The Residence Halls Association is the on-campus student government and programming organization for the residents of Arizona State University. The Residence Hall Association at ASU has the purpose of enhancing the quality of residence hall life and providing a cohesive voice for residents by:
Addressing the concerns of the on-campus populations to university administrators and other campus organizations.
Providing cultural, diversity, educational, and social programming.
Establishing and working with individual hall councils.
Connecting the university to the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH).
The Residence Hall Association at ASU consists of three main bodies: the executive board of directors, the RHA General Council, and the eleven hall councils.
The first is the executive board of directors. The executive board of directors consists of one Director, 8 Associate Directors, and the NRHH chancellor. The Director and Associate Directors are elected in the spring by the RHA General Council. The executive board of directors meets weekly and is the group of leaders most responsible for setting the direction and tone of RHA at ASU. The table below briefly explains the duties of the board of directors.
The second main body is the RHA General Council (GC), which is made up of representatives from ten Hall Councils and two Apartment Councils and the Council of Community Assistants (CCA). The General Council meets weekly to make decisions on campus wide issues, gather consensus from each of the complexes, and to hear and vote on funds proposals and legislative items. Each Hall and Apartment Council and the CCA are given three votes in the GC meetings. From the Hall Councils the President, Programmer, and RHA Representatives are required to attend the weekly GC meetings.
The Hall Councils are the third main body of RHA and the most direct branch of RHA to the actual halls and the over 8,000 residents on campus. ASU currently has eleven hall and apartment complexes. In each of the complexes there is a Hall or Apartment Council with an executive board consisting of a President, Programmer, Facilities Liaison, Secretary, Treasurer, Public Relations Liaison, and up to 3 RHA Representatives. The President and Programmer of each the Hall Councils are elected in the spring and return early to the halls for extensive training. The rest of the executive board positions are elected in the fall and are most often filled by first year students. Each Hall Council meets weekly to make decisions on complex wide issues, gather consensus from all the floors, and vote on funds proposal and legislative items. The HC executive boards also meet weekly and are the driving leadership in each of the halls. The Hall Councils each have their own constitutions, which may be amended by the complex as long as it does not conflict with the RHA constitution.
Our organization’s direction is focused into four primary categories: Advocacy, Programming, Leadership Development, and Regional Involvement.
♦ Advocacy: RHA also serves in a very important student advocacy role. RHA has the opportunity to work on behalf of the residents to communicate with the administration, board of regents and the undergraduate student government about important and relevant issues. Examples include meal plans, tuition rates, safety and security issues, sustainability, student rights.
♦ Programming: RHA also provides programming for the halls through many fun and exciting events for residents. RHA plans campus wide programs throughout the year such as the MR. ASU Pageant and a world-record-breaking water balloon fight. Each Hall Council also puts on many programs for residents ranging from volleyball tournaments to comedians to dance parties to movie nights.
♦ Leadership Development: RHA creates opportunities for residents to become involved in their communities. RHA and Hall Councils enable residents to take on leadership roles and have a voice regarding issues in their halls. There are weekly General Council meetings at which elected representatives from all of the halls can come to talk about and discuss issues that affect the residents.
♦ Regional Involvement: RHA also provides leadership opportunities on a national level as an active member of the Inter-Mountain Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (IACURH) and the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). A delegation of ASU representatives attends both of these conferences, which are hosted by various universities across the nation.
