Constitution of the Residence Hall Association
at Northern Arizona University
ARTICLE I - NAME
Section 1. Name
This organization shall be known as the Residence Hall Association at Northern Arizona University. Hereafter this organization will be referred to as RHA.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Section 1. Purpose
A. RHA shall be a student run organization.
B. RHA’s main purpose shall be to represent and serve all residents living in on-campus residential communities.
C. RHA shall promote and provide opportunities for activities and leadership development.
ARTICLE III - AFFILIATION
Section 1. Affiliation
RHA is an affiliate of the following organizations:
A. National Association of College and University Residence Halls, inc. (NACURH)
B. Intermountain Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (IACURH)
C. National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH)
D. Northern Arizona University Office of Residence Life
ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Members
The members of RHA will consist of all NAU students who reside in on-campus residential communities.
Section 2. Alumni members
Alumni membership is open to former residents who were members of the organization; they may not vote or hold office.
ARTICLE V - REPRESENTATION
Section 1. General Council
RHA’s General Council is comprised of the Executive Council, Hall Representatives, Independent Representatives, and Advisors. All General Council members have the right to vote and hold office.
Section 2. Hall Representatives
Each on-campus community will be granted voting representation. Voting representatives must live in the community they represent and cannot be a professional staff member.
A. Freshmen Connection halls with fewer than 500 residents will have three (3) representatives, while Freshmen Connection halls with 500 or more residents will have four (4) representatives.
B. Upper division, traditional and suite style residence halls, with fewer than 150 residents will have one (1) representative, while upper division, traditional and suite style residence halls, with 150 or more residents will have two (2) representatives.
C. Apartment communities and family housing will each have one (1) representative.
D. Greek housing will have one representative from Panhellenic Council and one representative from the Interfraternity Council.
Section 3. Independent Representatives
RHA grants the opportunity for ten Independent Representatives with full voting and membership rights.
A. The following organizations have standing Independent Representatives, which will be appointed by each respective organization: NRHH, ASNAU, ASWI, and RA Council.
B. Individuals interested in obtaining Independent Representation must apply for this position by notifying the Executive Council and presenting themselves to the General Council. They shall be considered an independent representative after being voted in by the General Council.
Section 4. Requirements of General Council members
A. General Council members must maintain the required GPA, as stipulated by Student Life.
B. General Council members are required to attend all meetings.
C. General Council members are required to participate in one committee each semester, as determined by the Executive Council.
ARTICLE VI - ELECTED OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers
The Executive Council shall consist of the following officers: President, National Communications Coordinator, Finance Director, Special Events Director, and Public Relations Director.
A. The President shall nominate an Executive Officer to serve as President pro tempore. The General Council must approve this nomination. The President pro tempore assumes all responsibilities in the absence of the President.
Section 2. Eligibility for Executive Council
A. The President must have been a voting member of the RHA General Council for two consecutive semesters immediately prior to their election.
B. The National Communications Coordinator, Finance Director, Special Events Director, and Public Relations Director must have been voting members of the RHA General Council for at least one semester prior to their elections.
C. Each elected officer must be a full-time student at NAU and maintain the required GPA, as stipulated by Student Life.
D. Each elected officer must live on-campus.
E. Elected officers may not serve as a Hall or Independent Representative in addition to their elected position.
Section 3. General Responsibilities of Officers
A. Term of service for all Executive Council members is from the oath of office until the close of spring semester.
B. In preparation for the new academic year and promotion of RHA, the Executive Council must return early for training.
C. Serve office hours in accordance with the Bylaws.
D. Attend weekly Executive Council and General Council meetings.
E. Train and transition succeeding executives.
F. Provide end of year Transition Notebooks.
G. Chair respective committees that meet weekly.
H. Act to the benefit of RHA at all times and serve as a positive role model for NAU and on-campus housing.
I. Annually select the Christopher G. Freeman Scholarship recipient.
J. Specific positional responsibilities as listed in the Bylaws.
Section 4. Election of Officers
Officers shall be elected by the General Council.
A. Timeline: Nominations shall be opened in the spring semester, no later than the 8
th week of the semester. Advisors will verify eligibility prior to elections. Elections shall follow in the succeeding weeks.B. Order of Elections: President, National Communications Coordinator, Finance Director, Special Events Director, and Public Relations Director.
C. Election meetings: Elections will be held in a Special meeting, for which no minutes will be recorded. A quorum must exist of a majority of the General Council.
D. Voting: Voting shall occur by secret ballot. A candidate shall be elected by a majority vote (more than half).
E. Endorsements: Current and newly elected Executive Council members cannot officially endorse a candidate running for RHA Executive Council; however, they can still speak for or against any candidate.
F. Special elections: For vacancies mid-term, nominations will be opened at the next regularly scheduled meeting and elections will occur thereafter.
Section 5. Removal of Officers
All officers are subject to removal upon gross neglect of responsibilities, willful acts against the purpose and intent of the Constitution, or violation of their contract with the Office of Residence Life.
A. Procedure: A written grievance statement will be presented to the Executive Council, the officer(s) in question, and the Advisor(s). The Legislative Leadership Committee will determine whether sufficient grounds exist for a removal vote by the General Council. At the next General Council meeting, a Special meeting will be conducted to review and vote on the removal. A two-thirds majority of the General Council present is required to remove an officer.
B. Process of Removal: Notification of removal will be submitted in writing. Upon receipt of removal notification, compensation will be prorated.
ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS
Section 1. All meetings
A. Chair: The President shall chair all meetings. In the absence of the President, the President pro tempore will preside.
B. Agenda: The President will determine the agenda. Anyone wishing to be placed on the agenda must notify the President.
C. Quorum: For business requiring a vote, a quorum constitutes a majority of the General Council.
D. Voting: For business requiring a vote, a majority is required for passage.
E. Veto Power: The President shall have the power to veto decisions of the General Council. The power shall be exercised during the meeting in which the decision was acted upon, or at the next regularly scheduled meeting. The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the General Council.
F. Proxy Voting: A member may leave a proxy vote that must include the member’s name, position, vote, and signature. This vote must be written and turned into the chairperson of the meeting. The proxy vote will count for the duration of the vote at hand and will not carry forward to future votes in the case of ties or further voting.
Section 2. General Council meetings
General Council meetings shall occur weekly in accordance with the academic calendar. General Council meetings are open to all members.
A. Purpose: The purpose of General Council meetings is to conduct the business of the organization, relay information to and between Hall and Independent Representatives, and create unity amongst the members.
Section 3. Special meetings
Special meetings are closed and no minutes will be recorded. Special meetings are limited to only voting members and invited guests. Special meetings can be called by the Executive Council or by a majority vote of the General Council. The time and location shall be determined by the Executive Council.
A. Purpose: Special meetings are conducted for officer elections, removal of officers, and other business as determined by the Executive Council.
B. Special meetings will be conducted according to parliamentary procedure.
Section 4. Executive meetings
A. Purpose: The purposes of Executive meetings are to relay information to and between the Executive Council and Advisors, as well as to build a team amongst these individuals.
ARTICLE VIII - ADVISORS
Section 1. Advisors Duties
Advisors will be appointed by the Office of Residence Life. Advisors may not vote but can offer advice to the organization.
7 Ratified April 12th 2010 Revised Feb. 15th 2010ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments
Any voting member of RHA may propose an amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws by presenting it in writing to the Legislative Leadership Committee.
Section 2. Procedure
The Legislative Leadership Committee shall review the proposed amendment and upon review shall forward it to the General Council. Acceptance of the proposed amendment shall require a two-thirds vote of the General Council.
ARTICLE X - RATIFICATION
Section 1. Ratification Procedure
This Constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the voting members of the General Council and shall supersede all previous constitutions.
ARTICLE XI - BYLAWS
Section 1. Bylaws
This Constitution shall provide for and maintain a set of Bylaws which shall detail responsibilities and procedures of RHA.