Division of Student Affairs

Executive Policies

A copy of these policies, including appendices, is available for download [PDF, 100KB].

Preamble

As authorized in Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Residence Hall Association of Case Western Reserve University, RHA holds these Policies.

ARTICLE I - Council Elections

Section 1: Commissioner

Per the Constitution, the Executive Vice President of Internal Development shall serve as the Council Elections Commissioner.

Section 2: Promotion

1. The Commissioner shall work with Residence Life Staff and the rest of the Executive Board to promote the Councils to residents.
2. The Commissioner shall also see that adequate information is readily available to all residents concerning elections.
3. The Commissioner shall coordinate with the Student Affairs Support Team to set-up the elections process. 

Section 3: Candidacy

1. All candidates for office shall submit a notice of their intent to the Commissioner by the deadline set by the Commissioner, which shall be no later than 9 p.m. on the Sunday after the first week of classes.
2. Candidates submitting such intent shall receive a verification of their candidacy from the Commissioner.
3. Lists of all verified candidates for each Council will be posted in each residence hall of that Council all by the following Sunday, as well as on the RHA website.
4. Additional candidates shall be accepted only if they intend to run for a position for which there were no candidates by the deadline in Subsection 1. These candidates shall have until the following Tuesday, at 9 p.m. to submit their intent to the Commissioner and their Residential Council Advisor.
5. All candidates that have, in accordance with these Policies, submitted their intent shall appear on the ballot for their respective Council.
6. No candidate can run for more than one position.
7. Specific rules concerning campaigning and publicity shall be made at the discretion of the Commissioner and will be in accordance with all University and Residence Hall policies. All such rules must be posted and publicized to candidates.
8. All violations of campaigning or posting policies will lead to immediate disqualification from the election. 

Section 4: Elections

1. Council Elections shall be conducted online, or if technical difficulties occur, in each Residence Hall entrance.  They should begin Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. of the second week of classes until Friday at 5:01 p.m., or at the discretion of the Commissioner. 
2. Write-in candidates shall be allowed.

Section 5: Tabulation

1. In the event of technical difficulties, the Commissioner shall oversee the Executive Board in tabulation of results and the verification of all tallies.
2. Any write-ins that are illegible or non-residents shall not be counted.
3. The tabulators shall make their best effort to ensure that the will of the voters is interpreted and applied fairly and consistently.
4. Results shall be sent to the respective Advisor of every Council as soon as all results are tabulated. 
5. No tabulator is to reveal the results of the election except to the Coordinator and Housing and Residence Life Staff until all candidates are notified.
6. All elected candidates shall be notified via phone and email by the Advisor of their council.
7. All non-winning candidates shall be notified via email by the Advisor of their council.
8. Results shall be posted electronically by 9pm on the Friday following elections.
9. The actual number of votes any candidate receives shall not be disclosed unless a specific request is made and the reason for the request is deemed valid by the Commissioner.

Section 6: Additional Elections

1. In the case of a tie, when all candidates shall wish to continue in pursuit of office, a run-off election shall be held at a time designated by the Commissioner and council advisor, and shall be within five days of the original election.
2. All guidelines for the original election shall be followed by the run-off election.

Section 7: Contests

1. All contests, complaints, or concerns shall be submitted to the Commissioner no later than one week following the election.
2. A recount shall be conducted if requested by any defeated candidate within one week following the election.
3. The Executive Board shall make all final decisions regarding Council Elections, with the advice of the Advisor of the affected Council.

ARTICLE II - At-Large Representative Selection

Section 1: Election

At-Large Representatives shall be elected by the General Body to represent all residents. The election process is as follows:

1. Interested candidates shall collect fifteen signatures of undergraduate residents of the CWRU Community and the signature of the Coordinator of the Community in which the candidate resides.
2. A sample form for the above purpose shall be provided by the Executive Board via the RHA website.
3. Candidates shall file the collected signatures with the Executive Board prior to the second meeting of the General Body.
4. Candidates shall appear at the first and second meeting of the General Body.
5. At the first meeting of the General Body, the candidate should introduce themselves and explain their experience with and interest in RHA to the General Body.
6. At the second meeting of the General Body, said body shall vote to approve each candidate. A simple majority vote in favor shall accept each candidate.
7. After above voting, each accepted candidate shall take the oath of office and shall become an At-Large Representative with all of the duties and privileges inherent.

ARTICLE III - Executive Officer’s Elections

Section 1: Eligibility

Candidates for all Executive Offices shall be nominated at the General Body meetings four weeks and three weeks prior to Spring Break from among all members of RHA.

Section 2: Executive Officer Election Commissioner

The Executive Officer Elections shall have an Elections Commissioner who is the highest ranking executive board member or former board member who is not a candidate.  If no such individual exists or the individual(s) cannot fulfill his or her responsibilities, the Commissioner shall be named by a majority vote of the current Executive board.  The duties of said Commissioner are:

1. To manage and officiate all nominations for the elections at all General Body meetings where nominations are given;
2. Create and communicate the rules for candidacy to the General Body and the candidates at the Commissioner's discretion;
3. Collect and distribute all letters of intent to all candidates and voting members of the General Body two days prior to voting, as well as having copies available during voting;
4. To facilitate proper un-biased election etiquette and good flow of discussion during the elections;
5. To break all ties in the case of a tie in either the final.

Section 3: Letter of Intent

All candidates for office shall submit a letter of intent due at the discretion of the Executive Election Commissioner.

Section 4: Election

Executive Officer Elections shall occur at the General Body meeting two weeks prior to Spring Break.

1. Officers shall be elected in the order they are listed in the Constitution.
2. Each candidate shall present a speech, presentation, letter, etc. and answer the questions of the General Body at their own discretion.
3. The General Body shall discuss all candidates for each position before voting.
4. All formal and written aspects of a candidate's presentation will be removed during official discussion and voting. 
5. Candidates shall receive a simple majority of votes to be elected.
6. The General Body shall cast secret ballots in elections.
7. No member shall preside over an election in which the member is a candidate.
8. All tabulation of ballots shall be completed by the Advisors of the General Body or two members of Housing and Residence Life un-affiliated with RHA.
9. No member of General Body is allowed to be present during the tabulation of votes. 

Section 5: Post-Election Procedure

Immediately following elections, winning candidates shall be Executive Officers-Elect and shall:

1. Attend all meetings of the General Body and the Executive Board;
2. Be in training until assumption of office; and
3. Retain voting rights as Council Representatives at the time of election until the assumption of office;
4. Be residents in the CWRU residential communities after their return from Spring Break and for the entirety of their term, with the exception of the Summer term at the majority vote of the newly elected Executive Board. 

Section 6: Inauguration

During the last General Body meeting Executive Officers-Elect shall be inaugurated as Executive Officers, with all rights, privileges, and responsibilities therein.

ARTICLE IV - Finances

Section 1: Rationale

As a student organization dedicated to providing the best residential experience for Case Western Reserve University students, it is in the best interest of RHA to develop and implement budgeting and control procedures that ensure the use of fiscal resources in an appropriate manner.

Section 2: Budget Development

The development of the budget for the fiscal year will begin with the election of the executive board for the upcoming year. After the board has determined its goals and priorities, a draft budget shall be created by the Executive President and approved by the board. This draft will be the functioning document until final approval is given by the General Body. The draft budget will be reviewed at the first RHA meeting and voted upon at the second meeting. Funds may be spent prior to approval by the assembly, but adjustments may need to be made based on their recommendations.

Section 3: Budget Control

The overall budget shall be divided into separate line items for each priority set. In accordance with the Constituion, an Executive Officer will be assigned to each line item by the Executive President, based on applicability to officer position descriptions. The Executive Officer assigned to each line item shall be responsible for authorizing expenditures from that line item. The Executive President will be the only authorizing signature for all line items. Monetary transfers between line items requires approval of majority vote of the General Body.

Section 4: Budget Processing

When an expense has been incurred (or planned for) the Executive Officer will complete an expenditure authorization request and attach the relevant documentation. A copy of the Expenditure Authorization Form is included in Appendix A. Executive Officers will be responsible for ensuring that their line item has funds to cover the expense before incurring it. The Executive Officer will then turn the completed paperwork in to the Executive Vice President of Administration for processing. The Executive Vice President of Administration will be responsible for processing all paperwork, logging each entry in the ledger, and returning a copy of the expenditure authorization form to the Executive Officer with account information updated. Paperwork will be processed once per week, after which an updated copy of the ledger will be sent to the Executive President and the advisors. Expenditures that have not been authorized by the correct Executive Officers will not be processed.

Section 5: Audits

The Executive Vice President of Administration will audit the ledger on a quarterly basis in conjunction with the advisor utilizing the reports generated by the University Accounting Office. The Executive Vice President of Administration, Executive President, and Advisors to the Executive Board will review the budget and ledger at the end of each semester.

1. Every transaction shall be reviewed during the end of the semester audit to ensure that it was transacted in accordance with the rules of RHA and in keeping with the purpose of RHA.
2. The Executive Vice President of Administration and Executive President shall sign a report of the results of the audit, including any discrepancies discovered.
3. This report shall also include a statement by the Executive Vice President of Administration and Executive President stating that the audit was conducted ethically and carefully and that all discrepancies have been reported to the best knowledge of both parties.

ARTICLE V - Standing

Section 1: Council Standing

A Council shall be in good standing with RHA if:

1. It submits to the Executive Vice President of Administration a copy of its Council Constitution; and
2. If two-thirds of the Council General Body representatives are in Good Standing. 

Section 2: Council Representative Standing

A Council Representative shall be in good standing if the representative misses no more than two General Body meetings each semester, including meetings where the representative's building was represented by a substitute.

Section 3: At-Large Representative Standing

An At-Large Representative shall be in good standing if that representative misses no more than two General Body meetings each semester.

Section 4: Reinstatement

1. A Council shall be reinstated to good standing if:
   1. It meets the conditions of Section 1, Subsection 1, of this article;
   2. The President of that Council presents to the General Body a written request for reinstatement of good standing; and
   3. The General Body accepts the request by a majority vote.
2. A Council Representative shall be reinstated to good standing if:
   1. The representative presents to the General Body a written request to be reinstated to good standing; and
   2. The General Body accepts the request by a majority vote.
3. An At-Large Representative shall be reinstated to good standing if:
   1. The representative presents to the General Body a written request to be reinstated to good standing; and
   2. The General Body accepts the request by a majority vote.

Section 5: Standing Consequences

1. A Council not in good standing shall not receive co-sponsorship from RHA.
2. A Council Representative not in good standing shall have no voting rights in the General Body.
3. An At-Large Representative not in good standing shall have no voting rights in the General Body.

ARTICLE VI - Expulsion

Section 1: Reasons

Any member of the General Body shall be expelled from that body by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Body if the body feels that one or more of the infractions below has been met.

1. Failure to meet attendance requirements.
2. Misconduct while acting on behalf of RHA or in connection with RHA.
3. Failure to comply with the rules and regulations of RHA.

Section 2: Trial

Charges for expulsion shall be presented to the Executive President, who shall preside over the ensuing trial of any other member. If the charges are against the Executive President, the Executive Vice President of Internal Development shall receive the charges and preside over the trial.

Section 3: Executive Officer Replacement

If an Executive Officer is expelled, that officer shall relinquish all responsibilities and connections with RHA for the remainder of that academic year and that office shall be considered vacant, to be filled in accordance with the governing documents of this organization.

Section 4: At-Large Representative

If an At-Large Representative is expelled, that representative shall relinquish all responsibilities and connections with the General Body for the remainder of that academic year. 

SECTION 5. COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE.

If a Council Representative is expelled, the representative shall relinquish all responsibilities and connections with the General Body for the remainder of that academic year. The General Body shall specify whether this expulsion shall extend to that representative being expelled from the representative's Council. A new Council Representative shall be appointed by the Council.

ARTICLE VII - Inaugurations

Section 1: Executive Officer Inaugurations

1. A ceremony shall be held during the last General Body Meeting for the purpose of inaugurating Executive Officers.
2. This ceremony shall be held at a time specified by the outgoing Executive Board.
3. At this ceremony, the incoming Executive Officers shall take the Oath of Office for each position.
4. All professional staff in Housing and Residence Life and Greek Life shall be invited to this Inauguration.
5. If the ceremony fails to occur for any or all officers, all incoming officers shall assume their office at the close of the last General Body Meeting

Section 2: Council Inaugurations

1. A ceremony shall be held for the purpose of inaugurating Council Officers.
2. This ceremony shall occur during Council Training in the fall, following elections.
3. At this ceremony, the incoming Council Officers shall take the Oath of Office for each position.
4. If the ceremony fails to occur for any or all officers, all incoming officers will assume their office at the close of Council Training.

ARTICLE VIII - Oaths of Office

Section 1: Executive Officers

Each Executive Officer shall take the appropriate Oath at Inauguration or within one week thereafter. If an officer is filling a vacancy, the Oath of Office shall be taken immediately. After taking the Oath, the officer will be considered inaugurated.

1. The Oath of Office of the Executive Officers shall be administered by the Executive President. Each officer shall, one-at-a-time and with right hand raised, repeat the following after the Executive President, inserting the officer's name and office where indicated.

   I, NAME, do hereby affirm that I will, to the best of my abilities, execute the duties and responsibilities of the office of the Residence Hall Association of Case Western Reserve University. I will be ethical, fair, and just in all matters and affairs of the Residence Hall Association and will ensure that others are as well. In all that I do for the Residence Hall Association, I will keep in mind its purpose and will uphold its Constitution and laws, and will work on behalf of the residents of Case Western Reserve University.

2. In the event that the appropriate administrator is incapable of performing the above function, it shall be performed by the advisor.

Section 2: Council Offers

Each Council Officer shall take the appropriate Oath at Council Inauguration.

1. The Oath of Office of the Council Officers shall be administered by the RHA Executive President. Each officer shall, with right hand raised, repeat the following after the Executive President, inserting the officer's name, office, and council where indicated.

   I, NAME, do hereby affirm that I will, to the best of my abilities, execute the duties and responsibilities of the office of the council of the Residence Hall Association of Case Western Reserve University. I will be ethical, fair, and just in all matters and affairs of my Council and the Residence Hall Association and will ensure that others are as well. In all that I do for my Council, I will keep in mind its purpose and will uphold its Constitution and laws, and will work on behalf of the residents of my Council.

2. In the event that the appropriate administrator is incapable of performing the above function, it shall be performed by the Executive Vice President of Internal Development.

Section 3: At-Large Representatives

Each At-Large Representative shall take the appropriate Oath of Office immediately following acceptance by the General Body.

1. The Oath of Office of At-Large Representatives shall be administered by the RHA Executive President. Each representative shall, one-at-a-time and with right hand raised, repeat the following after the Executive President, inserting the officer's name where indicated.

   I, NAME, do hereby affirm that I will, to the best of my abilities, execute the duties and responsibilities of an At-Large Representative of the Residence Hall Association of Case Western Reserve University. I will be ethical, fair, and just in all matters and affairs of the Residence Hall Association and will ensure that others are as well. In all that I do for the Residence Hall Association, I will keep in mind its purpose and will uphold its Constitution and laws, and will work on behalf of the residents of Case Western Reserve University.

2. In the event the Executive President cannot perform this duty, it shall be performed by the Executive Vice President of Internal Development.

ARTICLE IX - Co-Sponsorships

Section 1: Documents

Co-sponsorships shall be processed according the forms in Appendices C and D of this document.

Section 2: Presentation Order

There shall be no more than two co-sponsorships presented per General Body Meeting. Selection of which co-sponsorships to be heard by the General Body will be based upon the first two organizations to email the RHA computer, case-rha@case.edu, or at the discretion of the Executive President.

ARTICLE X - Emblem

The Emblem of the Residence Hall Association of Case Western Reserve University shall be maintained by the Executive President and shall have the form as shown in Appendix E.