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RSA

CONSTITUTION

Table of Contents

Mission

Article I. Name

Article II. Purpose

Article III. Membership

Article IV. Separation of Powers

Article V. RSA Hall Councils

Article VI. Duties of RSA Hall Council Officers

Article VII. Hall Council Elections

Article VIII. Removal Process of Hall Council Officers

Article IX. Executive Board

Article X. Election of Officers

Article XI. Removal Process of Executive Board Officers

Article XII. RSA Advisors

Article XIII. Special Provisions

Article XIV. Amendment of Constitution


Mission

The Resident Student Association is established to represent resident students in University matters which concern their welfare; to promote academic, cultural, intellectual, social, and leadership development among resident students; and to stimulate an interest in and responsibility for self-governance.

Article I. Name

  1. The name of this governing body, established for the students residing in the residence halls system, shall be the Resident Student Association, hereafter known as RSA and will include: Tower A, Tower B, Tower C, The Quad (Bruce, Brackenridge, and McCormick), Holland Hall, Forbes Hall, Lothrop Hall, Sutherland Hall, Pennsylvania Hall and Amos Hall.

Article II. Purpose

  1. To represent resident students in University matters which concern their welfare
  2. To design and implement initiatives that will improve the quality of life within the University of Pittsburgh residence halls
  3. To serve as the liaison between the resident students and University Administration, especially the Residence Life Program
    1. To work with the Residence Life Program to establish and revise University policies in an effort to improve living standards
    2. To suggest to the Housing Services Office ways in which to improve the residence halls facilities
    3. To work with, support, and contribute to the University of Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) in their endeavors and projects
  4. To provide social and educational activities for resident students
  5. To support a residence environment that is conducive to student learning
  6. To provide opportunities for leadership development, community service, and personal growth

Article III. Membership

  1. All resident students are automatically given membership in the RSA
    1. Only officially registered students living in University of Pittsburgh residence halls are eligible for membership in the RSA
    2. Each floor shall appoint a minimum of one (1) member as a Floor Representative at the first floor meeting of the academic year
    3. The appointment shall be coordinated by the Resident Assistant of that floor

Article IV. Separation of Powers

  1. The RSA shall consist of two divisions:
    1. 9 Hall Councils
    2. RSA Executive Board

Article V. RSA Hall Councils

  1. There shall be one Hall Council per individual residence hall, with the exception of Schenley Quadrangle (The Quad), which shall have a joint Hall Council comprised of Bruce Hall, Brackenridge Hall, and McCormick Hall, the officers of which shall be elected at a joint meeting of the above mentioned residents. Amos Hall will have one representative on the executive board.
  2. The Hall Council will be led by the Executive Council which consists of the following positions:
    1. President
    2. Vice-President
    3. Secretary
    4. Treasurer
    5. Public Relations
  3. An individual must have at the time of the election and maintain throughout his/her tenure, a minimum QPA of 2.25 to serve on executive council
  4. The respective RSA Hall Councils shall work to accomplish the purpose and goals of RSA
    1. The RSA Hall Councils shall consider resident student concerns about improving the quality of life within their respective residence hall community as their primary objective
    2. The RSA Hall Councils plan, organize, and implement activities for their individual residence hall(s), and may cooperate independently with other groups, organizations or university officials in matters pertaining specifically to their respective residence hall and in keeping with RSA's mission and objectives
    3. The RSA Hall Councils are strongly encouraged to participate in and support activities which are sponsored by other RSA Hall Councils when scheduled on a campus-wide basis.
    4. The RSA Hall Councils may establish other Committee Chairperson positions deemed necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of the RSA (e.g., Event Coordinator, etc.)
  5. The residents comprise the group's membership and are responsible for promoting, supporting, and implementing the events decided by the RSA Hall Councils and the Executive Board

Article VI. Duties of RSA Hall Council Officers

  1. The Hall Council Officers must be a resident of their respective residence hall and attend regular meetings of their RSA Hall Council
  2. Each Officer has one (1) vote within his/her RSA Hall Council, except the President who will vote in case of a tie
  3. Individuals who are not permitted to participate in extra-curricular activities may not hold Hall Council Offices or Floor Representatives
  4. Duties of the President
    1. Shall preside over Hall Council meetings.
    2. Shall serve as a member of the RSA Executive Board
      1. To be elected as an RSA Executive Board Officer, all individuals must have at the time of the election and maintain throughout their tenure, a minimum QPA of 2.25
        1. The first-year first-term resident student is exempt from this requirement during his/her first term of residency
    3. Shall establish a meeting format/agenda
    4. Shall delegate responsibility/authority when necessary and appropriate; especially to the Vice-President
    5. Shall endeavor to motivate the Officers of the Hall Council
    6. Shall establish a meeting day, time, and place for their Hall Council meetings
      1. Hall Council meetings shall occur not less than once every two weeks (bi-weekly).
    7. Shall ensure the completion of all functions established and performed by the Hall Council
  5. Duties of the Vice-President
    1. Shall perform the duties of the President with all rights and privileges of President, during his/her absence and/or inability to perform such duties
      1. This shall include the required attendance at RSA Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President
    2. Shall work with the President to create unity within the Hall Council
    3. Shall assist the President throughout all endeavors
    4. Shall serve as an advisor to all Hall Council Committees
  6. Duties of the Secretary
    1. Shall record the minutes of the Hall Council meetings and events.
      1. All minutes shall be made public to the residents of the Hall
        1. Hall Council advisors will establish the most effective manner in which to distribute RSA minutes to residents
      2. One copy of the minutes must be submitted to the RSA Executive Board
    2. Shall be responsible for all correspondence of non-financial records
    3. Shall maintain records of all Hall Council activities which will include contact person(s), supplies needed, date of event, attendance lists, and evaluation of the event. These records must be submitted to the RSA Executive Board at the end of the academic year or upon request.
    4. Shall invite all Resident Assistants (RA) to the Hall Council meetings and advise the RD of attendance by the RAs
  7. Duties of the Treasurer
    1. Shall be responsible for all RSA Hall Council financial transactions and allocations
    2. Shall maintain accurate financial records of all RSA Hall Council financial transactions and allocations
    3. Shall adhere to the RSA Funding/Budget Policy at all times
    4. Shall sign all RSA Funding Request Forms. All other signatures will be rejected.
    5. Shall be solely responsible for the collection and return of all money collected for RSA Hall Council events
    6. Shall submit a monthly financial statement (income and expenses) to the RSA Business Manager no later than the seventh of each month
  8. Duties of the Public Relations Officer
    1. Coordinates advertising and publicity for all Hall Council programs and activities
    2. Designs initiatives to make resident students aware of the goals and objectives of the Hall Council
    3. Works closely with other members of the Hall Council
    4. Meets with Public Relations Officers of all Hall Councils and the Public Relations Chair of the RSA Executive Board at least once per month
    5. Performs other Public Relations duties as assigned by the Hall Council
  9. Duties of the Floor Representative
    1. Shall inform residents on his/her floor of their RSA Hall Council's activities and/or other residence hall activities
    2. Shall present all resident concerns to the RSA Hall Council at regular scheduled meetings
    3. Shall promote and encourage resident attendance at RSA Hall Council meetings

Article VII. Hall Council Elections

  1. Each RSA Hall Council Officer position will be filled at a Yearly Election, to be conducted as follows:
    1. During the first week of classes for the Fall Term, the Residence Life staff shall conduct two informational meetings to introduce the students to the RSA. The second informational meeting should take place on the Tuesday, a week before elections
    2. Following the second meeting, individuals who are interested in running for Hall Council Office may begin to publicize their intent to run for Office
    3. During the week prior to elections, the Residence Life staff for each area shall hold a forum to allow interested parties to express why they feel that they should be elected to Hall Council Executive Council
    4. For a five hour period of time on the Tuesday in the week following Labor Day week, elections shall occur in each residence hall. Candidates that attend informational sessions and notify the Resident Director are to have their names pre-printed on the ballots. Any other candidate must run as a write-in.
    5. The Residence Life staff is responsible for ensuring that each student votes only once, and that only student registered to live in an area vote in the elections for that area
    6. All President-Elects must be able to attend the RSA Executive Board Retreat on the Friday and Saturday following elections.
    7. The Executive Council must be available for a hall council training in the week following elections
  2. Each Hall Council Officer position will be effective immediately following the election and will expire upon the officer moving out of that residence hall or if that officer is removed for any other reason
  3. In the event that an office is vacated, including being removed from office, a special election shall be held to fill the vacant position. The election procedure shall be determined by the Hall Council Advisor, subject to the approval of the Advisor of the RSA Executive Board
    1. If a Hall Council President resigns or is removed from office, that Hall Council's Vice-President will become the President and a special election will be held to fill the vacant position of Vice-President.

Article VIII. Removal Process of Hall Council Officers

  1. Prior to the final decision to remove an individual from office, the individual must be notified in writing of the reason(s) why consideration is being given to his/her removal
    1. The written notification must include the time, date, and place of the meeting that will consider reasons for removal
    2. The officer must be given the opportunity to defend charges against him/her, and to speak on their behalf, unless he/she has declined this right
    3. The final decision of the removal of an officer shall be determined by a ¾ vote of the persons in attendance, excluding the person who is subject to removal
    4. In the exceptional case, the Hall Council Advisor with the approval of Residence Life may remove a Hall Council Officer from his/her position for failure to perform his/her duties or for any other valid reason
  2. Any Hall Council member who misses 3 meetings will have removal proceedings begun against him/her.

Article IX. Executive Board

  1. The RSA Executive Board shall consist of the President of each RSA Hall Council from each University of Pittsburgh residence hall as designated in Article I., a National Residence Hall Honorary Representative, and the RSA Chairperson.
    1. The RSA Executive Board Fall Retreat must occur on the Friday-Saturday following elections
    2. The First Meeting of the RSA Executive Board shall be convened within two weeks after Hall Council elections
    3. The Executive Board will hold meetings every other week throughout their academic year. On alternate weeks, there will be a general meeting for all RSA Hall Council members and student body or special committee meetings
    4. Individuals shall serve on the RSA Executive Board during the entire tenure as RSA Hall Council President
      1. Membership on the RSA Executive Board shall be discontinued if an individual resigns or is removed from his/her position of RSA Hall Council President
      2. In the event of a resignation or removal as Hall Council President, the individual assuming the responsibilities as Hall Council President will automatically serve as a member of the RSA Executive Board
      3. In the event that the Hall Council President is removed from Executive Board, the Hall Council President will be removed from Hall Council
  2. The RSA Executive Board shall provide a forum to relay information to and from the various RSA Hall Councils
  3. The RSA Executive Board shall address issues of relevance to the entire residence hall community as well as offer assistance to any individual RSA Hall Council event or project
  4. The RSA Executive Board shall provide a budget to the Hall Councils and oversee all financial matters of the organization
  5. Each RSA Executive Board Member shall have one (1) indivisible vote within the Executive Board with the exception of the Chairperson who will vote in the case of a tie
  6. The RSA Executive Board shall vote on all funding requests from the RSA Hall Councils outside of the amount allocated to the Hall Councils
    1. A simple majority of the RSA Executive Board Members present shall be required for passage of all funding requests
      1. A quorum for such a vote to occur shall be a majority of RSA Executive Board Members present who are eligible to vote on funding requests
  7. The RSA Executive Board may establish such committees that are deemed necessary and appropriate to achieve the goals and objectives of the RSA
  8. Each Chairperson shall submit a monthly report of his/her committee/project by the second Monday of each month

Article X. Election of Officers

  1. To be elected as an RSA Executive Board Officer, an individual must have at the time of the election and maintain throughout his/her tenure, a minimum QPA of 2.25
    1. The first-year first-term resident student is exempt from this requirement during his/her first term of residency
  2. The following officers of the RSA Executive Board shall be elected from among the Hall Council Presidents and shall serve for a one (1) year term unless he/she resigns or is removed from the RSA Executive Board or is reelected. An officer may not serve more than two terms.
    1. VICE CHAIRPERSON
      1. Performs the duties of the Chairperson during his/her inability and/or absence
      2. Serves as a liaison with resident students and other student organizations
      3. Prepares the RSA Executive Board Meeting Agenda in collaboration with the Chairperson
      4. Provides adequate meeting notice to each member of the RSA Executive Board
      5. Performs other duties as assigned by the RSA Chairperson, RSA Executive Board, and/or RSA Advisor
      6. Nominate and submit OTM building awards
    2. SECRETARY
      1. Records minutes at each regularly scheduled and special meeting of the RSA Executive Board
      2. Prepares, duplicates, and distributes a copy of the minutes to each member of the RSA Executive Board
      3. Takes roll at each RSA Executive Board Meeting and maintains a record of attendance of all RSA Executive Board members
      4. Assists with correspondence when necessary and appropriate
      5. Performs other duties as assigned by the RSA Chairperson, RSA Executive Board, or RSA Advisor
      6. Collect and maintain RSA meeting minutes and agendas from each residence hall
    3. TREASURER/BUSINESS MANAGER
      1. Maintains accurate financial records of the RSA Executive Board and RSA/SGB Account
      2. Monitors the RSA budget to approve, in conjunction with the RSA Advisor, all expenditures
      3. Assists the RSA Hall Councils in processing requests for funding
      4. Provides accurate and up-to-date financial reports at each meeting
      5. Coordinates the preparation of the Annual Allocation Request from the Student Government Board
      6. Prepares a detailed financial report at the end of each term
      7. Performs such other financial-related duties as assigned by the RSA Chairperson, RSA Executive Board, or RSA Advisor
      8. With the assistance of the RL/RSA Account Business Manager, submits a financial report on the RL/RSA Account to the RSA Executive Board by the second Monday of each month
    4. PUBLIC RELATIONS
      1. Coordinates advertising and publicity for RSA programs and activities
      2. Assists Hall Councils in advertising programs and activities
      3. Designs initiatives to make resident students aware of the goals and objectives of RSA
      4. Works closely with other members of the RSA Executive Board
      5. Meets with the Public Relations Officers of the individual Hall Councils at least once each month to offer assistance
      6. Performs such other Public Relations-related duties as assigned by the RSA Executive Board
      7. Acts as the RSA representative to the Pitt News and all other University media
    5. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
      1. Responsible for all correspondence with NACURH
      2. Completion of membership forms and payment of dues
      3. Keeping the Chairperson apprised of all communication
      4. Serves as the chair for all conferences
  3. OTHER PRESIDENTS - OTHER DUTIES
    1. Hall Council Presidents who are members of the RSA Executive Board and are not elected/appointed to an office will be expected to Chair a project/activity implemented by the RSA Executive Board such as parking and transportation, housing, food services, community service or technology. Other committees can be created as deemed appropriate.
  4. The following officer of the RSA Executive Board shall be elected in the Spring term and shall serve for a one (1) year term unless he/she resigns or is removed from the RSA Executive Board or is reelected. An officer may not serve for more than two terms
    1. CHAIRPERSON
      1. The Chairperson will be elected in the Spring prior to his/her term. To be considered for the position of Chairperson, the student must have been a member of the Executive Board for one year prior to the election
      2. Must have attended the University of Pittsburgh for at least one (1) term prior to the term in which he/she is elected.
      3. Presides over the RSA Executive Board Meetings
      4. Acts as a spokesman for the RSA with University Administrators/Officials
      5. Establishes a meeting day, time, and place for the RSA Executive Board in conjunction with the RSA Executive Board Advisor, which will be compatible with all RSA Executive Board members
      6. Monitors the performance of RSA Executive Board Members
      7. Performs other duties as assigned by the RSA Executive Board and RSA Advisor(s)
  5. Compensation
    1. The RSA Chairperson shall be compensated with a stipend of $100 per month during his/her term

Article XI. Removal Process of Executive Board Officers

  1. Prior to the final decision to remove an individual from office, the individual must be notified in writing of the reason(s) why consideration is being given to his/her removal.
    1. The written notification must include the time, date, and place of the meeting that will consider reasons for and removal
    2. The officer must be given the opportunity to defend the charges against him/her, and to speak on their behalf, unless he/she has declined this right
    3. The final decision of the removal of an officer shall be determined by a 3/4 vote of the RSA Executive Board membership, excluding the person who is subject to removal
    4. In the exceptional case, The Advisor (with approval of the Residence Life Program) may remove an RSA Executive Board Officer from his/her position for failure to perform his/her duties
  2. Any Executive Board member who misses three (3) meetings will have removal proceedings begun against him/her

Article XII. RSA Advisors

  1. Each Hall Council shall be advised by the Resident Director
  2. The RSA Executive Board shall be advised by a member of the Residence Life professional staff
  3. The major role of the Advisor(s) shall be to represent the views of Residence Life and the University. This shall include assisting and monitoring financial and other procedural matters as outlined in the Advisor expectations.
  4. The Advisor(s) shall assist the RSA Executive Board Officers in focusing on their established goals and aid in the improvement of RSA
  5. The Advisor(s) shall NOT have a vote in the decisions of RSA Hall Councils or the RSA Executive Board

Article XIII. Special Provisions

  1. Residence Life may assume jurisdiction over all matters of either the Executive Board or a Hall Council if deemed necessary and appropriate for the following reasons:
    1. When RSA Executive Board or a Hall Council fails to have a quorum to meet for two (2) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings
    2. When the total membership of the RSA Executive Board falls below four (4) members
    3. When it is necessary to ensure the effective operation of the RSA

Article XIV. Amendment of Constitution

  1. The RSA Constitution may be amended through the following process:
    1. Proposed amendments must be submitted to all members of the RSA Executive Board, including the advisor, at least two (2) weeks in advance of the meeting scheduled to consider such changes to the Constitution
    2. A special written notice identifying the meeting where a constitutional change will be considered must be given to all RSA Executive Board Members with the proposed constitutional changes.
    3. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of all eligible members present is required for adoption of the constitutional changes
    4. All changes to the RSA Constitution must be approved by Residence Life and Student Government Board

Upcoming Events

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Some Senatorial positions still open in the residence halls and more helping hands are always welcome! Talk to your Resident Director if you have questions.