specific residence.
4.3.
Students Representative Council – as defined in the constitution of the SRC
4.4.
Residence Management – appointed staff by the university to manage residential affairs.
4.5.
Student Housing Council – as defined in the constitution of the SRC
4.6.
Governance Structure – formally elected structure as defined in the SRC constitution (SRC; House Committee Members; Student Housing
Council; Faculty Council & Sport Council)
4.7.
5.
5.1.
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) – referred to hereafter as the University.
ARTICLE 5 – DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF OFFICERS
The residences will be run by a management team consisting of appointed staff by the University and elected House Committees who all report
to the Senior Manager, Student Housing.
5.1.1.
House Committees
5.1.2.
The number of House Committees will be determined by the Senior Manager, Student Housing using the guideline of 1 House Committee
member to 30 residents (1:30).
5.1.3.
The House Committee is elected annually (see article 7)
5.1.4.
All House Committees shall have an executive committee consisting of Primarius/Primaria, Secretary and Treasurer.
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5.1.5.
House Committees are to determine portfolios from amongst their elected ranks and the following responsibilities should be included:
5.1.5.1.
Maintenance
5.1.5.2.
Recreation / Social Welfare
5.1.5.3.
Sport / Orientation
5.1.5.4.
Security
5.1.5.5.
Academic
5.1.5.6.
Cleaning & Health Services
5.1.6.
House Committees are to meet at least twice a month and more if necessary. Minutes of all house committee meetings must be kept, filed
and copies thereof circulated to all residence management staff.
5.1.7.
House Committees may appoint sub-committees in order to assist with the execution of their duties.
5.1.8.
House Committees are expected to enforce the rules of the residence but all rules are subject to those of the University.
5.1.9.
House Committees are to assist residence management where necessary.
5.2.
5.2.1.
Powers and Duties
Primaria/Primarius
5.2.1.1.
Shall be the Head Student of the residence
5.2.1.2.
Shall be the chief spokesperson and representative of the house committee.
5.2.1.3.
Shall protect and promote the good image of the house committee at all times.
5.2.1.4.
Shall preside over House Committee meetings
5.2.1.5.
Shall provide leadership and monitor and control house committee activities and delegate duties where necessary.
5.2.1.6.
Shall represent the house committee on the Student Housing Council.
5.2.1.7.
Shall promote communication between residence management, the residents and other student governance structures.
5.2.1.8.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
5.2.2.
Secretary
5.2.2.1.
Shall be the administrative officer of the House Committee.
5.2.2.2.
Shall keep records and maintain archives of the House Committee.
5.2.2.3.
Shall maintain and forward regular correspondence to relevant addressee.
5.2.2.4.
Shall, in consultation with the Primarius/Primaria shall distribute notices, agendas and minutes of House Committee meetings to members.
5.2.2.5.
Shall keep proper minutes of all meetings.
5.2.2.6.
Shall be responsible for House Committee inventory.
5.2.2.7.
Shall ensure that copies of agendas and minutes are forwarded to the relevant residence management and Senior Manager, Student
Housing.
5.2.2.8.
5.2.3.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
Treasurer
5.2.3.1.
Shall be responsible for all House Committee funds.
5.2.3.2.
Shall budget for all residence activities at the commencement of their term of office.
5.2.3.3.
Shall ensure that all monies collected are accounted for and paid into the relevant account.
5.2.3.4.
Shall coordinate all fundraising programmes of the House Committee.
5.2.3.5.
Shall keep proper record and report quarterly by means of a public statement to the residents. Copies thereof to be circulated to residence
management.
5.2.3.6.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
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5.2.4.
5.2.4.1.
Other portfolios
It is recommended that the portfolios of maintenance, cleaning, student welfare, academic, security and FY orientation be mandatory for
each residence.
5.2.5.
Maintenance
5.2.5.1.
Shall report all maintenance issues of concern to the relevant residence management authority.
5.2.5.2.
Shall attend all meetings regarding technical and cleaning issues with the relevant authority or any other ad hoc meeting prescribed from
time to time;
5.2.5.3.
Shall liaise constantly with the relevant residence authority on technical and cleaning issues;
5.2.5.4.
Shall give feedback regularly to students on maintenance decisions taken at meetings;
5.2.5.5.
Shall give feedback to students regarding faults reported.
5.2.5.6.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
5.2.6.
Catering
5.2.6.1.
Shall attend meetings of the catering committee or any other ad hoc meeting called upon to attend;
5.2.6.2.
Shall liaise constantly with the catering management on catering issues and submit minutes in prescribed format to residence management;
5.2.6.3.
Shall give feedback regularly to students on decisions taken at meetings;
5.2.6.4.
Shall keep residence management informed of all problems, complaints and action taken on a regular basis
5.2.6.5.
Shall form a catering sub committee where necessary.
5.2.6.6.
NOTE: In self catering residences this portfolio may not be necessary
5.2.6.7.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
5.2.7.
Security
5.2.7.1.
Shall attend the meetings of the Protection Services Committee and any other relevant ad hoc meetings called upon to attend;
5.2.7.2.
Shall keep Campus Protection authority and Residence Management abreast of all security threats;
5.2.7.3.
Shall report security issues to the relevant Campus Protection and Residence Management authority;
5.2.7.4.
Shall remain constantly proactive and vigilant as regards protection issues and make recommendations to the relevant authority on such
issues.
5.2.7.5.
5.2.8.
5.2.8.1.
Shall give feedback to students on decisions taken at meetings.
First Year Orientation
Shall assume responsibility for the drawing up of an orientation programme for the approval of residence management, ensuring that the
programme conforms to the vision and mission of the overall institution and does not include any initiation.
5.2.8.2.
Shall convene a sub-committee which will direct the orientation programme.
5.2.8.3.
Shall represent the residence at all orientation meetings across the university when required.
5.2.8.4.
Shall monitor the progress of FY orientation and ensure that the dignity and educational value of the programme is never compromised and
report any transgression of policy to the relevant Residence Management authority;
5.2.8.5.
Shall compile a report upon the completion of orientation, making recommendations and reporting on the effectiveness of the programme.
5.2.8.6.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
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5.2.9.
Academic
5.2.9.1.
Shall encourage high academic performance and identify risk areas. Report such areas to the relevant residence management authority.
5.2.9.2.
Shall assist in the coordination of the various peer helping and mentoring programmes in the residence.
5.2.9.3.
Shall initiate academic programmes within the residence which could improve academic performance e.g. how to study, tutorials etc.
5.2.9.4.
Shall assist with any ceremonies where academic excellence is acknowledged within the residence.
5.2.9.5.
Shall represent the residence on any academic forums within the University where required.
5.2.9.6.
Shall monitor the academic atmosphere in the residence with regards to the creation of an environment where learning can be promoted.
5.2.9.7.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
5.2.10. Student Welfare (includes sport, culture and wellness)
5.2.10.1.
Shall represent the residence at all meetings where issues of student welfare are concerned in the University.
5.2.10.2.
Shall monitor and report on cases of student welfare within the residence e.g. indigence, health etc.
5.2.10.3.
Shall organise activities in collaboration with the relevant residence authority which focus on student welfare issues e.g. issues of culture,
sport, wellness, etc.
5.2.10.4.
Shall initiate at least one sustainable community development programme within the disadvantaged communities of the Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM).
5.2.10.5.
Shall initiate and coordinate the residence ball, and any other such activity.
5.2.10.6.
Note: This is a large portfolio necessitating (at the discretion of the specific residence) a sharing of the portfolio.
5.2.10.7.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
5.2.11. Cleaning
5.2.11.1.
Shall report all cleaning issues of concern to the relevant residence management authority.
5.2.11.2.
Shall attend all meetings regarding cleaning issues with the relevant authority or any other ad hoc meeting prescribed from time to time;
5.2.11.3.
Shall liaise constantly with the relevant residence authority on cleaning matters;
5.2.11.4.
Shall give feedback regularly to students on decisions taken at meetings;
5.2.11.5.
Shall give feedback to students regarding matters which have been reported.
5.2.11.6.
Shall report on a regular basis on those matters to the House Committee as determined by the House Committee.
5.2.12. General duties of all House Committees
5.2.12.1.
They shall attend to matters of comfort and recreation.
5.2.12.2.
They shall assist residence management in the execution of their duties.
5.2.12.3.
They shall attend House Committee meetings.
5.2.12.4.
They shall assist in the maintenance of general discipline in order to assure that students abide by the general rules and regulations.
5.2.12.5.
They shall liaise with residents with regard to requests which should be brought to the notice of the residence management.
5.2.12.6.
They shall form sub-committees where necessary.
5.2.12.7.
They shall inform residence management of any cases of illness amongst residents
5.2.12.8.
They shall promote a spirit of tolerance, studiousness and respect for property and people.
5.2.12.9.
They shall conduct any administrative duties on behalf of residence management as required from time to time.
6.
6.1.
ARTICLE 6 – MEETINGS
House Committee meetings
6.1.1.
House committee meetings are to be held at least twice a month and more if necessary.
6.1.2.
Notices of meetings shall be advertised at least 7 days before due date unless regular meetings are scheduled as per predetermined
arrangement.
6.1.3.
Quorum of each meeting shall be 50% plus 1 (one) of the members of the Committee.
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6.1.4.
If the meeting cannot be held because of the quorum an alternative should be determined on which the meeting will be held irrespective of
the quorum.
6.1.5.
These are to be recorded and minutes circulated.
6.1.6.
All house committee members must attend or tender a written apology.
6.1.7.
If absent from two consecutive meetings without apologies disciplinary and steps may be taken.
6.2.
House meetings
6.2.1.
House meetings may only be called by the Hall Coordinator/Primarius/Primaria in consultation with residence management.
6.2.2.
All house meetings must be announced by means of an agenda and notice at least three days prior to the meeting.
6.2.3.
Minutes must be taken and circulated to residence management.
6.2.4.
A quorum of 50% plus one is required of all residents. If there is no quorum the meeting shall be adjourned for 24 hours and those attending
the second meeting shall be deemed to constitute the meeting.
6.2.5.
House meetings shall occur at least once a term.
6.2.6.
A special meeting may be convened on receipt of a petition, handed to residence management, signed by at least 20% of the registered
residents requesting such a meeting. One week notice must be given of such a meeting. 20% of registered students shall constitute a quorum
of such a meeting.
7.
ARTICLE 7 - HOUSE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
7.1.
House Committees are elected annually in the third term for the following academic year. The newly elected House Committee will assist the
current House Committee during the last term in order to be trained in the duties and responsibilities for their term of office.
7.2.
Their term of office commences at the start of the academic year and finishes on the last day of the academic year.
7.3.
House Committee members will receive a stipend determined by the University Management.
7.4.
All House Committees must report for training as required by Residence Management.
7.5.
No House Committee member, other than the individual elected to the SRC as the Accommodation and Catering Officer, may hold a position on
any other Student Governance structure and may not receive more than one stipend.
7.6.
7.6.1.
Elections
Criteria for Nominations
7.6.1.1.
No disciplinary record from time of sentence for a period of 12 months.
7.6.1.2.
Academic performance – students should have the number of credits in accordance with their year of study as confirmed by Financial Aid.
7.6.1.3.
No outstanding debt from semester one (1) of that year.
7.6.1.4.
All nominees must have at least been residing in the residences for 6 (six) months unless exceptional circumstances are so deemed by the
Senior Manager, Student Housing.
7.6.1.5.
7.7.
7.7.1.
7.7.1.1.
The student must reside in the residence on campus for the full period of appointment.
Electoral process
Electoral Commission
The SRC, the Department Student Governance and Development and the department of Student Housing in consultation with the Housing
Council, shall appoint an Independent Electoral Commission to conduct the house committee elections.
7.7.2.
Voters Roll
7.7.2.1.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner compiles a voter’s roll.
7.7.2.2.
All registered resident students are eligible to vote in their respective residences.
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7.7.2.3.
Notification of the drawing up of the voters roll shall be given at least 14 days prior to the holding of the house committee elections. The
voters roll shall be open to the students for scrutiny.
7.7.2.4.
Objections and requests for the inclusion or exclusion of names must be submitted in writing, with comprehensive motivation, to the Chief
Electoral Commissioner no later than 24 hours after the closure of the voters roll for inspection.
7.7.2.5.
7.7.3.
The decision of the Chief Electoral Commissioner is final.
Nominations
7.7.3.1.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner shall invite nominations of candidates for the house committee elections by means of a public notice. The
notice shall state clearly the office where the nomination form will be obtained as well as the deadline for their submission.
7.7.3.2.
The nominations must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the date of elections at the office/s as published in the notification.
7.7.3.3.
No nomination shall be valid unless it contains:
7.7.3.3.1.
Full name & surname of candidate
7.7.3.3.2.
Student Number
7.7.3.3.3.
Faculty
7.7.3.3.4.
University Residential address of the nominee
7.7.3.3.5.
Name, student number, residence and signature of the enfranchised proposer;
7.7.3.3.6.
ID Photograph;
7.7.3.3.7.
Name, student number, residence and signatures of two enfranchised seconders.
7.7.3.3.8.
A written signed declaration by the nominee that he/she is willing to seek election.
7.7.3.4.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner will consider all nominations and determine whether the nominations are accepted or not on the basis of
the eligibility as per set criteria. The decision of the Chief Electoral Commissioner is final.
7.7.3.5.
Notice shall be given to the persons nominated as candidates for the election by the Chief Electoral Commissioner informing them of their
acceptance or not.
7.7.3.6.
Every nominee shall submit a Manifesto which will be read at an open residence meeting and it shall include the following:
7.7.3.6.1.
photo
7.7.3.6.2.
full names
7.7.3.6.3.
student number
7.7.3.6.4.
course
7.7.3.6.5.
motivation
7.7.3.6.6.
principle standing for
7.7.3.6.7.
promises
7.7.3.6.8.
signature
7.7.3.7.
7.7.4.
7.7.4.1.
7.7.5.
Responsibility rests with the approved nominees to canvas within defined guidelines as approved by the IEC.
Funding
The Senior Manager, Student Housing shall make available resources to each candidate which will facilitate the printing of posters.
Elections
7.7.5.1.
The IEC in consultation with the relevant student governance bodies shall determine the election programme.
7.7.5.2.
The IEC shall give notice of time, venue and date of election.
7.7.5.3.
The election shall take place on the appointed date and time by means of a secret ballot under the supervision of the IEC
7.7.5.4.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner shall be in full control of the election process and shall be empowered to deal with any irregularities that
may arise.
7.7.5.5.
Only ballot papers supplied by the IEC may be used.
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7.7.5.6.
Each voter must vote in person.
7.7.5.7.
Each voter must produce a student card, or in the absence thereof, an identity document accompanied by proof of registration.
7.7.5.8.
Recognised university constituencies may appoint one monitor, in writing, to observe counting of votes.
7.7.5.9.
After the election, the names of the successful candidates shall be posted on notice boards stipulating the number of votes, the names of
the candidates and the percentage poll. This should take place as soon as possible on completion of the elections.
7.7.5.10.
Successful candidates will be elected on the basis of a simple majority.
7.7.5.11.
The Executive Office bearers will be elected by the new committee and the outgoing Executive Committee together with specific Residence
Management. In the event of a tie, the manager shall have the casting vote.
7.7.6.
Replacement
7.7.6.1.
Should a vacancy occur through resignation or otherwise, a reserve system may be used to fill the vacancy should the need arise.
7.7.6.2.
Should a vacancy occur in the second semester, the vacancy may be filled through a process of co-option by the relevant house committee
with the approval of the Senior Manager, Student Housing.
7.7.6.3.
Should a house committee member not report within 14 days of the commencement of the academic year he/she shall forfeit his/her
position.
7.7.7.
Resignation from the House Committee
7.7.7.1.
Any member of the house committee may tender his/her resignation in writing to the Director of Student Housing.
7.7.7.2.
Full reasons for the resignation must be furnished.
7.7.7.3.
Any House Committee member who does not live in residence for the full appointment period shall be required to resign.
7.7.8.
Student Housing Council
7.7.8.1.
Within two (2) days of the House Committee election two (2) members of the House Committee, including the Primarius/Primaria, shall be
nominated to form part of the Student Housing Council (refer to Chapter 7, Section 27 of the SRC Constitution).
7.7.8.2.
The election of the additional member shall take place by closed ballot within the House Committee. If necessary the Primaria/Primarius
shall have the casting vote.
8.
8.1.
ARTICLE 8 – INCENTIVES
House Committee members shall receive incentives in the form of a monthly stipend as negotiated by the SRC and approved by EMCOM and a
uniform subsidy determined by Residence Management from time to time.
8.2.
House Committees who do not perform their duties may be suspended without remuneration.
8.3.
A House Committee member shall, where possible, be entitled where possible, to a designated single room.
9.
ARTICLE 9 – CODE OF CONDUCT
9.1.
House Committees Members shall attend all residence and House Committee meetings.
9.2.
Should a member be unable to attend a written apology in advance must be submitted to the secretary concerned.
9.3.
No members shall use offensive or hate language during any house committee meeting.
9.4.
No resident shall bring the residence into disrepute through his/her conduct anywhere.
9.5.
Racial and/or cultural intolerance shall be outlawed.
9.6.
No resident shall distort policy positions and misrepresent the residents for his/her personal gain.
9.7.
No member shall use the residence name for personal gain.
9.8.
No resident shall be involved in alcohol abuse nor the taking or selling of narcotics.
9.9.
Any form of harassment will not be tolerated;
9.10.
No resident may disrespect or offend the dignity of a fellow student, member of staff or member of the public.
9.11.
No member shall vandalise any residence structures.
16
9.12.
Any House Committee Member, who fails to perform to the required standards, makes themselves liable to suspension and/or withdrawal of
privileges and/or stipend and/or dismissal.
10.
ARTICLE 10 – DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
10.1.
The University Central Disciplinary and Residence Disciplinary Code stipulate the necessary requirements.
10.2.
In addition, House Committee members are subject to the Residence Rules.
11.
ARTICLE 11 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
11.1.
An annual general meeting in each residence shall be convened for all registered students in that residence. It shall meet annually to
approve;
11.1.1.
the minutes of the previous AGM
11.1.2.
to adopt constitutional amendments
11.1.3.
to approve portfolio reports
11.1.4.
and to discuss any other relevant matters.
11.2.
The house committee shall convene and plan for all the activities of
11.3.
The secretary shall issue a notice and agenda of the meeting 14
the AGM which shall be chaired by the Primaria / Primarius
days before such a meeting.
11.4.
The secretary shall prepare an annual report and make it available for perusal 7 days before the meeting by placing it on relevant notice
boards in the residence
11.5.
The treasurer shall prepare a financial report and make it available 7 days before such a meeting.
11.6.
50% plus 1 registered resident student shall constitute a quorum. Should there be no quorum the meeting shall be adjourned fo r 7 days
after which the students attending shall be deemed to constitute a quorum.
11.7.
12.
The AGM should take place prior to the annual Residence House Committee elections in the 3 rd term.
ARTICLE 12 – AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
12.1.
Proposal for amendments to the constitution shall be made at the AGM
12.2.
A written submission must be tendered in writing and must be supported by a list of at least 20% of the registered residents in that residence,
including names, student numbers and signatures.
12.3.
The detail of such submissions must be spelt out with a motivation and the exact wording of the proposal.
12.4.
The proposed amendments must be submitted via the secretary of the House Committee concerned to the Student Housing Council and Senior
Manager, Student Housing who in turn shall submit the amendments to the Executive Director, Student Affairs for the final approval by
EMCOM.
12.5.
In the case of conflict arising from the interpretation of issues, the matter shall be referred to the Director of Student Housing for arbitration.
17
General Job Description
Title: House Committee Member
Reports to: Student Housing Management
Responsible to: Students in relevant residence
Compensation: Single room in designated area and Stipend
Position Summary:
A House Committee Member is responsible for providing leadership, building community and promoting learning in
the residence halls. Students should use Guiding Principles to focus their work. These principles include:

Providing a diverse and inclusive community that encourages involvement and advocates a free
exchange of ideas;





Valuing intellectual creativity, leadership and excellence;
Promoting integrity, trust and personal responsibility;
Including students in decisions which enhance their university experience;
Leading and supporting exemplary collegial relationships within the university community;
Being innovative and supportive in programmes, policies and procedures
Responsibilities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
Establish and maintain an atmosphere that is conducive to an effective living and learning environment;
Serve as a role model and representative of Residences, as well as NMMU, in all areas of campus life;
Perform established duty responsibility as scheduled and attend required meetings;
Interact with residents as a means of establishing and maintaining friendly relationships, identify and
address problems, impart and obtain information, answer questions and create and foster a sense of
community in his/her living area;
Refer resident concerns to Accommodation Officer;
Advise residents of campus resources. Give assistance to other house committee members, mentors and
other student leadership groups;
Actively develop and participate in residence hall activities and programming;
Implement educational and social programmes each academic year with the assistance of the Student Life
Officer;
Support and participate in campus events including orientation;
Explain University and residence policies and procedures and enforce said policies;
Provide feedback concerning living and learning in the residence halls;
Assist Accommodation Officer in maintaining room lists and any other administration duties according to
deadlines set by Student Housing Management;
Participate in any residence hall surveys, studies and research projects as required;
Actively attend and participate in-service training programmes when advised to do so;
Participate in Community Service Projects each academic year;
Abide by, interpret and enforce all University and Student Housing rules and regulations as noted in the
Rules and Regulations handbook and House Committee Manual.
Exercise authority as a responsible House Committee member when on campus;
Exhibit appropriate role modeling when interacting with all NMMU students.
Work cooperatively with Student Housing Management, Protection Services and other staff and student
groups;
Perform other duties as assigned and discussed with Student Housing Management;
Ensure that the corridor/flat is in readiness for fellow students by being the first to arrive and the last to
leave each term/semester;
Non-compliance


Any non-adherence to the above responsibilities or policies will jeopardize a
House Committee Member’s position;
The House Committee Member will expose him/herself to disciplinary sanctions
which does not exclude the possibility of all privileges being revoked e.g. stipend
and single room;
18
THE HOUSE COMMITTEE MEMBER AS AN
ADMINISTRATOR
Some tips on how to manage through a tidal wave of paperwork
Get Organised
1.
2.
3.
4.
Keep your desk orderly
Keep files with all your administration forms and paperwork
Write down your regular administration tasks and include them in your diary
Review your diary every week to avoid time conflicts between school work, exams and
the House Committee tasks
Be Proactive
1. Make a tour of all the bedrooms and
common areas e.g. bathrooms, lounges etc.
2. Check for and make a list of problems that will surely come up and create a problem for
you later e.g. broken door locks, windows, lights that are not working etc.
3. Send a report to your Residence Manager and give a note to your flat mate so they can
see that the matter has been reported and will be attended to (Do this often)
Notice Boards and Decorations
1. Develop a floor information centre for announcements and notices – list all Res
happenings, phone numbers and other exciting developments or activities. This must be
updated regularly
2. Take ownership of your floor’s initial appearance
3. Create decorations that make students feel at home, but still maintain a neat well kept
floor
Partnerships
Create relationships with your colleagues (House Committee Members and Residence Staff) and
work with and assist where ever possible.
Pace yourself
It is important to utilize your daytime hours wisely, get plenty of sleep, develop a daily task list
and avoid procrastination
19
Managing “Check in Day”
1. This period can become very stressful, no matter how organised you may be, because
there will always be someone who will be unhappy about something.
2. Be accessible to your floor on that day, respond to problems immediately and follow
through.
3. Remain calm when dealing with a hostile parent or student, refer problems to your
Primaria/Primarius or Residence Management should you not be in a position to solve
the problem yourself.
Room List (Very Important)
1. The purpose of this list is to verify where your flat mates are living. It is important that
you complete this task accurately and expediently.
2. Submit rooms list to the Residence Manager whenever requested to do so.
3. You must know the physical occupancy and personal details of each of your flatmates at
all times.
4. Knowing where your vacancies are is very important to you and the Admissions Officer
in assigning new residents and accommodating room change requests.
First Flat Meeting (ALSO SEE Page 23 - ‘How to facilitate a Meeting)
This is a very important meeting and should be held as soon as possible within the first two
weeks of the semester.
How you present yourself and share information will establish a lasting impression on your
residents;
Consider these four things as you plan for and hold your first meeting:
 Establish your role as House Committee Member;
 Review key behaviour issues and expectations (what you expect from your flat mates as
House Committee Member);
 Review community standards and have your flatmates set expectations of one another;
 Provide opportunities for flatmates to socialise and get to know one another.
Do not hesitate to request assistance from Res Management in this regard.
Very important – elaborate the rules and regulations that govern the NMMU Residences
20
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE YEAR
Get out there with your flatmates
Interaction and getting to know your flat mates is the way to foster great community building
“Check In Day”
Be the best resource person you can be, know where everything is or be able to find the person
who has the relevant information at hand
Community (also see Pg 28 - ”How to Build Ccommunity”)
1. Lay down what “Community” in your flat is;
2. This is a good time to relay rules and regulations;
3. Be firm, always show consistency and avoid a power trip
Be Accessible
1. Lay down times when you will be available and be there when you say you will be
2. Always be reliable
Staff Community
1. Interact with other House Committee Members and Student Housing Staff;
2. Do all administration as required timeously and accurately from day one – this avoids
conflict;
Get to Know People
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Avoid staying in your room with your door shut all the time;
Roam the floor and have informal chats with your flat mates;
Arrange and participate in organised activities and programmes – set the example;
Assist your flat mates to solve problems
Always be consistent
21
Refining Your Skills as a Student Leader
Know Who You Are…And Who You Aren’t


Have a clear understanding of yourself;
Be willing to reflect a bit;





Assess your skills and beliefs.
What will you stand up for?
Is how others see you congruent with your own self-appraisal?
Are you living with integrity?
What abilities do you have? What should you leave for others to do?
As a member of a constantly changing world, constant evaluation is necessary. As time goes on,
ask yourself if your experiences have helped you to grow and change as a leader? As a person?
Have they reaffirmed or challenged your ways of thinking? Who are you today?
Find a Mentor


None of us can do it alone - Having a mentor you trust and admire can prove to be a valuable asset. As
you encounter challenging situations, a mentor is someone who can serve as a consultant, looking at
issues in an objective and professional way. He or she
Your Mentor is likely to have meaningful past experiences from which to draw insight and perspective.
Who knows, you may also find an ally for life!
Empower Others



It is likely that you were empowered by another to become a student leader. Each of us rarely does it all
on our own
Perhaps someone helped you to develop a particular skill. Or maybe someone saw potential in you and
had the ability to offer you a great opportunity.
Well, now you have the chance to help others on their path to leadership. Take advantage of it! Recruit
others to be involved. Share the responsibility and the reward. Be a part of making sure that after you
have gone there are others to carry on.
Keep Learning




Fine-tune your skills through experience and intentional opportunities.
Take on tasks and responsibilities that develop your existing talents as well as ones that will stretch you
to learn skills outside of your comfort zone.
You can begin the year by taking an active role and participate in leadership workshops.
You’ve worked hard to become a student leader. Don’t be afraid to work hard to remain one.
Have Fun


Although there are many parts of your role as a student leader that must be taken seriously, you do not
have to be serious about everything that you do. Leadership is a joyful adventure. Find where the joy in
it exists for you and make that a part of your experience!
Don’t forget! No matter how many leadership positions you have held, being an effective leader is an
on-going process. It begins by knowing yourself - your motivations, values, abilities, and limitations. It is
being true to these principals, proving you are a person of character and credibility. Leadership implies
leading others. This requires the ability to empower, relate, include, be purposeful, and inspire. Because
people and situations are always changing, effective leadership also requires on-going learning and
flexibility. Now go forth and lead on!
22
How to Facilitate a Meeting
As a House Comm Member there is going to be numerous times when you will need to lead a meeting.
While each meeting may require slightly different methods of facilitating, the questions that you should
ask yourself and the process that you should follow will be very similar.
Think about meetings that you have been in…what made those meetings good, bad, boring, exciting or
even memorable?
When thinking about meetings you desire to facilitate, think that people will want to enjoy participating
and remembering it in a positive light.
Include the following in your planning:
a) How do you encourage group participation?
b) Do you have a goal or outcome you hope to accomplish or that the group hopes to accomplish?
Some things to consider:
The Planning Stage:
After considering the above questions, you need to spend some time on pre-meeting planning:
a) It is crucial to have a basic outline of the meeting and a general idea of how the flow is going to
happen.
b) Going into a meeting with nothing will leave you looking unprepared, unmotivated, disorganized
and perhaps lazy.
c) Going into a meeting with every minute mapped out might not allow for good conversation or
spirited discussion. Working toward a compromise of those two ends of the spectrum leads you
to the question; how much structure do you need?
d) Remember “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.
e) Before walking into the meeting space, you should have
1) an outline of the order of activities or topics,
2) an estimated timeframe for each agenda item as well as the overall length of the meeting.
How do I know what to plan? The purpose of the meeting as well as the outcomes or accomplishments
the group desires or needs will determine what you plan and will guide your planning to ensure that the
group meets the goals set forth.
Some things to consider – Facilitating the Meeting:
The Facilitator of a meeting is also the leader in the group. With this in mind it is important that you try
and keep the majority of your personal opinions to yourself. Most importantly the goal of facilitating a
meeting is to get the group to work together – to learn, to process and to achieve a goal.
You can’t do this if you are continually stating what you would do or how you believe the group should do
something.
Facilitation means to “help along” – and you need to continually balance the process of staying on track
and making forward progress with allowing for discussions and full-group participation. This process also
helps others develop their own leadership skills.
The meeting should allow an opportunity for people to introduce themselves. Individuals can feel very
uncomfortable in a meeting room full of people who do not know each other, especially when they are
23
trying to communicate or interact with one another.
A good way to get people to know each other is to utilize icebreakers. This is key: think what would
happen if you walked into your first floor meeting and just started telling all of your residents the rules.
Would they really listen? The same holds true for meeting facilitation. Let them loosen up, have them
interact, share stories and work with each other in a relaxed fun atmosphere.
Agenda
a)
b)
c)
d)
Let people know the meeting agenda so they have an idea of what will take place.
You can post the agenda on the notice boards or provide small handouts.
People want an idea of the order of the meeting along with how long they can anticipate being there.
If you only tell people the schedule aloud, some people will quickly forget, whereas if you
have it posted on the wall (or provide handouts) and then tell everyone, there is a greater
chance that everyone will understand, anticipate and be comfortable with the agenda, and will more
likely participate.
Avoid
There are a couple of other things you might want to avoid when facilitating a meeting.
e) Being too passive or indecisive. You want to demonstrate that you are comfortable in front of a
f)
group and in your role as facilitator, but you don’t want to come off as power hungry or too
controlling.
Consider the length of “process time;” - allow adequate time for participants to discuss an idea or
agenda item is important, but at the same time don’t beat the proverbial dead horse. University
students are busy people and don’t want to feel as though they are wasting time coming to a
meeting, so make it worth their while and let them see results from the discussions you have.
Conclusion
There are many things you can do to ensure your meetings run smoothly and that people feel as though
they have accomplished something. By planning ahead, preparing an agenda, outlining common goals,
encouraging participation, strategically involving others, focusing on the group’s experience, and
balancing your active/passive leadership style, you will likely be successful in facilitating the meeting.
24
Managing Your Floor
Your first step is to think about yourself.
Think about your personality traits, your values and how others perceive you. This will help you understand how you will relate to
the residents as situations come up and how they will react to you. Realize your limitations or concerns. If you are someone who
mainly keeps to yourself, think about how you will overcome this as the person charged with getting your residents together. Utilize
your Res Manager or Prim for assistance and ideas whenever possible.
Make sure you know your “stuff.”
Read over your housing policies, ask questions of staff to clarify any concerns and most importantly, take ownership of the
university’s mission. In order to feel confident when talking to your residents about any topic, you have to feel as though you have
the necessary information and that you know where to find it when you do not. You know how it feels to ace a test or paper when
you have really done your homework, your House Comm position is no different. You have to spend some time during training and
before your residents arrive to begin building your confidence.
Think about what it means to be a House Comm Member.
Now that you have done some of your “homework,” think about what it means to be a House Comm Member each day. There are
going to be days when you are more on top of things than others and that is to be expected. Overall, though, you know going into
the position that you are expected to be visible in your community. Visible can mean many things and often times, it means paying
attention to the activities of your floor, not just having your door open a few hours each night. Residents have to develop respect for
you and your actions in order to come to your door while it is open.
Pay Attention.
To help you in this area, pay attention to the notices on your floor and also take note of things beyond notice boards. Look at notice
boards outside residents’ doors, flyers that organizations are posting and the things residents add to the floor to show their
personality. Make contact with residents as you walk the floor and regularly ask how they are doing, following up on a test or a date.
Make sure you visibly look at your floor each day. It may sound redundant, but residents always seem to notice when the one new
controversial thing shows up on your floor or the first signs of vandalism appear. If you do not notice or ignore the issue, then you
never know how long a resident will have dealt with a prejudice remark in his/her community or how long an inappropriate picture
has been up. Nothing will break down the community on your floor or lead to further incidents faster than ignoring issues.
Pay attention to new issues and promptly address them.
By knowing your floor, you are able to realize when a new “issue” arises and you can promptly address it. An immediate response
or notification to your Prim or Res management demonstrates to residents that you, will not tolerate such behavior and will hold
students accountable. Residents will respect you for your immediate attention and most importantly, for you supporting an
environment they can feel comfortable in.
The way you begin your year is very important.
While you certainly cannot be there for every resident as every issue occurs, the manner in which you begin the year and the ways
you initially connect with your residents will set the tone for how they feel they can act and if they will utilize you as the resource
you are for them. Know upfront that some residents will have a hard time separating friendship from responsibility with you and
that is okay. Keep in mind, though; you were elected to serve as a House Comm Member, in all its roles, not to be a friend to every
resident, no matter what the cost.
Trust yourself, value your abilities and act ethically. All you can do is be the best House Comm member you can be and that starts
with managing your floor.
25
TEAM WORK
Together Everyone Achieves More
Build trust
Develop a shared purpose
4. Empower team members
1.
2.
3.
Together Everyone Achieves More
How?
Use the C E M E N T method






Communicate honestly and openly and always allow members to share by giving their input;
Encourage involvement and participation in meetings and activities etc
Maintain order and do not get sidetracked. Always be consistent
Establish goals and keep the group focused on these goals
Never say “You are Wrong”, negative responses shut down communication, remember all opinions should
be heard
Test for understanding, always summarise and review goals
Now get out the “cement” it’s time to build your team’s foundation.
26
WHAT CREATES A TEAM
1. Trust comes with knowing one another, create a togetherness by participating in tasks
and activities together
2. Respect always makes a good ethical decision and always be a role model
3. Caring focuses on members strengths and develops ways for members to improve
4. Openness in Communication does not just report, but allows discussions
5. Opportunities for continuous growth encourages you to attend organised
workshops/programmes and activities
6. Sense of Unity creates oneness and a sense of pride
7. Morale of your members is very important, invest time on a regular basis to assess
morale by getting feedback from team members
8. Loyalty means we are all in this together and members must learn to accept all
challenges, failures, short comings together
9. Rewards must be given and this does not mean monitory rewards. All you need do is say
“Thank You” or “Job well done”. This will go a far way to show appreciation
27
BUILDING COMMUNITY
Simple Steps to start a Community
The bolts and nuts that help build a community:




Be available and accessible
Show a genuine interest
Be objective and honest
Talk, talk, and talk some more
Be available and accessible
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
To build a strong relationship with your floor your have to spend time on your floor;
 Walking around your floor at least twice a day, leaving your door open as much as possible,
posting your class schedule on your door, letting your residents know your email address or
another contact number are good ways of making your presence felt and seen;
Beginning every term right
 Initiate conversation. This is your golden opportunity to set a trend of chatting and
exchanging dialogue between you and your flat / floor mates.
Show a genuine interest
 Find out what your residents interests and hobbies are
 Know what they are involved in beyond school activities; Try and see if more than one of
your residents are involved in the same thing; If they are then bring them together e.g. if
one of your residents plays in the band, or is on a sports teams then work on getting a
group together from your floor to support them at an event;
 Step into their lives, don’t step on them
 During orientation you may meet a resident’s family member or special some one. Be
respectful and warmly welcoming all of them is a huge contribution to initiating your
bond with that student. Knowing your students values can be a great insight into their
lives. It can be constructively used to talk with them, promote their talents and to help
resolve conflicts, but always respect their personal boundaries – judge smartly!
Being objective and honest
 Give yourself time to do you personal task
 You are also a student as any other. Building Community will take time out of your
schedule to stay ahead of the game by being organized and allocating time everyday for
yourself to study, run errands and get YOUR stuff done. Something that can help is
incorporating daily tasks like eating dinner together and talk over a meal, going to the
gym with them, attending workshops with them etc…. The more time you spend the
more results you will see.
 Be Honest
 While building bonds with your students be sure to always portray the right/accurate
picture. Getting along very well with them can not be a reason to lead them to believe
that they are exempt from policies.
Talk, Talk, and talk some more…….
 Sometimes repetition helps in registering what you are trying to say;
 It is helpful to find new and creative means to reach out to your students and repeat to them
some basic principles:
 Personal hygiene;
 Dietary balance;
 Community living codes;
28
 Respecting diversity;
 University rules and regulations;
 Academic planning;
 Setting and reaching goals;
 Tal to them – you don’t have to lecture
 Mould your conversations from time to time to a desired shape depending on the area
the particular student needs help in.
f) Building Community one at a time
 Domino effect
 Find the natural leader – Your students may look up to a few charismatic individuals on
the floor, you can rely on these natural leaders to initiate an effect you want to see on
the entire floor. Once these leaders do something even as simple as attending a
programme, event, workshop etc you will be surprised to see how fast the rest will follow
suit.
 Rewarding one shows all – Actions speak louder than words, we all know it. If some of
your residents attend a program just because you insisted then say to them “I am so glad
you came” note on their door can assure you a second visit from them. If a student did
well in their class, a “congratulations” note will encourage them and set an example for
others
 Practice a safe and healthy environment – believe it or not your students will learn from
you e.g. If you don’t lock your door, they won’t so make that effort to do things that are
right. The same goes for res rules, if you don’t abide by them – they won’t;
 The conduct that your students assume on the floor, may be derived from you role on
the floor;
 If the floor is well decorated then the chances that notices will ripped down are lowered
because the student know you CARED!
g) Bringing them together
 Now that you have set up individual bonds with your students to be community rolling you
need to bring them together.
h) Physical Environment
 Very critical to provide a conducive learning environment to student who have just moved
away from home and may be struggling with several things at one time
 You can achieve this through various means:
 Give a theme to your floor and decorate it accordingly e.g. Leadership theme, if you are
on an engineers floor, you can use that as a theme, you can keep themes according to
the coming holidays, festivals etc.
 Door tags – These are very purposeful. Reading the door tags is perhaps the first tiny
step the residents take unconsciously towards knowing their floor mates. Try and make
the door tags catchy. Making them unique also helps because people want to check out
each others door tags.
 Don’t let the bathrooms be neglected. Put up soap holders, hand wash soaps. Be
creative and let your student decorate the bathroom with you. There are dozens of
things you can do.
i) Opportunity (Events & Programmes)
 Doing a certain programme may not necessarily attract everyone so it is important for you to
target certain audiences and work with their interests;
 Once you have groups on the floor that students associate with, it is a lot easier to bring the
groups together – even if means having to start with one student at a time.
 Start one at a time
 Target your audience
 Work on growing the existing cliques
 Expand your audience
 Bring the different audiences together
29
j)
Goal or Intention – Purposefulness
 There has to be a purpose in your choice of events. You may find yourself stuck at any one
of those stages of community building if your events are always spontaneous and never
thought through.
k) YOUR ARE THE FIRST RESIDENT OF YOUR FLOOR

Reminder:
 Be Genuine
 Be available
 Be accepting
 Be a Role Model
 Be a Mentor
 Be fair and reasonable
 Be consistent
30
PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES
Some bright ideas………………………..
1.
Cultural Activities (festival)
a. Adopt and live out a different culture
2. Celebrate Public Holidays
a. Women’s Day
b. Heritage Day
c. Youth Day
3. Awareness Campaigns
a. Health Issues
b. Alcohol abuse
c. Academic Focus
d. Elections
4. Guest Speakers
a. Invite speakers to talk on
i. Current Affairs
ii. Money matters
iii. Life Skills
iv. Inspiration
b. Invite Alumni to give their past experiences and how residences influenced their lives
5. Debates
a. Current Affairs
b. Sexuality
c. Woman abuse
6. Silent Auction
a. Fund raising
7. Embrace facilities in and around campus
a. Nature walks through the reserve
b. Beach walks
8. Community Outreach
a. Orphanages
b. Old Age facilities
c. Hospitals
d. Schools
e. Homes for the physically disabled
9. Theme Months/Weeks
a. Chocolate month – chocolate prizes: show case a good move or book, participants
reflect and discuss then participants get prizes
b. “Month of love” – Valentine Day
10. Team Building Activities
a. Indigenous Games
b. Inter flat/floor/res games
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HANDLING DIFFUCLT SITUATIONS
The easiest way, is to remember the R.O.S.E. method when handling difficult situations
1.
Respect,
always show respect despite any challenge the flatmate creates. Disapprove of the behaviour
not the person
2.
Objectivity,
always have the concrete facts available of an offender and possible witnesses. Compare the
offence with the rules and regulations and take the necessary action
3.
Stance,
your physical and verbal stand (body language) conveys everything to a challenger, do not show
aggression. Check your own feelings and frame of mind before attempting to repair a wrong
doing. Rather get someone else to assist you, should you not feel up to the situation
4.
Efficiency,
get the information you need and respond in the appropriate manner and do not allow timeous
arguments to pursue. Be professional, show good leadership skills.
Remember remain respectful, objective, consistent and efficient; this is the key to handling
difficult situations
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RESOLVING ROOM-MATE CONFLICT (Basic tips)
Listen
Always listen to the concern and avoid agreeing or giving your own comments, always remain
unbiased
Go to the Source
Encourage room-mates to talk about the problem to each other in a calm, non-threatening
environment
Mediation Time!
1. Get all the appropriate parties to meet, include your Prim and Residence Management if
need be.
2. Encourage roommates to set some “room rules”.
3. End meeting once all issues have been discussed and resolved and all parties are happy.
4. Room Rules is a good idea and should be planned and implemented with each set of
room-mates at the beginning of the year
5. Encourage roommates to make up a set of room rules if they haven’t done so e.g. how
you would like the room to be kept, who should clean the room and when, what are
study and sleeping preferences
6. Sharing property – will this be allowed, and should they ask first etc.
7. Visitors, when and how often
Mediation Time – get all parties involved
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SOLVING PROBLEMS EFFECTIVELY (Tips)
1. Maintain confidentiality; Do not blab to others about a flatmates problem;
2. Always be willing to listen and work toward assisting to resolve the problem;
3. Be careful of giving advice. Do not be afraid of not having an answer, and make referrals
when they are appropriate
4. Provide phone numbers, names of referrals e.g. counsellors, nurses or anyone else you
might think can assist with the problem;
5. Assist flat-mate to make first contact with referral person if need be;
6. Make sure you know the Rules and Regulations of the Residence and the University
7. Keep a cool head by being objective and open minded;
8. Be aware of your feelings and do not impose your feelings on another student;
9. Accept the students feelings and thoughts, even if you might not agree;
10. Be tactful and avoid putting the student down;
11. Monitor the student, he or she might need to talk again;
12. Most important be willing to LISTEN
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Conflict Resolution through Mediation
Mediation is an often-used approach in resolving roommate conflicts. It can be a satisfying and fulfilling way to reach
resolution on some very sticky matters. It can help the individuals involved become better communicators and be
more prepared to handle conflict in the future. It can also help restore a healthy community.
Technically, mediation is defined as a process in which individuals seek to talk through their differences with the help
of a neutral third party and reach a mutually-agreed upon resolution.
Remember about the importance of training, and if you are unsure of your skills in this area, ask your Prim or
Manager for support, assistance, and training.
The following information should help you in your role as mediator:
Set ground rules
And once you set them, make sure that everyone sticks to them. Common ground rules include not interrupting, not
engaging in name-calling, listening well, being courteous, and maintaining privacy at the conclusion of the
mediation session.
As the mediator, it is your job to call people on their behavior when they break a rule. And you must do so in a nonjudgmental manner so you can continue to be perceived as neutral and not taking one side over the other.
Trust the mediation process
Your role is, in part, to be a good role model and to help move the disputants along from one part of the process to
the next, continually moving toward a resolution.
While doing so, you should be engaging in reflective listening, and restating and reframing concerns and issues that
arise.
It is your job to moderate the language used e.g. if a disputant says:
“She never turns her alarm clock off; that’s disrespectful to me,” you could restate that by saying “So what you’re
saying is you are concerned because her alarm clock rings, and you don’t feel respected because of that.”
Understand the limits of mediation
Mediation can be most helpful in many roommate or community disputes. There are, however, a number of
circumstances in which mediation is not the proper solution. In instances where violence has occurred, or may occur,
mediation is inappropriate because either the threatening atmosphere places one of the disputants at a disadvantage
or a disputant enters the mediation with motives that are compatible with the process. For the same reasons, sexual
assault, dating violence or stalking are also poor choices for mediation. Lastly, disputes that involve individuals with a
lack of equality in power can be problematic and are not advisable.
Be neutral
Some professional mediators would say that a true mediator shouldn’t know any of the parties involved in a
mediation session. Others would say that as long as you can be neutral, and are perceived to be neutral, you can
operate as a mediator. It helps to note any relationship that you have with the parties involved. For example, it’s all
right to say “Even though Nomhle was my resident last year and I’ve known her longer, I believe I can be a neutral
mediator in this process. Are you both okay with that?” Of course the best course of action would be to have another
House Comm Member mediate a dispute between your residents. You could return the favour when other House
Comm Members have disputes within their community. This insures neutrality, both in real and perceived terms.
Take appropriate time
If your residents have 45 minutes between classes and they want you to do the mediation in that time rather look for
another opportunity to meet with them.
One of the biggest mistakes in mediation is not allowing enough time for the process to take place.
All parties (including you) need to have one hour, at minimum, to get things going and everyone should understand
that you may not get finished in that time and that you may need to schedule another time (or times) to keep the
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process going.
Time is a limited resource, especially for varsity students, but it is one of the key ingredients for a successful
mediation.
Be patient
While it may seem that all the issues are on the table, there may be more lurking unseen to your eye. If either or both
disputants seem hesitant or can’t seem to move forward, there may be more going on than you are aware of. If you
try to move along too quickly, issues that need attention can be left out and consequently come back to haunt you,
and the disputants, later. Make certain through restating and reframing concerns and issues that everything is out in
the open before moving on. And remember that just because you feel like you’re ready for the next step doesn’t
mean it’s time to take that step. Everyone involved must be ready to do so or mediation doesn’t work.
Do not offer solutions
Offering solutions to problems is not part of the mediation process. Should the neutral party come up with the
solution, that’s called arbitration.
Another key ingredient in mediation is to make certain the parties involved are arriving at their own decisions and
solutions. You can ask them prompt questions to get this part of the process moving (e.g. “Are there any other ideas
that you have about solving this issue?”), but be sure not to lead, or mislead them.
You will be a trusted individual and the participants might agree with your suggested solution – which might work for
you - but you are not one of the individuals who will be living with the outcome.
Get the agreement in writing
Once the disputants have arrived at a resolution, it is imperative to get the agreement in writing. But before that, be
certain that all the bases are covered regarding details and feasibility. Play devil’s advocate and attempt to find
problems in the resolution. Ask if everything seems realistic. Ask what will happen if an agreed-upon term is not met,
or an obligation goes unfulfilled.
Once all of the details have been settled, write down the agreement. Make certain that each disputant has things to
do in the agreement; it sends a bad message if three-quarters of the items have one disputant’s name at the
beginning (e.g. “Loyiso agrees to...”). Each disputant should have a copy to take with them and refer to as necessary.
Follow-up
It is a good idea to check back with the disputants in a week or so to ensure that the mediated solution is being
followed and working. If they have moved away from the agreed upon course of action, you may need to help the
disputants to recommit to their initial agreement, or you may use the current situation to do a secondary mediation
and which will allow them to outline additional solutions.
With some formal mediation training and practice, and these tips in mind, you can be well on your way to helping
your residents resolve their conflicts in a healthy and positive fashion.
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BE ABLE TO SAY “NO”
Have “ME TIME”, even write this in your daily diary.
Nine ways to say “NO”
1.
Thank you for asking me to help with this. It is an honor to be asked even if I won't be able to say
yes at this time.
2.
If you can ask again at a later time (next week/month/year/life) I might be able to say yes.
3.
I need to check with my supervisor/coworkers and see where this fits in with the other projects
we are currently working on.
4.
Remember the other project I'm working on for you? Do you want me to set that aside for now
and concentrate on this or should I wait and finish that first?
5.
Oh, you need to know right now whether I can do it? Then the answers needs to be no. If you
could give me a day or so to look at everything, I might be able to reprioritize some things.
6.
No, Thanks!
7.
This is such a great opportunity. I wish I could take that on, but there really isn't any room on my
plate right now.
8.
I need a few days to look over my schedule and make sure I can give you the careful attention it
deserves.
9.
No, I wouldn't be able to take that on right now, but thanks for asking!
Do not take on too much (watch out for overload).
It is an imperative part of your responsibility as a House Committee Member to be refreshed and
healthy for your flatmates, because they will come to you when they are burnt out and depressed.
How can you help your residents with their problems, if you are suffering from the same problem?
Keep a healthy mind, body and soul and this will keep you ready for all life’s unexpected adventures
that you might miss if you are burnt out.
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L.E.A.D.
(your way to success)
1.
Listening Skills
Be an active listener and allow the person you are listening to, to have a chance to tell his/her story and
show understanding;
2.
Encouragement
Encourage your flatmates to follow rules and regulations. Always stay positive. Leave a heart warming note
for someone you know is not feeling well or despondent
3.
Approachable
Keep a positive attitude. Think before you speak and be a good listener
4.
Decisions
Decisions are sometimes made, not by one person only, but by the influence of the input of all members of
a team. However take the initiative when you are required to make a decision and never be indecisive.
To be a good leader you need to weave together a fine quilt of many different
personal qualities, talents, and skills. When you use all of the threads that you
possess you create a masterpiece of achievement. Look at leadership being an
analogous term with guidance.
To be a good leader is to guide without stepping on toes
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EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
GENERAL TIPS ON EMERGENCY SAFETY EVACUTION PROCEDURES.
This is a basic document, offering general and accepted norms within our environment and is subject to
continued evaluation and necessary change.
What happens and how do we react?
“Should any emergency situation arise, you are to see whether you are capable of dealing with it before it
becomes a larger risk. Many such emergencies can be resolved quite easily and speedily if one knows
what to do”.
THE QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK:






How will I know of any emergency situation / evacuation arising?
Do you know where the nearest exit is?
Do you know where to find the fire extinquisher, and / or fire hose?
Are there any physically challenged people in your office or on your floor?
Where is the first-aid kit kept and who is the trained first-aider in your department / faculty?
What do I have to do when called to evacuate?
ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS
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1.
Once alerted Campus Protection Services will sound the alarm.
2.
Ensure you know what the designated evacuation route or nearest exit in your area of operation
is. This should lead you to the most direct point of exit. It is important that you are aware of your
assembly point, if not the safest place to assemble, so as to gather outside safely and take stock,
check for, identify and attend to injuries / missing persons.
3.
Do you have an arrangement with physically challenged persons working in your area, office or
floor level and have you agreed upon who will alert them and how they will be assisted to leave
at times of evacuation? It should be decided that someone in specific is to attend to and assist,
remaining with such physically challenged person throughout the evacuation process.
4.
The first-aid kit should be kept at one specific office / station and all personnel are to be aware of
which office and who the responsible person is. In perfect circumstances that responsible person
should not only be trained in first aid, but also the designated first-aider in times of emergency.
5.
When called to evacuate you have to carry out certain basic functions.





GET ALL YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS TOGETHER.
MOVE OUT IN AN ORDERLY MANNER.
REMAIN CALM AND CALL OTHERS TO CALM.
ENSURE THAT EVERYONE LEAVES THE EFFECTED AREA IMMEDIATELY.
ON LEAVING CLOSE DOORS AND WINDOWS BEHIND US WHEN THREATENED BY FIRE OR LEAVE
THEM OPEN IF UNDER A BOMB THREAT.
MOVE TO THE CLOSEST EXIT ROUTE AND MOVE TO THE ASSEMBLY POINT OR SAFEST AREA TO
GATHER.
ONCE THERE, ASSIST IN DETERMINING IF ANYONE IS MISSING OR INJURED AND ASSIST.
AWAIT THE ALL-CLEAR SIGNAL BEFORE RETURNING TO YOUR OFFICE OR THE BUILDING.



DEALING WITH FIRES.


It is important that we know how firefighting equipment work.
Immediate response and the correct use of a fire extinguisher will enable a small fire, the size of
a waste basket to be successfully extinguished.
Always aim at the base of the fire to prevent spreading the flames. When entering new areas,
touch the door with the back of the hand to determine heat and possible fire spread.
If trapped in a room, try to seal the bottom of the door with clothing.
Lay low on the floor in a smoke filled room, hot air rises. If possible cover your mouth with a wet
handkerchief.
Only open a window to escape or to attract attention as a last resort.
Opening windows and doors draws in oxygen and fuels the fire.





RECEIVING BOMB THREATS:
What is important is that on receiving any such a call, you stay calm and try to draw as much information
as possible from the caller. Important information that will assist in determining the validity and potential
risk of the threat is as follows:




Was the caller male or female?
Did the caller have any distinctive ascent?
What was the content of their message?
Where is the bomb placed?
40




What kind of explosive device was set?
How late is it set to go off?
What is the reason for placing the bomb?
Are there any back-ground sounds?
Remember the last think you want to do is cause panic so refer the information for immediate attention
to the security service centre.
General Information:
Ensure that all persons are informed as to the evacuation procedure.
Clearly and in a legible manner, display posters indicating evacuation steps and emergency evacuation
routes and assembly points.
The above is the most basic information and that generally applicable to staff and students. The total
emergency plan should be readily available for discussion and information of designated safety reps, floor
monitors, fire marshals, etc.
Should any department or faculty wish to have fire evacuation drills or exposure to the correct handling of
fire equipment or want to design a plan that is applicable to your specific area of need, please contact
Protection Services, who in conjunction with the Health Safety and Environmental Officer will attend to
your need. Always ensure that the fire equipment in your area of operation is within its service date and
that any shortages are reported for attention.
Do not allow any unauthorized use, tampering or damage and removal of such equipment or emergency
signage and report it to Campus Protection Services. Such acts are unlawful and punishable as Criminal
Acts that carry heavy fines and lengthy jail terms.
Always ensure that your area of operation is free of any possible threat such as blocking of emergency exit
routes by placemen of furniture or the accumulation of flammable agents.
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INSPIRATION
(Hopes for a House Committee Member)
If you enter my room feeling lost,
My hope is to show you direction;
If you enter my room full of tears,
My hope is that you will leave with a smile;
If you enter my room feeling like a stranger,
My hope is that when you leave,
We will know each other better;
If you enter my room full of happiness,
My hope is to share your excitement;
If you enter my room bothered by worry,
My hope is that you will leave feeling at ease;
If you enter my room glowing with love,
My hope is to share in your warmth;
If you enter my room bubbling with dreams,
My hope is to watch them develop for you.
If you enter my room with a troubling problem,
My hope is that you can confide in me;
If you enter my room,
My hope is that we will both grow stronger.
42
CONTACT NUMBERS:
Director (HOD)
Dr Shuping Mpuru
504 2403
Manager: Operations, Vacation Accommodation
and Off Campus Accommodation
Mr Khotso Bada
5043663
Student Life
Mrs Beverley Willemse
504 2954
Oceana Residence - 2nd Ave Campus
Mrs Barbara Minne
5043839
Sanlam Student Village – North Campus
Ms Shirani Nhlangwini
5044506
Veritas / Melodi Residence – South Campus
Mrs Wendy Reeves
5042485
Xanadu / Unitas Residence – South Campus
Mrs Zodwa Sekobela
5042402
Post Graduate Student Village – South Campus
Ms Xoliswa Xaluva
5043941
Lebombo / Letaba – North Campus
Ms Charity Ntseoane
5049107
Computer Lab– South Campus
Ms Nomhle Zako
504 2207
Stores
Mr Phindile Mbengo & Ms
Nokuzola Kosi
504 4125 / 2261
Unitas & Xanadu – South Campus
Ms Mpumi Mhlawuli
5044547
Melodi & Veritas – South Campus
Ms Kholiswa Dikeni
5044205
Sanlam Student village – North Campus
Ms Georgina Jacobs
5044506
Lebombo/Letaba – North Campus
Ms Yoliswa Koom
5042115
George Campus
Mrs Vuyiswa
Gozongo
Mentile
–
044-8015034
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
X 9998
Medical Emergencies (Office hours)
Campus Clinic
5042174 (S)
5043364 (N)
0448015062/5025 (G)
Protection Services
5042342 (S)
5043636 (N)
5043710 (2nd)
0448015114 (G)
5042482 (S)
5043483 (N)
5043356 (N)
5043636 (N)
5042482 (S)
5043636 (N)
504 3710 (2nd)
*7000 (G)
Counseling, Health & Welfare
services)
082 428 5009
Medical/Security/Fire Emergencies
(After hours)
Security emergencies all hours
(These numbers can be contacted for Medical
Emergencies after hours as well)
Reporting Technical issues (after hours)
(All issues must be reported to your relevant Residence
Manager during office hours)
NMMU CRISIS HELPLINE (24 HOURS)
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