Introduction

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is a student government, much like Student Government Association (SGA), founded to represent the residents of a campus in student matters. It also provides a wide variety of educational and social programs for all residents to enjoy. Every student who lives in a residence hall has the opportunity to get involved and improve the residence hall living experience.

Membership

All residents of campus housing are automatically members of the Residence Hall Association and are eligible to join RHA committees. Residents are encouraged to attend meetings of the hall councils as well as the RHA Executive Board. There are many opportunities to get involved. One could find himself running a hall council, presiding over a judicial board, attending a conference somewhere in the United States or becoming an Executive Board member.

Hall Councils

Hall Councils are made up of officers and residents. Hall Councils are responsible for providing programming such as socials, speakers, intramural teams, and more. They are given money each semester from the residents' activity fees to sponsor and run their activities. They also are members of the RHA, where they represent their hall amongst the other campus halls.

Programming

One of the main functions of RHA is to organize campus programs and events. Events can be any (but not limited to) the following:

Conferences

RHA sends delegates to conferences annually and they meet people from around the state, Southeast, and from all over the nation. Some of the conferences include the South Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (SAACURH) and the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). Everyone has a lot of fun learning about new programs and improving their own RHA.

Executive Board

RHA usually consists of about five to seven executive board members, an advisor and a of representative from each hall on campus. These members convene together for Executive Board meetings in order to address issues ranging from policy to programming. These meetings, while structured, are social and are venues to publicize one’s own hall to a very motivated, attentive group of students.

Conclusion

By participating in RHA on any level, you can truly help make a difference in the social life at University, meet a number of people, and participate in functions that have a large influence over campus life. Most importantly, RHA is a tool for students to change their hall and campus environments. Whether by getting amenities, funding to buy a new pool table for their hall, advertising an inter-hall program, or simply going to hang out with a dynamic crowd, any resident can enhance their on-campus experience by becoming involved in RHA.

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