Constitution Residence Hall Association (RHA) New Mexico State University (NMSU) Article I Name

Transcription

1 Constitution Residence Hall Association (RHA) New Mexico State University (NMSU) Article I Name The name of this organization shall be the Residence Hall Association, hereto referred to as RHA. Article II- Membership Section I Every student living in campus housing on the main campus of New Mexico State University, with the exception of residents in student-family housing and Greek housing, shall be a member of the RHA. The RHA is the governing body for the dues paying operations, which is comprised of Chamisa Village, Garcia Hall, Rhodes Garrett Hamiel, Piñon Hall, and Vista Del Monte/Cervantes Single Student apartment, and will hereby be collectively referred to as RHA dues paying operations. Section II Residence halls and apartment communities will consist of two representatives from Garcia Hall, Rhodes Garrett Hamiel, Piñon Hall, Chamisa Village, and Vista Del Monte/Cervantes Single Student apartments. One other voting member shall be a representative for the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). Article III- Executive Officers Section I - Executive Officers The officers of the RHA shall be the President, NACURH Communications Coordinator (NCC), Director of Administration, Director of Programming, and Director of Public Relations. The preceding list is given in order of succession. Section II Officer Responsibilities A. President The duties of the President shall include but not be limited to: 1. Developing organizational direction; 2. Presiding over all general and executive meetings; 3. Act as official representative for the RHA on any and all occasions while on campus where such representation is needed; 4. Review and edit the constitution and by-laws as necessary; 5. Schedule and hold bi-weekly president roundtables with the Council Presidents; 6. Oversight and coordination of the current budget and expenditures for RHA with the Director of Business Administration; 1

2 7. Casting the deciding vote in the case of a tie; 8. Maintain contact with the ASNMSU president, reporting on residentrelated issues; 9. Create ad-hoc committees at his or her discretion; 10. Plan and organization fall and spring RHA training; 11. Plan and organize at least one RHA retreat in the fall or spring; 12. Meet individually with the adviser(s) once a week; 13. Meet with RHA executives bi-monthly and as needed; 14. Other duties include supporting and enable other executive officers in their council establishment and attendance duties; and 15. Assign other duties as appropriate. In the case of vacancy, the NACURH Communications Coordinator shall serve as the President. B. NACURH Communications Coordinator (NCC) The duties of the NACURH Communications Coordinator shall be primarily to: 1. Submit yearly reports to the National Information Center (NIC); 2. Re-affiliate RHA with the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH); 3. Recruit a delegation of residents and making arrangements for their registration and travel to and from all conferences as appropriate; 4. Be a liaison to NACURH and its member schools; 5. Attend IACURH, No Frills and NACURH conferences as appropriate; [refer to as RLC, RBC] 6. Facilitate the creation of bids for all conferences; [Defend bids] 7. Be responsible for ordering materials from the NACURH Information Center; 8. Be the RHA Parliamentarian; 9. Plan and execute 4 leadership development sessions (two each semester); 10. Coordinate and oversee a community service projects each semester; 11. Schedule and hold bi-weekly Residence Hall Association Communications Coordinator (RCC) roundtables with the Council RCCs; 12. Partner with a current council advisor to ensure the establishment and election of appropriate officers in one hall or apartment council no later than two weeks from the first day of classes each fall semester; 13. Attend a minimum of any two council meetings each month while in office; 14. Fill in for the president as needed; 15. Oversee and work with other members of the Residential Life team to plan the Awards Banquet; and 16. Other duties as assigned by President. 2

3 C. Director of Business Administration The duties of the Director of Business Administration shall be primarily to: 1. Oversee the finances of the RHA; 2. Coordinate purchasing for RHA as needed; 3. Be responsible for all aspects of the care package program for RHA; 4. Meet with the housing and campus life fiscal assistant and RHA adviser once a month; 5. Transfer appropriated funds into each council s account; 6. Keep financial paperwork from fiscal year 17 forward, which includes deposits, spreadsheets, and a synopsis of statistics for fundraising sales; 7. Construct the budget for the following academic year, along with the President, for approval by the RHA voting members; 8. Record, compile and distribute the minutes and agendas for every general assembly meeting; 9. Re-affiliate the organization with the Campus Activities Office; 10. Maintain files containing the minutes from each of the general meetings available for inspection by any campus resident; 11. Be the RHA office manager; 12. Schedule and hold bi-weekly Director of Business Administration roundtables with the Council Directors of Business Administration; 13. Partner with a current council advisor to ensure the establishment and election of appropriate officers in one hall or apartment council no later than two weeks from the first day of classes each fall semester; 14. Attend a minimum of any two council meetings each month while in office; and 15. Other duties as assigned by President. D. Director of Programming The duties of the Director of Programming shall be primarily to: 1. Take the lead in coordinating and overseeing the completion of campus-wide programs for RHA dues paying communities in the Fall and Spring semester; 2. Coordinate and oversee a minimum of two programs a month; 3. Act as a resource to hall council programming chairs; 4. Meet weekly with the Director of Public Relations; 5. Schedule and hold bi-weekly Director of Programming roundtables with the Council Directors of Programming; 6. Create a complete programming calendar for the Fall Semester at least a month before move-in day and a complete programming calendar for the Spring Semester at least a month before the reopening of housing after winder break; 7. Coordinate and oversee a minimum of one community service project each semester along with the Director of Public Relations; 8. Partner with a current council advisor to ensure the establishment and election of appropriate officers in one hall or apartment council no later than two weeks from the first day of classes each fall semester; 3

4 9. Attend a minimum of any two council meetings each month while in office; and 10. Other duties as assigned by President. E. Director of Public Relations The duties of the Director of Public Relations shall be primarily to: 1. Oversee all public relations activities related to the RHA; 2. Increase awareness of Residence Hall Association on and offcampus; 3. Order RHA promotional items before June 30; 4. Advertise for programs and general meetings sponsored by the RHA; 5. Act as the webmaster and update and maintain the RHA Web site; 6. Maintain and regularly update RHA social media websites; 7. Schedule and hold bi-weekly Director of Public Relations roundtables with the Council Directors of Public Relations; 8. The Director of Public Relations shall meet weekly or as needed with the Director of Programming; 9. Partner with a current council advisor to ensure the establishment and election of appropriate officers in one hall or apartment council no later than two weeks from the first day of classes each fall semester; 10. Attend a minimum of any two council meetings each month while in office; and 11. Other duties as assigned by President. Section III Executive Board 1. The Executive Board will hold weekly executive meetings and general assembly meetings unless cancelled by the President and Adviser; 2. Each Executive Board member shall work 15 hours per week divided in the following ways: 3. Five hours a week in the RHA office, office hours shall include: i. Checking the RHA and phone messages ii. Complete check outs of RHA equipment iii. Office hours shall not be used for meeting times unless approved by President and or Adviser 4. Ten hours working on programming, attending the RHA meetings/exec meetings, attending the RHA events, distributing care packages and completing other duties as assigned. 5. The Executive Board members shall not hold both Executive Board positions and serve as representatives; 6. The Executive Board shall abide by the RHA Constitution and By-laws; Section IV- Duration of Office The term of office for the elected executive officers shall be from Spring graduation to Spring graduation 4

5 Article IV Executive Qualifications Section I Qualifications to Run for Positions 1. The RHA President must have previously held an executive position in a hall or apartment council, or he/she must be able to demonstrate leadership experience lasting one year or longer. 2. The remaining executive positions may be filled by any full-time student and campus resident. Section II-- Grade Point Average The Executive Board of the RHA and Presidential appointees shall maintain a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA, be full time students at the NMSU Main Campus or Doña Ana Brach Community College, and be residents living on campus. Section III Discrimination No member of the RHA may be restricted in holding office or participation in any meetings or activities on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or age. Article V Advisor Section I The advisor shall be appointed by the Associate Director of Residential Life and approved by the President Section II 1. The advisor s duties shall primarily be to: 2. Attend RHA general meetings and Executive Board meetings as necessary; 3. Meet with the President weekly; 4. Meet with the Director of Administration and the housing financial assistant monthly; 5. Attend programs and events as necessary; and 6. Attend all training retreats, regional (IACURH), national (NACURH), and No Frills conferences or appoint professional staff to these duties. Article VI The RHA General Assembly Section I Responsibilities of the RHA Representatives Responsibilities of the RHA Representatives shall be to: 1. Represent respective council and constituent resident population; 2. serve as a member of a standing committee; 3. abide by the RHA Constitution and the By-laws; 5

6 4. consider and vote on any Presidential appointee; 5. Elect all executive officers; 6. Legislate in areas of concern to the students residing in RHA dues paying operations; 7. Make recommendations to the Department of Housing and Residential Life concerning policies and regulations affecting campus residents; 8. Act as the official voice of the residents within the Department Housing and Residential Life; 9. Meet every Wednesday with the RHA general assembly, unless directed otherwise; Section II- Quorum A quorum shall consist of 2/3 of the RHA voting members. Section III Absences 1. Any of the two hall representatives to miss three (3) consecutive general meetings shall result is the suspension of hall funds. 2. The seat of any representative member of a council who has three (3) unexcused absences in one semester may be asked to vacate the position and forfeit responsibilities. a. An unexcused absence shall be defined as: 1. Non-attendance at an RHA meeting by the member of his or her appointed proxy. ii. Any representative leaving the RHA council meeting before the completion of the new business portion of the agenda. iii. Proxy representation: A proxy must be present and report his or her role to the Director of Business Administration prior to roll call. iv. An excused absence caused by unforeseeable circumstances may be excused by the President in consultation with the advisor Section IV Voting and Speaking Rights 1. Each hall and apartment community shall have voting rights, with two (2) votes per council. NRHH shall have voting rights, with only one (1) vote. 2. The RHA Representatives shall be the voting members. 3. Council presidents and the RHA Executive Board shall have speaking rights. Section V-Personal Privilege 1. All Voting members may rotate their placards to Roberts rules to signify their taking of personal privilege and will be allowed to leave and reenter closed boardroom without losing voting rights. 2. Boardroom closed or open shall not run longer than two and a half hours from the call to order without a recess. 6

7 Article VII Recall or Impeachment and Conviction Section I The causes for recall, impeachment and conviction shall be as follows: 1. Malfeasance; 2. Non-performance on duties; or 3. Conduct unbecoming, which is defined as follows: a. Conduct not in accordance with housing and university policies b. Conduct not in accordance with city, state, and federal statutes. Section II Vacancy of Office 1. In case of vacancy of President, the NACURH Communications Coordinator assumes that position. 2. In case of vacancy of all other executive positions, the opening will be filled by presidential appointment and confirmed by the general assembly. Section I- Adoption Article VIII Governing Documents This RHA Constitution shall be in full effect immediately upon passage by ¾ majority of the RHA membership, and By-laws upon passage by 2/3 majority. Voting in a regular meeting shall supersede and render inoperative any previous constitution and amendments. Section II- Amendments 1. Proposed amendments to this constitution may be submitted electronically to the RHA President and NCC a minimum of one meeting prior to vote. If approved by the RHA representatives, the amendment shall be effective upon passage. Amendments to the RHA Constitution are to be voted on at regular meetings by the representatives, having been presented at a previous meeting for review. A ¾ majority of members present and voting shall be necessary for adoption. 2. Amendments to the RHA By-Laws shall require a 2/3 majority of members present and voting shall be necessary for adoption Section III-Universal Council Constitution All Community Council s shall abide by the Universal Council Constitution found in Appendix A. of this constitution. 7

8 Article IX Budget Section I Reporting The Executive Board, chaired by the Director of Administration, shall prepare a semester report on expenses, expenditures, and fundraising to be shared with the RHA councils and other housing administration through the adviser. 8

9 By-Laws Residence Hall Association (RHA) New Mexico State University (NMSU) Article I Oath of Office Before the RHA executive officers shall assume the duties of their offices, they shall take the following oath of office: I, (state name), do solemnly swear that I will discharge with justice and equity, with diligence and faithfulness, to the best of my ability, all the duties falling upon me as an officer of the Residence Hall Association, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, uphold, and defend the constitution and bylaws of said association. Article II- Parliamentary Authority The rules contained in the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order that RHA may adopt. Article III-Residence Hall Association Representatives The RHA representatives shall be the RCC and a member of their council of their choice. Article IV Budget and Financial Procedures Section I Preparation During the month of March, it shall be the responsibility of the sitting Director of Administration and President to prepare the framework for the next fiscal year s budget. The Executive Board and the Executive Board-elect shall complete the budget by April 15, and it shall be proposed to the general assembly and presented to the Director of Housing and Campus Life. Section II Approval The RHA general assembly shall amend and approve said budget by a simple majority vote of those members present and voting. Section III- Financial Procedures 1. All purchases from a Council line item shall be requested by the council a week in advance using a Purchase Request From (PRF). 2. The PRF shall be designed by the Director of Administration and include the following: a. Amount of Money Requested 9

10 b. Date of Event c. Cost per Resident d. Brief Statement of Event 3. PRF will be approved by the RHA Director of Admin and RHA President and completed form sent back to the council treasurer and councils advisor. Article V Election Procedure Section I Bidding for an Executive Position Individual running for any RHA Executive position must: 1. submit a bid in a common format of their choosing and 2. attend and present at the general assembly meeting when elections will be held. Section II Election Voting and Presentation RHA elections shall: 1. Be held during a general assembly meeting during the spring semester; The NCC election shall be held at the last GA meeting of November. 2. Be completed in order of succession; with the exception of the NCC position. 3. Require secret ballot voting; and 4. Shall require a clear majority (2/3) of voting members. 5. If there are three consecutive rounds without a clear majority then the executive board will have one vote each. 6. Follow the following procedure: 1) Open with an expectation setting session with the candidates out of the room untimed until an end is called 2) Continue with a three (3) minute presentation by the candidate (if multiple candidates, presentations and Question and Answer session (Q/A) proceed in alphabetical order by last name) 3) Immediately followed by a three-minute Q/A session (Q/A) extendable up to two (2) times with an optional exhaustion with additions after the second. 4) Candidate is asked to leave the room initiating a pro/con session ending with the third unanswered pro or con. 5) If multiple candidates repeat processes two through four until all candidates have presented. 6) After candidates have presented a discussion session is initiated in which all candidates must be mentioned at least once and lasting five (5) minutes extendable up to two (2) times with an optional exhaustion with additions after the second extension 7) After the discussion the question is automatically called. 8) If no clear majority is found after the first vote the body is allowed to proceed as they see fit following the Parliamentary Authority until a clear majority vote is reached. 10

11 Article VI Judiciary Section I Impeachment and Conviction 1. Any executive officer may be removed from office by a written petition, and 2. 2/3 of voting members shall vote to remove the officer, effective immediately. 3. Upon removal from office, the RHA executive must immediately forfeit duties and responsibilities of office. 4. The removed RHA officer will remain responsible for the housing contract, but all benefits and un-retired compensation will cease immediately. Article VII Administrative Appointments Section I Procedure 1. The RHA President shall announce administrative appointments at general meetings. 2. All appointments shall be approved or rejected by a majority vote of those members present and voting at the RHA general meeting. Section II Openings An opening in any appointed RHA Executive Board position shall be announced to the council representatives and every member, afforded an opportunity for application. Article VIII Method of Presenting Legislation Articles of legislation my by authored by any RHA representative and presented before the general assembly for approval. Legislation must be: 1. Defended by an RHA Representative before the general assembly; 2. use acceptable formatting; and 3. pieces of legislation longer than one (1) page must be numbered. Article IX Executive Accountability Each RHA Executive officer must keep a log, in accordance with the process determined by the President and advisor, which shall include hours worked to fulfill job expectations. The log shall be completed by the end of April and before officer transition to be available upon request by any person. 11

12 APPENDIX A Constitution Community Councils Residence Hall Association (RHA) New Mexico State University (NMSU) Article I - Name There shall be five (5) community councils, one for each of the five living communities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Residence Hall Association (RHA): Chamisa Village, Garcia Hall, Piñon Hall, Rhodes Garrett Hamiel (RGH), and South Campus (consisting of Cervantes Village and Vista Del Monte (VDM)). Article II - Membership Every student living in campus housing on the main campus of New Mexico State University and who pays the RHA fee shall be a member of the Council with jurisdiction over where they are a resident. Article III - Executive Officers Section I - Executive Officers The officers of each Council shall include a President, RHA Communications Coordinator (RCC), Director of Business Administration, Director of Programming, and Director of Public Relations. The preceding list is given in order of succession. 12

13 Section II - Officer Responsibilities A. President The duties of the President shall include but not be limited to: 1. Developing organizational direction; 2. Presiding over all general and executive meetings; 3. Act as official representative for the community council on any and all occasions while on campus where such representation is needed; 4. Review and edit the constitution and by-laws as necessary; 5. Oversight and coordination of the current budget and expenditures for the community council with the Director of Business Administration; 6. Casting the deciding vote in the case of a tie; 7. Attend bi-weekly president roundtables as called by the RHA President; 8. Create ad-hoc committees at his or her discretion; 9. Meet individually with the adviser(s) once a week; and 10. Assign other duties as appropriate. In the case of vacancy, the RCC shall serve as the President. B. Residence Hall Association Communications Coordinator (RCC) The duties of the RCC shall be to: 1. Be a representative to RHA General Assembly (GA) meetings; 2. Select a secondary representative from the hall to attend RHA GA meetings; 3. Be the Community Council Parliamentarian; 4. Plan and execute 2 leadership programs with help from the RHA NACURH Communications Coordinator (NCC) a year; 5. Attend bi-weekly RCC roundtables as called by the NCC; 6. Coordinate and oversee a community service projects each semester; 7. Fill in for the president as needed; 13

14 8. Work with the RHA NCC to plan the Housing Awards Banquet; and 9. Other duties as assigned by President. C. Director of Business Administration The duties of the Director of Business Administration shall be primarily to: 1. Oversee the finances of the community Council; 2. Coordinate purchasing for community Council through the submission of Purchase Request Forms (PRF)s as needed; 3. Attend bi-weekly Director of Business Administration roundtables as called by the RHA Director of Business Administration; 4. Construct a community council budget with the community council president for approval by the community council; 5. Record, compile and distribute the minutes and agendas for every community council general meeting; 6. Maintain files containing the minutes from each of the general meetings available to be published on the RHA website; and 7. Other duties as assigned by President. D. Director of Programming The duties of the Director of Programming shall be primarily to: 1. Coordinate and oversee a minimum of two programs a month; 2. Meet weekly with the Director of Public Relations; 3. Coordinate and oversee a minimum of one community service project each semester along with the Director of Public Relations; 4. Attend bi-weekly Director of Programming Roundtables as called by the RHA Director of Programming; and 5. Other duties as assigned by President. E. Director of Public Relations The duties of the Director of Public Relations shall be primarily to: 1. Oversee all public relations activities related to the community council; 14

15 2. Advertise for programs and general meetings sponsored by the Community Council; 3. Prepare and collect information to submit to the RHA Webmaster about the community; 4. Maintain and regularly update community council social media websites; 5. Meet weekly with the community Director of Business Administration; 6. Attend bi-weekly Director of Public Relations Roundtables as called by the RHA Director of Public Relations; and 7. Other duties as assigned by President Section III - Executive Board 1. The Executive Board shall hold weekly executive meetings and general assembly meetings at the discretion of the President and Advisor; 2. The Executive Board members shall serve as voting members of the Council with the exception of the President, who only votes to break a tie; 3. The Executive Board shall abide by the Council Constitution and By-laws. Section IV - Duration of Office The term of office for the elected executive officers shall be from August to Spring Graduation of the current academic year, as determined by elections at the beginning of the fall academic term. Article IV - Executive Qualifications Section I - Qualifications to Run for Positions 1. The Executive Board positions may be filled by any full-time student and campus resident that meets the membership criteria as established in Article II; 2. Resident Assistants and RHA Executive Board members may not hold Council executive positions. 15

16 Section II - Discrimination No member of the Council may be restricted in holding office or participation in any meetings or activities on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or age. Article V - Advisor Section I The advisor shall be appointed by NMSU Housing and Residential Life Section II The advisor s duties shall primarily be to: 1. Attend Council general meetings and Executive Board meetings as necessary; 2. Meet individually with the Executive Board members as needed; 3. Attend programs and events as necessary. Article VI The Council General Assembly Section I Responsibilities of the Council Members Responsibilities of the Council Members shall be to: 1. Serve as a member of a committee as established by the President; 2. Abide by the Council Constitution and By-laws; 3. Consider and vote on any Presidential appointee; 4. Elect all executive officers; 5. Legislate in areas of concern to the students residing within the community of the respective council s jurisdiction; 6. Make recommendations to the Department of Housing and Residential Life concerning policies and regulations affecting campus residents; 7. Act as the official voice of the residents within the community of the councils jurisdiction; 8. Develop and execute programs for the community of the council s jurisdiction. 16

17 Section II - Quorum A quorum shall consist of at least five (5) residents in the respective residential community. Section III Voting and Speaking Rights 1. Each Council member present at meetings shall have voting rights; 2. Resident Assistants and RHA Executive Board members shall have speaking rights. Article VII Recall or Impeachment and Conviction Section I The causes for recall, impeachment and conviction shall be as follows: 1. Malfeasance; 2. Non-performance on duties; or 3. Conduct unbecoming, which is defined as follows: 1. Conduct not in accordance with housing and university policies; 2. Conduct not in accordance with city, state, and federal statutes. Section II Vacancy of Office 1. In case of vacancy of President, the RCC assumes that position; 2. In case of vacancy of all other executive positions, the opening will be filled by presidential appointment and confirmed by the Council assembly. 17

18 Article VIII Governing Documents Section I - Adoption This Constitution shall be in full effect immediately upon passage by a three-quarters (¾) majority of RHA GA members present and voting, and By-laws upon passage by a two-thirds (2/3) majority. Voting in a regular meeting shall supersede and render inoperative any previous constitution and amendments. Section II - Amendments 1. Proposed amendments to this constitution may be submitted electronically to the RHA President and NCC a minimum of one meeting prior to vote. If approved by the RHA GA members present and voting, the amendment shall be effective upon passage. Amendments to the Unified Council Constitution are to be voted on at RHA meetings by the GA members, having been presented at a previous meeting for review. A three-quarters (¾) majority of RHA GA members present and voting shall be necessary for adoption; 2. Amendments to the Unified Council By-Laws shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority of RHA GA members present and voting to be necessary for adoption. 18

19 By-Laws Community Councils Residence Hall Association (RHA) New Mexico State University (NMSU) Article I Oath of Office Before the Council executive officers shall assume the duties of their offices, they shall take the following oath of office: I, (state name), do solemnly swear that I will discharge with justice and equity, with diligence and faithfulness, to the best of my ability, all the duties falling upon me as an officer of the Community Council, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, uphold, and defend the constitution and by-laws of the Council. 19

20 Article II-Parliamentary Authority The rules contained in the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order that RHA may adopt. Article III Budget Section I Preparation It shall be the responsibility of the Director of Business Administration and the President to prepare the current fiscal year s budget. The Director of Business Administration shall complete the budget by September 15, and it shall be proposed to the Council general assembly and presented to the RHA Director of Business Administration. Section II Approval The Council general assembly shall amend and approve said budget by a simple majority vote of those members present and voting. Article IV Judiciary Section I Impeachment and Conviction 1. Any executive officer may be removed from office by a written petition; 2. Two-thirds (2/3) of voting members shall vote to remove the officer, effective immediately; 3. Upon removal from office, the Council executive must immediately forfeit the duties and responsibilities of office. 20

21 Article V Administrative Appointments Section I Procedure 1. The Council President shall announce administrative appointments at general meetings. 2. All appointments shall be approved or rejected by a simple majority of those members present and voting at the Council meeting. Section II Openings An opening in any appointed Council Executive Board position shall be announced to the council representatives and every member, afforded an opportunity for application. Article VI Method of Presenting Legislation Articles of legislation may be authored by any Council member and presented before a general Meeting of the hall. Legislation must be: 1. Defended by a member before the general assembly; 2. Use acceptable formatting; 3. Pieces of legislation longer than one (1) page must be numbered 21