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Residence Hall Council Constitution

Revised September 2006

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the Residence Hall Council of SUNY- Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of the organization shall be to promote the interest and welfare of the residents living in the residence halls, located at 811 and 825 New York Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.

Article III: Authority

All authority and power granted by this Constitution, and all responsibilities delegated to the organization by the administration of the University shall be vested in the Residence Hall Council.

Article IV: Membership and Voting Privileges

Section A

All residents of 811 and 825 New York Avenue are general members of the Residence Hall Council, and as such, may attend and participate in all general meetings and functions sponsored by the Residence Hall Council. All residents are voting members of the Council and will be allowed to vote on all issues at any Residence Hall Council meeting unless otherwise specified in this Constitution.

Section B

Four Residence Hall Council Officers are elected at the end of each academic year (and prior to May 1 of that year) to lead and serve the Council for the following academic year (see Article IV). Each Officer has voting privileges on all matters of the Council with the exception of the President, who shall not vote on general issues except in the event of a tie (see Article VI for rules regarding Officer Elections).

Section C

At the beginning of each academic year, a representative for each residence hall floor shall be elected by simple majority of members of that floor in elections to be run and overseen by the individual Resident Assistant assigned to that floor. Residents will be informed of the purpose and functions of Residence Hall Council. At the September general meeting, nominations for the positions of representatives to the Council will be accepted. Within the next two weeks, and election will be held to elect six student residents to serve as representatives, who will serve as voting members. The nominations and elections will be overseen by the Council officers.

Section D

The Residential Life Staff (resident directors and resident assistants) are required by their job descriptions to participate as active members of the Council. As employees of the University and representatives of other residents, they are granted limited voting privileges; they may vote on any non-financial issue of the Residence Hall Council, except where deemed inappropriate by the Officers. Staff members may be nominated for an elected to a position of officer or representative. Discipline for failure to meet Residence Hall Council responsibilities shall be at the discretion of the director and associate director of residential Life and Services.

Section E

The director and associate director of Residential Life and Services shall participate as non-voting advisors to the Council.

Article V: Functions and Responsibilities

Section A

The general functions and responsibilities of the Residence Hall Council shall be to promote the interests and welfare of residents living in the residence halls, in accordance with all applicable regulations of the University.

Section B

Specific functions and responsibilities of the Residence Hall Council shall be as follows:

  1. Determine plan, and coordinate student activities conduct in the residence halls.
  2. Meet monthly during the academic year to discuss pertinent residence hall issues and to plan residence hall events.
  3. Conduct hearings of residents' complaints regarding any essential aspects of living conditions in the residence halls.
  4. Make recommendations to the director and/or associate director of residence halls concerning matters related to the residents' welfare.
  5. Provide the Faculty Student Association with an annual budget for students' activity fees.
  6. Serve as a liaison group between the residents and the administration and faculty or the University, and interact with other University student groups for the purpose of coordinating and co-sponsoring activities.

Article VI: Officers

Section A

Officers of the Residence Hall Council shall be elected from among student residents and shall consists of a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Their terms of office shall begin on May 1, prior to the academic year of their service.

Section B

Duties of the officers shall be as follows:

  1. President
    1. Shall serve as chief spokesperson for the Council and, as such communicate regularly with the director and /or associate director of Residential Life and Services, and with other administrative bodies as needed, to discuss Council issues.
    2. Shall preside as chairperson at all meetings.
    3. Shall establish subcommittees as needed and appoint members to these committees.
    4. Shall co-sign all fund payment requests.
    5. Oversee elections of representatives in conjunction with other officers.
    6. Shall cast a deciding vote where warranted in case of tie.
  2. Vice-President-
    1. Shall assist the president in carrying out his/her duties as needed.
    2. Shall be familiar with this Constitution and ensure that its policies are upheld.
    3. Shall serve as chairperson at meetings of any subcommittees which have been established.
    4. Shall assume the president's duties in his/her absence.
    5. Shall tally votes on motions and at elections.
  3. Secretary
    1. Shall record attendance at all meetings.
    2. Shall keep minutes at all meetings and distribute copies to all Residence Hall Council voting members, post a copy in the lobby of each building, and send copies to the president of FSA the director and associate director of Residential Life and Services.
    3. Shall post signs prior to Council meeting and events in each building.
    4. Shall not have a vote on financial issues.
  4. Treasurer
    1. Shall keep a record of and report on finances of the Council.
    2. Shall co-sign fund payment requests.
    3. After elections near the end of his/her term of office, shall draft a budget for the forthcoming year in cooperation with the treasure-elect. The budget shall be presented to the Council at the May general meeting, at which time it will be revised as necessary until approved by the representatives and new officers. The budget for the next fiscal year, beginning June 1, will then be submitted to the president of FSA for certification in accordance with SUNY Board of Trustees Guidelines for activity fees. The budget may be revised during the year, as needed, by a 2/3 majority vote of the entire voting body, in person or by proxy.

Section C

Elections of Residence Hall Council officers shall be conducted as follows:

  1. Nominations for positions for the forthcoming year will be accepted at the April meeting. The nomination must be accepted by the nominee before the election. Any one individual may be nominated for and accept nomination for more than one office.
  2. An election meeting shall be held within two weeks of the nominations or by the end of the month, whichever comes first. Election is to be carried out by simple majority secret ballot, by any residents attending the meeting. Ballots are to be tallied by the vice-president and recounted by a representative. (In the event the current vice-president is running for an office that ballot is to be tallied by another officer and a representative). In the case of tie-vote or other complication in the election, a special vote among the voting body shall decide the outcome.
  3. Elections are to be carried out in the following order: President vice-president, secretary treasurer. No one individual may be elected to hold more than one office.

Section D

Removal of Officers or Members:

  1. In the event a situation arises in which there is a demand for an officer or a representative to be removed from his/her position, a special meeting shall be held by the officers and the director and/or associate director of Residential Life and Services to determine if the demand is justifiable. If so warranted, a special vote shall be held among all voting members, either in person or by written proxy, to resolve said issue; it shall require a minimum of six votes (two-thirds) in person to pass.
  2. In the event an officers not able to complete his/ her term of office, a special nomination and election shall be held at the next general meeting to fill the remaining term of office.

Article VII: Meetings

Section A

General meetings of the Residence Hall Council will be held monthly from September through June. In addition, an election meeting shall be held in April. All voting members are required to attend all general meetings; if one is unable to attend a meeting, verbal proxy should be assigned.

Section B

Special meetings of the Residence Hall Council may be called for by the President.

Section C

The general meetings of the Residence Hall Council will run in an orderly fashion (as per Roberts' Rules) and shall be chaired by the president. The chairperson will recognize members who wish to speak.

The Agenda will be as follows:

  1. Reading of the minutes if the last meeting.
  2. Old business.
  3. New business.
  4. Open forum.

Section D

A minimum of six voting members shall be present, in person at all meetings. In addition, each voting member only, for any one meeting.

Article VIII: Fees

Section A

Dues shall be paid by each permanent student resident of the residence halls at the rate of $5 per academic semester (Autumn and Spring), which shall be billed to residents in accordance with the procedures established by the University Bursar's Office. Increases in activity fee rate shall be made by a two-thirds majority vote of the voting body and must be in accordance with the SUNY Board of Trustees guidelines for activity fees. The residents shall be notified that such an issue is being brought to a vote and an open forum for discussion of this issue must be held before the voting occurs.

Section B

Income received shall be deposited into a Trust and Agency account with the FSA exclusively for the Residence Hall Council in accordance with SUNY guidelines.

Section C

Expenses drawn from the account shall be in accordance with the certified budget in place at that time and in accordance with SUNY policies. All withdrawals must be co-signed by the President and Treasurer.

Section D

In the event of dissolution of the Residence Hall Council, all remaining funds shall be turned over to the Board of Directors of FSA who shall disburse these funds for the benefit of the residence hall operations in conjunction with the director and /or associate director of Residential Life and Services, or shall direct these funds to a similar subsequent organization.

Article IX: Ratification and Amendments

Section A

This constitution shall be considered a ratified and in force when

  1. approved by a simple majority of the voting body, and
  2. approved by a simple majority of dormitory residents in a dormitory-wide ratification ballot, and
  3. approved by the president of FSA, in accordance with pertinent FSA and SUNY guidelines.

Section B

Amendments to this constitution shall be approved in the same manner as ratification. Advanced notice of proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be made available to all residents. Open forum shall be provided at the next Council meeting, to be followed by a ballot no later than seven days after the meeting.