Residence Hall Association

Hall Council Constitution

The Lincoln University Hall Council Constitution

Preamble

We, the residents of the Lincoln University residence halls, under the authority of the Office of Residence Life, hereby create a system that: encourages cooperation, coordination, cohesion, and communication among residents; enhances student development through educational and social programming; promotes the welfare of the university community as a whole; and establishes an effective and representative body for residence hall related issues. Therefore, we hereby establish this constitution of the Lincoln University Hall Councils.

Mission Statement

The mission of The Lincoln University Office of Residence Life Hall Councils are to enhance and develop the life of residential students within the residence halls on campus through advocacy, programming, and leadership opportunities and by providing a place to voice concerns about Residence Life procedures, policies, and facilities.

Article I: Name, Location, and Affiliation

Section 1: The organization shall be called the Lincoln University Hall Councils, hereinafter referred to as the HC.

Section 2: This shall be a coeducation organization and the use of “they” or “their” in the Constitution and By-Laws is nonspecific and does not refer to gender

Section 3: The organization shall be located on the campus of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

Section 4: The activities of this organization shall be carried out in association with the Office of Residence Life and Residence Hall Association.

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be:

1. To represent the residential students of The Lincoln University in all matters and affairs, with the administration and all organizations, concern, or affecting the quality of living on campus.
2. To ensure representation for all residential students
3. To sponsor programs and activities between and among various residential areas through the use of Hall Council.
4. To take all necessary and appropriate action to improve any and all aspects of Residence Life on this campus.

Article III: Membership

1. All students living in the residence halls shall be entitled to membership and representation in the HC.
2. All students, faculty, administrators, and university personnel are invited to participate in the benefit from all Hall Council sponsored events and programs.

Article IV: Government

Section 1: Two designated professional staff members will directly advise this organization.

Section 2: One to two Resident Advisors per building will advise the individual hall councils

Section 3: There shall be a Hall Council for each residence hall on Lincoln University’s campus elected by the residents of that particular residence hall. The Hall Council shall consist of a President, Vice- President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Parliamentarian, King, and Queen. In case of limited candidates, positions and those responsibilities may either be combined (with the exception of the President) or either appointed at the discretion of the President.

Section 4: Hall Council Eligibility: Hall council eligibility shall be established as follows: In order to be eligible to run for a hall council position in HC, residents must possess no less than a 2.0 cumulative grade point average at the time of elections. Residents must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average for the duration of their term in office. Hall Council members who fall below a 2.0 cumulative grade point average must resign. (Hall Council members who fall below a 2.0 must meet with a time management counselor for two sessions to remain on the board)

Section 5: All hall council members must attend all meetings, training and executive all duties as outlined in the constitution or active bylaws

Committees and subcommittees, including those mentioned and not mentioned in the By-Laws, may be formed as necessary with the board members acting as, or appointing, chairpersons. These offices are available to interested members and will be elected or appointed according to the stipulations of the By-Laws or assessment of the advisor

Article V: Duties and Responsibilities of the Components of the Hall Councils

Section 1: The components of the hall council shall be as follows:

1. Executive Board
2. General Body
3. Various committees as deemed necessary and appropriate

Section 3: Hall Council

1. Duties of the President: The President shall be the public representative of the Hall Council and serve as a liaison between their hall council, The Office of Residence Life, and other campus entities. They shall act as chairperson at all hall council meetings, and chair or appoint an individual to chair all standing committees as deemed necessary and appropriate. The President shall conduct the call to order at the beginning of each meeting. The president will make sure monthly reports are submitted monthly. Vacancies in office may be filled by appointment from the President with the approval of the hall council. The President shall serve as the official representative at regional and national conferences. They shall meet on a regular basis with the Area Coordinator and/or Resident Advisor (RA) co-advisor) of their hall. 
2. Duties of the Vice-President: The Vice President shall be responsible for organizing and monitoring all programming committees. They shall preside over all meetings in the absence of or with the permission of the President. They shall perform other duties as directed by the President.
3. Duties of the Secretary: The secretary shall take minutes and attendance of all hall council meetings and prepare and distribute them prior to the next meeting. They shall fulfill all other secretarial duties as deemed necessary. The secretary shall maintain and complete an accurate account and file of all hall council activities. They are responsible for advertising all RHA and hall council events, programs, and meetings. The secretary shall perform other duties as directed by the President.
4. Duties of the Treasurer: The treasurer shall keep a current record of all financial transactions of the organization and report the account balance at every meeting and perform all duties required to properly function as treasurer. The treasurer will be charged with developing and chairing all fundraising committees. The treasurer shall perform other duties as directed by the President.
5. Duties of the Historian: The historian shall keep a record of the notable events during the year. The position, however, extends beyond just writing down what happens. The historian’s job duties can extend to being a photographer, filmmaker, researcher, and other duties directed by the President.
6. Duties of the Parliamentarian: A parliamentarian is an expert in rules of order and the proper procedures for the conduct of meetings of deliberative assemblies. Parliamentarians assist organizations in the drafting and interpretation of bylaws and rules of order, and the planning and conduct of meetings. The parliamentarian will execute other duties as directed by the President.
7. Duties of the King/Queen: According to the Student Life and Development King and Queen position guidelines and expectations, the King and Queen shall participate in the Coronation of Mr. & Miss Lincoln University and present the organizational gift/s. They shall also attend all practices for the Homecoming Coronation as required. They are required to have proper attire (such as a gown, tuxedo or suit) to wear for the Homecoming Coronation. The King and Queen shall assist with Mr. and Miss Lincoln University’s programs as requested. Lastly, the king and queen will execute other duties as directed by the President.

Section 4: The general body of Hall Councils consists of all residential students.

Article VI: Term of Office

Section 1: All members of the Hall Council shall hold office for a term of one year, commencing immediately after elections results are announced in the fall semester and ending on the last day of the spring semester of the following year.

Section 2: There is no maximum term a hall council member shall hold their position.

Section 3: A hall council executive board member automatically forfeits their position if they switch residence halls.

Article VII: Impeachment

Section 1: In the event that a Hall Council member cannot fulfill their duties to the organization, an impeachment process may ensue

1. A written document must be presented to the Area Coordinator/ Community Assistant of that hall and the designated Hall Councils advisors.
2. Within 48 hours, the respective hall council must meet. If it is a member of a specific hall council, that hall council may partake in voting. If this is a member of the building hall council board, the campus executive board will do the voting. The person who submitted the documented grievance will be given the floor to present their reason for impeachment. The hall council member will be given the floor to defend the situation.
3. Impeachment will require a 51% vote of the members; Voting will be done by a secret ballot, which is counted by the advisors of the hall council.
4. If the Hall Council member is voted out of office with the 51% majority they will have 24 hours to vacate the position. If the Hall Council member is not voted out, they will meet with the advisors to address the issue, and work on a plan to develop them in their position.
5. Any member of the hall council (including Hall Council members and residents) can submit written documentation to begin the impeachment process.
6. Any impeached hall council executive board member has the right to appeal within 72 hours of the decision. The appeal and final vote will be decided by the RHA President, RHA Advisor, and/ or Area Coordinator of that building.
7. The RHA President or Area Coordinator of that hall reserve the right to remove any member of that building’s hall council if the work performance is unsatisfactory or if the behavior is unbecoming of a hall council officer.
8. Failure to adhere to any hall council instructions may result in board disbandment or specific removal of positions. This includes but is not limited to reporting to training, submitting monthly reports, doing programs, etc.

Article VIII: Chain of Succession

Section 1: Should it become necessary for the President to resign from their office, the Vice President shall immediately, upon the President’s formal resignation, assume the office of the President, until such time as the term is finished. (If Vice President declines the position as president, the board may collectively decide who may be the best president.)

Section 2: Should it become necessary for more members than just the President to resign, the Chain of succession shall be as follows: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, King, and Queen.

Article IX: Ratification

This constitution will be ratified by a simple majority approval by the RHA General Body

Lion Pride - Of the Months- Category Info

Lion Pride of the Months is a fun and easy way to recognize students, faculty, and staff on campus. To submit a nomination please visit Lion Pride of the Month. 

You can nominate people and organizations under the General selection or a campus program under the Program selection. 

Description of the General Categories: 

Advisor

• Any individual who directly advises a residence life organization and has made outstanding contributions to the organization(s). The individual may be the main advisor or the graduate advisor. Examples include, but are not limited to: RHA Advisor, NRHH Advisor, Area Council Advisor, Hall Council Advisor, Resident Assistant Advisory Board, Etc...

Executive Board Member

• This category recognizes the outstanding contributions of an Executive Board member of a member school's residence life organization and the work of the board member within the Executive Board and across residence halls on their campus. Examples include, but are not limited to the Executive Board Members or Chair Positions in RHA, NRHH, etc.

First-Year Student

• This category includes student first-year students (freshman, transfer student, non-traditional, etc) who excels in adapting to a new environment within their residence hall, takes an active role in their community, and positively impacts those around them. The nominee must be in their first year at their current institution. Submissions in this category may emphasize academics, leadership, involvement, and contributions to community, floor, hall, residence life organizations, etc. Individuals that would be eligible for nomination in any other category are ineligible for nomination in the First Year Student category.

Institution Faculty/Staff

• This category includes individuals outside of residence life who aid students in their academics and/or personal affairs. This category is intended to recognize institutional faculty who have made a contribution to the residence life community both in and out of the classroom. Examples include, but are not limited to: Professors, Instructors, Teaching Assistants, Counselors, Other Academic Affairs Staff, Custodial/Maintenance Staff/ Public Safety Officers, Dining Service Staff, Health Services, etc.

Organization

• Any organization that has actively contributed to the student leadership, recognition, or other aspects of residence life during the month of nomination. Emphasis should be placed on the successes of the organization as a whole, not just a few members, and should detail how they have helped the campus in general and the residence life community. Examples include, but are not limited to the Hall Councils, Executive Boards, Advisory Councils, Community Activities Board, Leadership Involvement Team, NRHH Chapters, etc... and Organizations Outside of Residential Life that positively impacts resident students.

Residence Life Professional Staff

• This category includes individuals who aid residents within the housing campus community. This category is intended to recognize the Residence Life Faculty/Staff who are not eligible for the Resident Assistant category and who have made contributions to the residence life community in the month of nomination. Examples include, but are not limited to the Hall Directors, Graduate Assistants in Residence Life, Directors of Residential Life, Area Coordinators, Residential Life Office Secretaries, etc.

Resident Assistant

• Any individual within a residence hall student staff who has worked with/impacted residents on their floor or in their hall. Nominees should have gone above and beyond the duties as outlined in their job description to support residents in the communities in which they work as well as residence life organizations, and/or made outstanding contributions to the hall in which they work during the month of nomination. The OTM should focus on the nominee's accomplishments within the RA role, but may also include other roles or responsibilities taken on during the month of nomination. Examples include, but are not limited to Resident Assistant, Community Assistants, Senior Resident Assistants, or any other positions equivalent to the RA position.

Residential Community

• This category includes any residential community, such as wings, halls, floor, complexes, etc. This award should emphasize what this community has done and how it has supported others (both within and outside their community). The community being recognized must not be an official campus organization. The submissions should illustrate what brings a group of individuals together and how they worked as a group to accomplish their goals during the month of nomination. Communities that would be eligible for nomination in any other category are ineligible for nomination in the Community category.

Spotlight

• This category includes anything that does not fall under any of the other categories that you feel is worthy of Of the Month recognition. Individuals or groups that would be eligible for nomination in any other category are ineligible for nomination in the Spotlight category.

Student

• This category includes any individual enrolled as a student at the institution who has made outstanding contributions to the residence halls during the month of nomination. Nominees could include but are not limited to students who have contributed to their floor, hall, residence life organization, etc. through leadership, motivation, programming, volunteering and/or being a role model for other residents during the month of nomination. This OTM may address several areas of student life, such as academics, leadership, involvement, etc.. Also of importance is how the nominee has balanced their roles as a leader and a student and the display of good academic choices. Advisors, executive board members, first-year students, and anyone that can be classified as being in the resident assistant category are not eligible for an award in this category.

Student Staff Member

• Any individual within a residence hall student staff position that has worked to create a positive experience for the residential community. This category is intended to recognize student staff members while these students are not working in the capacity of a Resident Assistant or Executive Board Member position and who have made outstanding contributions to the residence life community in the month of nomination. Nominees should have gone above and beyond the duties as outlined in their job description, and the OTM should focus on the nominee's accomplishments within the student staff role, but may also include other roles or responsibilities taken on during the month of nomination. Examples include any residence life student staff position, including but not limited to: housing student/office assistants, front desk/office assistants/attendants, student maintenance/custodian assistants, marketing assistants, housing ambassadors/tour guides, security assistants, residence hall safety/patrol workers, programming assistant, learning community liaison, diversity mentors and academic support/tutor; however, this should not include paid executive board members of RHA/NRHH, or other hall council positions.