The Resident Student Association at the University of Delaware Constitution

Transcription

1 The Resident Student Association at the University of Delaware Constitution Preamble: We, the Resident Student Association, are dedicated to motivating and empowering resident students through fostering a strong residential community. We serve as a representative voice, partnering with the administration, faculty, fellow student organizations as well as the university community to address issues and concerns that affect residential life. As the umbrella organization for complex government we promote hall programming and ensure that all students have the opportunity to be involved in their residence hall. Article I: Name, Purpose and Responsibilities Section 1: Name The name of this organization shall be the Resident Student Association at the University of Delaware, here in after referred to as the RSA. The legislative body of the RSA shall be the General Assembly. Section 2: Purpose The RSA shall serve as the representative voice for all undergraduate resident students of the University and the local community. We shall support student rights and enhance the cultural, educational, social, and structural aspects of residential living. Section 3: Responsibilities The RSA shall have the responsibilities of: A. Addressing problems concerning resident students and facilitate their solution. B. Facilitate an open dialogue between resident students, the University and the local community. C. Creating and maintaining partnerships with other resident student organizations (RSOs) as well as University administration in order to enhance residential living. Article II: Membership A. All undergraduate students currently living in the residence halls are members of the RSA. Any student who previously lived in a residence hall on campus may choose to become a member of RSA. B. These students have the right to vote in the annual campus-wide election of RSA officers, to elect representatives from their complex to the general assembly, and to serve on the RSA Executive Board.

2 Article III: Structure Section 1: The General Assembly A. The general assembly shall be the legislative branch of the RSA. B. Representation of the general assembly is as follows: Each Complex Community Council (CCC) needs to ensure representation for its complex. The RSA will contact the Office of Residence Life at the beginning of each semester to receive updates on C3 officers. C. All members of the general assembly in good standing shall have voting rights. D. The responsibilities of C3 representatives in good standing shall include but not be limited: 1. Attend all general assembly meetings. 2. Inform Complex Community Councils and residents of all relevant information from general assembly meetings. 3. Inform the RSA of any concerns or ideas from Complex Community Councils or residents. 4. Submit and present finance grants and follow up forms, as applicable. 5. Participate in at least one RSA committee. 6. Participate in a RSA program each semester. E. All Residence Life student staff members are ineligible to serve as a voting representative. However, staff members can serve as a non-voting representative that can act as a temporary substitute in the case of an absence by a voting representative. Section 2: The Executive Board A. The RSA Executive Board shall be the executive branch of the RSA. B. The RSA executive board shall execute all provisions of the RSA Constitution. C. Executive Board members shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of the general assembly. Article IV: The Executive Board Section 1: Membership A. The Executive Board shall consist the President, the Vice-President of Operations, the Vice- President of Intra-Collegiate Affairs, the Vice-President of Marketing and Public Relations, the Vice-President(s) of Programming, the Secretary, the Treasurer, C3 Financial Director, the National Communications Coordinator (NCC), the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) Vice-President of Residential Affairs, and the Advisor(s). B. All members of the Executive Board, with the exception of the President and the Advisor(s), shall have one (1) vote in all matters brought before the Executive Board. In the case of a tie vote, the President shall break the tie.

3 Section 2: Eligibility and Responsibilities A. All Executive Board members shall be full-time undergraduate students who currently or previously in the residence halls. B. Any general assembly member in good standing is eligible to run and serve on the executive board. C. All Residence Life student staff members are ineligible to serve as elected members of the executive board. D. Candidates for executive board shall be in good standing in the Student Conduct system, and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0. E. Attendance Policy for Executive Board Members: Executive Board members of the Resident Student Association are permitted four (4) absences from Executive Board Meetings per semester. While these may be valid grounds for an absence, all absence requests must be communicated and approved by the President with courteous time prior to the Executive Board meeting. Any absences or absence requests not communicated and approved by the President will be considered unexcused. Section 3: Term of Office A. The term of office for all elected Executive Board positions shall be June 1 to May 31. Section 4: Election A. All undergraduate executive board positions, except for the NRHH Vice-President of Residential Affairs, shall be elected in a campus-wide election in which all members of the RSA shall be eligible to vote. B. Elections shall be conducted prior to May 1st. Section 5: Vacancies A. In the case of a vacancy on the executive board, the following procedure shall be followed: 1. Any person wishing to run for the vacant position shall submit his or her name to the executive board no later than two (2) week after the vacancy has occurred. 2. A special or regular meeting of the general assembly shall be convened within two (2) weeks after the nomination deadline. 3. At the meeting, each candidate will give a ten (10) minute presentation, followed by a ten (10) minute question and answer period. A ten (10) minute discussion session will occur when all candidates are finished and have left the room. All times may be extended by a majority vote. 4. The new officer shall be elected by a majority vote. If no candidate receives a majority on the first vote, the candidate with the lowest vote total shall be dropped, and another vote shall occur. This procedure shall be repeated until a candidate receives a majority of the votes.

4 Section 6: Removal A. An Executive Board member may be removed from office for the following reasons: 1. Failure to fulfill the duties of office. 2. Abuse of the powers of the office. 3. Improper use of RSA funds. 4. Any other actions not in keeping with the expectations of an Executive Board member. 5. Maintain a min. GPA of Obtaining an active sanction from the Student Code of Conduct system B. In order to remove an Executive Board member from his or her position, the following procedure must be followed: 1. A petition containing the signatures of either the majority of the Executive Board or voting Representatives shall be submitted to the Advisor. The petition shall bear the name and position of the individual and the reasons for removal. 2. A special or regular meeting of the general assembly shall be convened within one (1) week after the petition submission. 3. At the meeting, the petition signatories will give a ten (10) minute presentation, followed by a ten (10) minute question and answer period. The individual being considered for removal shall then give a ten (10) minute presentation, followed by a ten (10) minute question and answer period. A ten (10) minute discussion session will occur when all participants have finished. All times may be extended by a majority vote. 4. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote shall be required for removal. \ Section 7: Executive Board Officers A. President The President of RSA serves as the voice of the University s undergraduate resident students population. He/she presides over all Executive Board and general assembly meetings. The President also has the authority to appoint delegates to other RSOs representing RSA, as well as chair any special committees throughout the year. Additionally their responsibilities shall include: 1. Provide direction and leadership to the RSA. 2. Execute the provisions of the RSA Constitution and Operation Manual. 3. Serve as the presiding officer of the general assembly. 4. Assign representation duties to other executive board members when unable to attend or represent RSA at essential appointments. 5. Collaborate and meet on a regular basis with the members of the Executive Board. 6. Maintain proper and current files of all correspondence pertaining to the business of RSA. 7. Ensure that the Executive Board and general assembly meetings occur on a regular basis. 8. Maintain an open dialogue with University administration, Office of Residence Life.

5 professional staff, Complex Community Council (CCC) presidents and executive board members, and presidents of other registered student organizations (RSOs). 9. Chair the President s Council of Complex Community Council (CCC) presidents. 10. Attend monthly Council of Student Leaders meetings and any other meetings requested. 11. Draft an end of the year report. 12. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. B. Vice-President of Operations The VP of Operations oversees the internal processes of RSA. Additionally, he/she is responsible for collaborating with the Executive board on the following task: 1. Collaborate with the Secretary a working office and managing the operations of the RSA. 2. Collaborate with NRHH on the end of the year banquet and serve as co-chair of the committee. 3. Coordinate welcome/final kits distribution. 4. Oversee the election processes of the executive board. 5. Serve as presiding officer of the general assembly in absence of the President. 6. Serve as the Parliamentarian of RSA. 7. Ensuring that proper parliamentary procedure is used during general assembly and Executive Board meetings. 8. Maintaining an accurate and update RSA Constitution and Operation Manual. 9. Draft an end of the year report. 10. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. C. Vice-President of Intra-collegiate Affairs The VP of Intra-Collegiate Affairs oversees the liaison duties of RSA. He/she is responsible for representing RSA at monthly Student Government Association (SGA) and Faculty Senate meetings. He/she is also responsible for building partnerships with other RSOs to enable the RSA to have a strong campus presence. In addition, the VP of Intra-Collegiate Affairs coordinates liaisons to different university departments (i.e. Housing Assignment Services, Dining Services, Public Safety) Responsibilities of this position shall include: 1. Represent RSA and the interests of resident students at monthly Faculty Senate meetings. 2. Serve on a Faculty Senate committee. 3. Report regularly to the general assembly and the Executive Board on the business of the Faculty Senate. 4. Oversee the establishment of the Housing, Dining, and Public Safety committees and select chairs to serve as liaisons to those departments. 5. Maintain a dialogue with the Housing, Dining, and Public Safety departments. 6. Represent RSA and the interests of resident students at monthly Student Government Association (SGA) senate meetings. 7. Serve on a SGA committee. 8. Report regularly to the general assembly and the Executive Board on the business of SGA.

6 9. Serve as the chair of the Scholarship Selection Committee. 10. Draft an end of the year report. 11. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. D. Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations. The VP of Marketing and PR oversees the brand of the RSA. He/she is responsible for developing marketing devices and PR documents that promotes RSA. Responsibilities for this position shall include: 1. Create and distribute all advertisements for RSA activities and programs. 2. Coordinate all RSA promotional items. 3. Coordinate the Activities Fair booth (fall and spring). 4. Chair the Marketing and Public Relations committee. 5. Update and maintain the RSA website. 6. Draft an end of the year report. 7. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive board. E. Vice President(s) of Programming The VP(s) of Programming oversee all RSA programming. He/she shall also work with the Complex Community Councils to assist them in facilitating their programming and serve as resources to C3s.Responsibilities for this position shall include: 1. Coordinate all campus-wide events and other programs planned or co-sponsored by the RSA. 2. Aid the C3s in creating programming when requested. 3. Give detailed updates to the executive board and general assembly on upcoming programs. 4. Coordinate with any RSO or organization on programming co-sponsored with the RSA. 5. Coordinate with the VP of Marketing and PR on programming publicity. 6. Chair the programming committee, which includes Resapalooza. 7. Create and maintain, with the executive board, a calendar of events for the academic year. 8. Communicate with the Student Activities office on administrative processes (e.g. space reservations, contracts, vendor contacts). 9. Draft an end of the year report. 10. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. F. Secretary: The Secretary coordinates the internal communication of the RSA. He/she will serve as the primary link between the Executive Board and the general assembly. Responsibilities for this position shall include: 1. Record accurate minutes during both the general assembly and Executive Board meetings and distributing them electronically shortly after the meeting. 2. Correspond with the VP of Marketing and PR on the posting of the minutes on the RSA website.

7 3. Maintain an accurate roster and attendance records of RSA representatives. 4. Maintain an list-serve of active members for group communication. 5. Maintain an list-serve for the executive board. 6. Send s on behalf of the group to active members. 7. Collaborate with the VP of operations on the management of the RSA office. 8. Draft an end of the year report. 9. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. G. Treasurer The Treasurer is the chief financial officer of RSA. He/she is responsible for establishing the budget of RSA each year and keeping accurate records of all incoming revenue and expenditures. Responsibilities of this position shall include: 1. Work with the President and Advisor(s) to establish a yearly budget at the beginning of the academic year. 2. Maintain accurate and detailed records within the treasury of all expenditures and receipts. 3. Ensure the treasury book meets the standards of the Student Activities office. 4. Manage the general and internal accounts. 5. Provide a comprehensive monthly budget report to the Executive Board. 6. Complete all reimbursement requests within two (2) weeks. 7. Collaborate with the C3 Financial Director. 8. Facilitate the approval process for Co-Sponsorship Grants at the Executive Board meeting. 9. Ensure adequate funding for co-sponsorship requests. 10. Oversee fundraising operations. 11. Draft the end of the year RSA financial report. 12. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board H. C3 Financial director: The C3 Financial director shall serve as the primary contact for C3 funding requests. He/she is responsible for keeping accurate records of C3 expenditures. Responsibilities of this position shall include: 1. Coordinate the process for Finance Grants submission. 2. Maintain accurate Finance Grant forms. 3. Maintain an accurate ledger of all finance grant allocations. 4. Facilitate the approval process for Finance Grants at the general assembly meeting. 5. Draft the end of the year C3 program finance report. 6. Collaborate with the RSA Treasurer. 7. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. I. National Communications Coordinator (NCC): The NCC is the RSA s primary liaison to the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) and the Central Atlantic Affiliate of NACURH (CAACURH). Responsibilities of this position shall include:

8 1. Keep the RSA affiliated and in good standing with NACURH and CAACURH. 2. Utilize NACURH and CAACURH resources in order to improve residential life at the University of Delaware. 3. Organize delegations to the CAACURH Regional, CAACURH No-Frills, and NACURH National Conferences. 4. Chair the CAACURH and NACURH Conference Committees. Coordinate any bid submissions by the RSA to either CAACURH or NACURH. 6. Draft an end of the year report. 7. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. J. National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) Vice-President of Residential Affairs The NRHH VP of Residential Affairs will serve as the primary liaison between RSA and NRHH. Responsibilities of this position shall include: 1. Attend general assembly and executive board meetings. 2. Correspond between the NRHH and RSA executive boards. 3. Develop a leadership program, as directed by NRHH. 4. Collaborate with the VP of Operations on the end of the year banquet. 5. Coordinate a joint leadership retreat for the RSA and NRHH executive board. 6. Draft an end of the year report. 7. Complete any other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. K. Advisor(s): One professional staff member and one graduate advisor will be selected to serve as the advisors to RSA. In collaboration, the advisors will provide overall guidance and support to the RSA executive board and to the general assembly. The advisors will be determined by the Office of Residence Life and will serve in the advisor role for one academic year. Responsibilities of these positions shall include: 1. Serve as a resource to the Executive Board and the general assembly. 2. Hold meetings with the President and other Executive Board members on a regular basis. 3. Serve as the RSA s liaison to the Office of Residence Life. 4. Coordinate with the executive board to implement training programs for Complex Community Council officers and advisors. 5. Attend executive board and general assembly meetings. 6. Provide support at RSA events. 7. Attend regional and national conferences as necessary. 8. Ensure a smooth transition between RSA administrations. 9. Coordinate leadership development activities. 10. As needed, meet with general assembly members to provide guidance and support. 11. Attend monthly advisor roundtable discussions. 12. Draft an end of the year report.

9 Article V: Standing Committees Section 1: Standing Committees RSA will provide opportunities for voting representatives to participate and contribute to the organization through standing committees. Each committee will be led by an executive board member, and may interact with specific university departments. The executive board will determine committee structure and liaison responsibilities annually. The following committees shall be formed, but are not limited to: 1. Programming 2. President s council 3. Scholarship 4. Fundraising 5. PR 6. Banquet 7. Housing/Facilities 8. Publicity Safety 9. Dining 10. Environmental Sustainability Article VI: National and Regional Affiliation The RSA shall be affiliated and in good standing with the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) and the Central Atlantic Affiliate of NACURH (CAACURH). Article VII: Parliamentary Authority RSA shall follow the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised, unless they somehow conflict with another section of the governing documents. Article VIII: Amendments and Ratification Section 1: Amendments A. The Constitution may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the general assembly by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote. B. Amendments must be published and presented to the general assembly seven (7) days prior to the general assembly meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be voted upon. Section 2: Ratification A. The Constitution shall become effective upon ratification at any regular or special meeting of the general assembly by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.

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