About RHA

Who?

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) and its nine Community Councils strive to build community in the residence halls and enhance the Residential Experience. RHA works closely with the Offices of Residence Life, Housing, and Facilities Services to advocate for students living in university-owned housing.

Values

In the summer of 2017, the acting Executive Board outlined and defined five core values to which the organization shall hereby adhere. Our board has renewed these five core values.

These values are: Community, Meaningful Work, Representation, Growth, and Enjoyment.

History

The Residence Hall Association was formed in 1992 through a merger of the North Campus Association and the South Campus Association. The new organization affiliated itself with the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) and the regional Central Atlantic Affiliate for College and University Residence Halls (CAACURH). RHA has grown in size and scope since the original merger and is now one of the largest student organizations on campus.

In the summer of 2019, a new community council was formed. The Triangle Apartments Community Council split from the Upperclass Community Council.

In the summer of 2020, in response to COVID-19 and impact on residents, councils were re-lined to better serve and support the student leadership representation for the duration of the pandemic. This lead to new councils being formed that were two councils joined together for the time being.

Organizational Structure

Normally, there are nine Community Councils serving the nine Residential Communities. Five Community Councils are open to first-year students (Cedar, Clarke Tower, Juniper, Magnolia, and Mistletoe), four to second-year students (Carlton Road, Clarke Tower, Murray Hill, and Triangle Towers), and two to upper-class students (Upperclass and Triangle Towers).

Typically, members of the community elect a community-wide Council President as well as a House Representative for each building in the Residential Community. The President, Vice-President, House Representatives of each council, as well as at-large and emeritus members, attend the weekly General Body meeting of RHA. This gathering of representatives from the Community Councils provides a forum to discuss residential issues, vote on measures, and enact positive and collaborative change across campus. The General Body and RHA as a whole are overseen by the Executive Board, elected by the General Body in the spring to one-year terms.