Article I: Name of the Organization

HBH Hall Council Constitution

Article I: Name of the Organization

The name of this organization shall be the Halloran, Barrett, and Houck Hall Council, hereafter referred to as the HBH Hall Council.

Article II: Purpose

The mission of the HBH Hall Council is to improve the quality of living conditions, stimulate academic and extra-curricular interests of all those who live within its walls, and facilitate the building of long-lasting relationships among its residents. We strive to motivate staff and residents to strive to live and work toward upholding the values and goals of the Division of Student Affairs and University Housing at The Ohio State University.

Article III: Membership

The membership of HBH Hall Council will consist of students residing within the complex.

The structure of the HBH Hall Council will include one President, one Vice-President per building in the complex, one Treasurer, one Secretary, one Public Relations person, one RHAC Representative, Floor Senators, and one Advisor. All residents of the complex are welcome to attend and participate in General Body meetings, but voting rights will be reserved to the Vice-Presidents and Floor Senators

Section I: Expectations of General Membership

All voting members of the HBH Hall Council must meet the following expectations in order to remain active:

· maintain a 2.0 GPA

· attend all General Body Meetings or appoint an alternate from your constituency

· serve on one of several standing committees as established by the Executive Board

Section II: Rights and Duties of the Executive Board Membership

All active members of the Executive Board shall have the following rights and fulfill the following duties in accordance with their position:

· the right to present motions, issues, and other legislative action to the General Body and Executive Board

· the right to vote on all motions presented before the Executive Board, except in cases of personal conflict.

· All Executive Board members must attend one (1) RHAC Grant meeting per quarter, as long as there is no conflict

· All Executive Board members should attend all possible HBH Hall Council funded events

Section III: The President

· is elected by the residents of the HBH Complex

· shall preside over all Executive Board and General Body meetings

· shall prepare an agenda for all HBH Hall Council meetings

· be the official representative of HBH Hall Council at campus activities and organizations or appoint a replacement in his/her absence

· call special meetings of HBH Hall Council as deemed necessary

· form committees as needed for the HBH Hall Council

· make necessary appointments of chair persons to committees without assigned chairs

· make necessary appointments to vacancies in the council with the 2/3 consent of the HBH Hall Council

· maintain open lines of communication with the Advisor(s) and Senior Staff of the complex

· shall forfeit all voting rights except in the event of a tie where they will serve as the tie-breaking vote

Section IV: The Vice Presidents

· are elected by the residents of the HBH Complex

· represent their respective building in the Executive Board

· oversee and maintain communication with the residents of their building

· be responsible for the unity of the floor senators within their building

· shall oversee the implementation of the programs put on by the floor senators

· shall plan one program per quarter (with the help of Floor Senators) for their specific building

· shall preside over the HBH Hall Council and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President: this will be determined in advance by the President and alternate between the three Vice Presidents

· shall actively communicate with the President and the Hall Council Advisor on issues within their building

Section V: The Treasurer

· is elected by the residents of the HBH complex

· will serve as the chair of the fundraising committee

· is responsible for maintaining an accurate account balance of all funds for the HBH Hall Council

· will balance the HBH Hall Council checkbook once a week with the advisor(s)

· is responsible for ensuring that the HBH Hall Council funds are budgeted each quarter

· must maintain open lines of communication with the HBH Hall Council Advisor(s) and Senior Staff of the complex

Section VI: The Secretary

· is elected by the residents of the HBH complex

· is responsible for presenting a summary of the previous meeting at all Executive Board and General Body meetings

· shall serve as historian for the HBH Hall Council, keeping record of all programs put on by the council for use by future years

· will compile and maintain an up to date e-mail list of all the complex Resident Advisors, Executive Board members, and General Body members

Section VII: The Public Relations

· is elected by the residents of the HBH Complex

· is responsible for chairing the public relations committee

· is responsible for producing and/or maintaining the HBH Scrapbook

· will advertise for any event sponsored by HBH Hall Council with the help of their committee members

· have access, through the Secretary or Advisor, to an updated roster of HBH Hall Council General Body members, Executive Board members, complex Resident Advisors and Office Assistants

Section VIII: RHAC Representative

· is elected by the residents of the HBH Complex

· serve as a voting member of the Executive Board

· attend all RHAC and Hall Council meetings or appoint a replacement in case of absence

· serve as the communication liaison between RHAC and HBH Hall Council

· report to the Executive Board and General Body as necessary

Section IX: Floor Senators

· are chosen by whatever means are decided upon by the RA of the respective floor

· must attend all General Body Meetings or appoint a replacement from his/her floor; in the event of absence, consequences may result at the discretion of the Executive Board

· must maintain active communication with their respective Vice President through attendance at meetings called by the Vice President

· must serve on one of several standing committees as established by the Executive Board

· Are encouraged to plan and participate in HBH sponsored floor, building and complex programs

Section X: The Advisor

· is chosen by the Senior Staff of the complex

· serve as an administrative resource

· serve as a link to university officials and staff

· keep Executive Board informed of and help interpret university policy

· maintain objectivity in all meetings

· ensure that hall council funds are spent in accordance with university policy

· ensure that all financial transactions are appropriately recorded

· maintain weekly meetings with Hall Council Treasurer and President, outside of Executive Board and General Body meetings

· hold one meeting per quarter with each Executive Board member

· be responsible for passing on all necessary items and information between academic years

Article IV: Administrative Procedures

Section I: Elections

· The election guidelines will be decided yearly by the existing Executive Board members and the Advisor

· Requirements for candidacy:

o Must be a resident of HBH Complex

o Must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0

o Vice President Candidates must be a resident of their respective buildings

Section II: Impeachments

An Executive Board member may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the General Body in the event of one of the following:

· Failure to act in accordance with the Constitution or By-Laws

· Actions detrimental to the interest of complex residents

· Conviction of a violation of the published university Code of Conduct as set forth in the Residence Hall handbook and/or other official university publications

Before such a vote may be taken, the accused officer must be given the opportunity to defend himself/herself and to cross-examine his/her accusers in a hearing before the entire General Body; procedures for such a hearing shall be determined by the Advisor(s) and/or President

Article V: Meetings

The Executive Board will meet once per week at a day and time determined by the Executive Board. The General Body meeting time and frequency will be set by the Executive Board during their first Executive Meeting

Executive Board meetings will be closed to the general public except by appointment.

General Body meetings will be open to the public.

Emergency meetings may be called at the request of the President and/or Advisor(s).

Section I: Meeting Protocol:

A. Presidents calls the meeting to order

B. Secretary takes attendance

C. Executive Reports

1. Each member of the Executive Board shall have the opportunity to give updates relevant to their position

D. Committee Reports

1. Each committee must report to the General Body at each General Body meeting

2. A member of the committee must present the reports

E. Old Business

1. During the presentation of old business, questions may be asked of the speaker.

F. New Business

1. Items of new business are to be introduced by the President.

2. Presentations

presenter is allowed two minutes to make an opening statement describing the issue being brought before the body
With the recognition of the President, members of the body may ask questions of the presenter
In order to be recognized, members must raise their voting cards or hands
Questions are to be kept to one part (no two part or supplemental questions unless otherwise specified)
Responses are to be kept to a two minute maximum
Members will be recognized in the order that they express interest to speak
Personal opinions may not be spoken during this period of questions
The presenter gives a closing statement to summarize the topic, and to close his/her comments
The presenter leaves the room while the body discuses and debates action on the topic at hand
The discussion and debate will follow the same format as the question session outlined above
If at any time during this period of debate there arises a question of the presenter that is significant to action on the topic, a motion with a second may be entertained to have the presenter re-enter for more questions; in this instance, the debate will return to the question phase as outlined above

3. Voting

At any times during the debating phase, members of the body are entitled to motion for a vote; with a second, the vote will occur
The President calls for discussion on the motion

i. Discussion begins with the person who stated the motion

The President calls the vote

i. All votes will be tabulated by the Secretary

ii. Action is confirmed on the topic

a) A simple majority constitutes affirmation in all cases except for those regarding impeachment or amendments to the Constitution

iii. The presenter is brought into the room and informed of the results of the vote

G. Announcements

H. Adjournment

1. With the motion and a second, the meeting is declared adjourned

Article VI: Standing Committees

The HBH Hall Council shall include at least four standing committees to be chaired by members of the Executive Board with Floor Senators serving on these committees. Two of these committees will include:

· Fundraising

o Plan, research, and implement programs to raise funds to be used for the benefit of the HBH Complex residents

· Public Relations

o Make and distribute advertisements for programs sponsored and put on by HBH Hall Council

The other two committees may include, but are not limited to:

· Programming Committee

o To plan events that involve residents in building and maintaining a complex-wide community

· Diversity/Cultural

o To provide programs that increase resident awareness of culture and diversity, and to provide community service opportunities for residents

· Academic/Wellness

o To plan events that involve residents in programs related to academic and wellness issues

· Community Service

o To plan experiences that engage students in service on campus and in the surrounding community; to help educate students on service opportunities available.

· Hall Improvements

o To research, propose, and implement improvements that will be of benefit to the residents of HBH.

Committee Responsibilities:

· Each committee must have at least two (2) meetings per quarter

· Committees must get information to the Public Relations person at least ten (10) days before they want the publicity posted

· Publicity includes: large posters, mailbox stuffers, small signs, and other larger publicity if possible (Lantern, radio, etc.)

· Large publicity for events must be posted at least seven (7) days before the event

Article VII: Treasury

Section I: Budgeting Process

· The budget must be made by the second week of every quarter by the Treasurer, except for Fall Quarter, when the budget must be made within two weeks of elections

· The HBH Hall Council must have, but is not limited to, the following accounts: Hall Improvements, Floor Funds, and General Fund

· The treasurer has sole discretion with advice from the Advisor(s), but may also consider including the Executive Board in the process

Section II: Allocation Process

Section 2.1: Allocation Request Process

· Allocation of funds may be made possible if the person or persons making the request completely fill out and submit a Money Request Form by the set deadline.

Section 2.2: The Voting Process

· The Executive Board may see fit to pass, deny, or table the contingency to the General Body

· The party must then take the request to the General Body to be voted on

Section 2.3: Reimbursements

· Receipts and completed money forms must be received before any reimbursements are given.

Section III: Committee, Floor, and RA Funds

Section 3.1: Committee Funds

· Committees may request funds to have programs

· The funds shall come out of the general fund of the account

Section 3.2: RA Floor Funds

· The treasurer or advisor shall maintain an accurate account of all RA floor funds and OA funds

· For RA’s to use their floor funds, they must have advance permission from the Senior Staff

Section IV: Carry-Over Requirements