UCLA
Residential Life

On-Campus Housing Residential Government Constitution

Last updated Sept 2022

The Resident Government Council and On-Campus Housing Council take an active role in promoting True Bruin values on the Hill and upholding the Mission and Core Values of Residential Life. Student Leaders are afforded opportunities to actively engage with their community and enhance the residential experience.

Resident Government Council and On-Campus Housing Council utilize active and passive programming to help develop community and engage residents in topics including, but not limited to, academic support, health, safety, leadership, service, recognition, social justice, sustainability and the arts.

Resident Government Council members and the On-Campus Housing Council advocate on behalf of their peers’ best interests and well-being. They will promote the best interests of all residents with focus on the quality and satisfaction of the on-campus living experience. They interact with other residents to understand the diverse array of student experiences and then serve as conduits to share the needs and feedback of residents with administrators and other advocacy outlets.

As student leaders, it is the responsibility of Resident Government Council and On-Campus Housing Council members to act in accordance with the Constitution and acknowledge it as the governing document of UCLA’s Residential Life Government.

Association Positions

President

  1. The President is the official representative of the Cabinet, representing the [COMMUNITY NAME] Residents’ Association to the administration of Residential Life, Housing, and UCLA.
  2. The President brings both the Cabinet and Association meetings to order and is responsible for facilitating discussion. The President shall be responsible for preparing agendas for all Cabinet and Association meetings ahead of time.
    1. This will be done in conjunction with the Assistant Resident Director.
  3. The President shall also fulfill any meetings / committee responsibilities as required by further sections and amendments of the Constitution.
  4. The President shall cast a vote when the vote of the Association is tied. In such circumstances, the President shall vote in the best interest of the community.
  5. Meet regularly with Assistant Resident Director and Resident Director in order to cultivate personal growth, leadership skills, and position competence.
  6. Attend all [COMMUNITY NAME] Association meetings in order to fulfill position responsibilities and stay engaged and connected with residents in an effort to be most knowledgeable about individual and community needs as to ensure proper advocacy on their behalf.
  7. Maintain and facilitate open and effective communication among Cabinet Members, Professional-Staff, and Community Representatives.
  8. Presidents as well as Treasurers are responsible for communicating all Funding Advisory Board Proposals from the weekly Funding and Advisory Board Meetings to the Community Representatives during Association Meetings.
  9. Meet regularly with advisor(s) and fellow Resident Government Council members in order to cultivate personal growth, leadership skills, and position competence.
  10. The Treasurer and the President shall attend Funding & Advisory Board meetings as the [COMMUNITY NAME] representative and report back to the Cabinet and Association with any relevant information. If the Treasurer and President are not available for valid reasoning, a proxy should attend in order to be the voice of the community and the advisor must be notified.

Treasurer

  1. The Treasurer, in consultation with the Resident Director and Assistant Resident
    Director, shall be responsible for the maintenance of the [COMMUNITY NAME]
    Community budget.
  2. The Treasurer will set up and manage funds for the current academic year through True
    Bruin Welcome of the following year.
  3. The Treasurer shall present budget updates each week during Association meetings.
  4. The Treasurer and the President shall attend Funding & Advisory Board meetings as the
    [COMMUNITY NAME] representative and report back to the Cabinet and Association
    with any relevant information. If the Treasurer and President are not available for valid reasoning, a proxy should attend in order to be the voice of the community and the
    advisor must be notified.
  5. Meet regularly with advisor(s) and President in order to cultivate personal growth,
    leadership skills, and position competence.
  6. Attend all [COMMUNITY NAME] Association meetings in order to fulfill position
    responsibilities and stay engaged and connected with residents in an effort to be most
    knowledgeable about individual and community needs as to ensure proper advocacy on
    their behalf.
  7. Accountable for taking the [COMMUNITY NAME]’s Association meeting minutes.

On-Campus Housing Council Representative

While this Representative is a member of [COMMUNITY NAME] Association, they are a key affiliate of the On-Campus Housing Council and as such they are knowledgeable about their community needs in order to vote, represent, and advocate for the [COMMUNITY NAME] Association.

  1. Attend On-Campus Housing Council and Policy Review Board meetings.
  2. Participate in the planning and execution of On-Campus Housing Council legislation.
  3. Participate in the planning and execution of On-Campus Housing Council programming efforts.
  4. Meet regularly with the President, [COMMUNITY NAME] Assistant Resident Director, and On-Campus Housing Council advisor in order to cultivate personal growth, leadership skills, and position competence.
  5. Attend all [COMMUNITY NAME] Association meetings in order to fulfill position responsibilities and stay engaged and connected with residents in an effort to be most knowledgeable.
  6. All On-Campus Housing Council Representatives are expected to communicate any Hill-wide developments to the community representatives related to Maintenance, Dining, Rooms Division, UCPD, Sustainability, Information Technology, Housing, etc.
  7. All On-Campus Housing Council Representatives should utilize Community Association meetings to gain insights relevant to Policy Review Board Meetings: Dining, Rooms Division, UCPD, Maintenance, Residential Life, Sustainability, Information Technology, Housing, etc.

Outreach Representative

  1. Responsible for all social media and physical (fliers & posters) communication regarding
    Resident Government Council and outside events that may benefit the community (does
    not include Programming Assistant, Living Learning Community Intern or Resident
    Assistant events).
  2. Attend Team Green meetings and assist in Team Green programs and initiatives in
    order to preserve environment-conscious behavior within the community.
  3. Attend NRHH meetings and assist in NRHH programs and initiatives in order to uphold
    and maintain the values of leadership and service in the UCLA community and beyond.
    a. Outreach Representatives must be active in communication and participation in
    programs outside of the meetings.
    Team Green and NRHH meetings must be scheduled at separate times.
    Outreach Representatives must attend both.
  4. Promote the writing and submission of OTMS (of the month awards given through the
    National Residence Hall Honorary)
  5. Attend all [COMMUNITY NAME] Association meetings in order to fulfill position
    responsibilities and stay engaged and connected with residents

Recruitment

President and Treasurer

(Appointed in the Spring of the prior academic year)

  1. One President and one Treasurer position will be allocated per community.
  2. Presidents and Treasurers shall be appointed in the Spring through an application and interview process headed by the current Resident Government Council members and Community Representatives.
  3. A potential candidate may not sit in on the interview committee of ANY community.
  4. Presidents and Treasurers will be expected to attend training in the beginning of September.
  5. Presidents and Treasurers must live in the community they represent during their active year.

On-Campus Housing Council Representative and Outreach Representative

(Elected in the Fall
of the current academic year)

  1. There will be one On-Campus Housing Council Representative and one Outreach Representative for each community.
  2. On-Campus Housing Council Representatives and Outreach Representatives must live in the community for which they are representing

Election Rules for the On-Campus Housing Council Representative and Outreach
Representative

  1. On-Campus Housing Council Representatives and Outreach Representatives shall be elected in the fall by the members of their community in order to maintain a balance of experience, embodied in the President and Treasurer positions, and current representation embodied in the On-Campus Housing Council / Outreach Representatives.
  2. The election process must involve a chance for residents to meet the candidates
  3. Flyers must be printed & distributed by Professional Staff in neutral, specifically designated locations per community.
  4. No election / campaign materials may be distributed aside from the flyers printed out by Professional Staff
  5. Upon discovery of violation, candidates will be provided a warning by the community’s Assistant Resident Directors(s). If the warning is not adhered, the candidate may be disqualified from the election process up to the discretion of the Assistant Resident Director(s), Resident Director, and current President.

Training

Designed and implemented by stakeholders: Leadership & Involvement, Association Advisors, Association Presidents.

Attended by all students and advisors.

Training retreat weekend: 9/30/2022 (12 PM-5 PM0 and 10/4/2022 (5 PM-8 PM)

Key topics covered during training (in no particular order):

  • Residential Life mission and Core 5
  • Team development and team building
  • Constitution and position training overview and understanding
  • Overall role of hill advocacy and student engagement
  • leadership skills
  • ERES- the how to’s
  • Community Building and ways to do it outside of a program.
  • Conducting a needs assessment of your community to learn what students want
  • Programming concepts/overview
  • How money works
  • Who’s who in Residential Life (key people to know)
  • Publicity and social media training

Meeting Structure

[COMMUNITY NAME] Association

  1. Chair: President
  2. Frequency and Length: Weekly (maybe bi-weekly), 1 hour
  3. Attendance: Community Representatives and cabinet members
  4. Purpose of Meeting: Association meetings are forums to educate/share announcements and discuss the following:

Community environment issues

  • Front desk
  • Housekeeping
  • Maintenance
  • Elevators
  • Dining-local venue(s)
  • Cable TV and internet
  • Common equipment
  • Common space
  • Community program(s) and financial implication

Residential Life Focus Areas

  • Academic Support
  • Health
  • Safety
  • Leadership
  • Service
  • Recognition
  • Social Justice
  • Sustainability
  • Arts

Community Representatives

  1. Each floor / house within the community must have a minimum of one appointed
    Community Representatives.
  2. Resident Assistants will be tasked with the election / appointment process of Community
    Representatives.
  3. Vote allotment will be determined by the current Resident Government Council and
    Assistant Resident Director(s) in order to hold proportional voting power.
  4. Any resident living in the community shall not be barred from becoming a community
    representative at any point in the year. This does not guarantee a vote.