The Residence Hall Association of University of Houston, which was reinstated last semester is now looking for student leaders and representatives.
The association aims to improve the living environment for students by encouraging them to become more involved in the election and decision-making process.
Representatives at the biweekly meetings addressed program sponsorship, current issues and policies regarding the housing environment for residential communities.
“In the biweekly meetings, the executive board members discuss upcoming programs or ideas for programs. We also go over any funding request forms that we have received to sponsor any programs,” said Rymonda Davis, the RHA President. “The hall representatives play a major role in helping with programming efforts. Elections are coming up and we are hoping to increase our programming efforts.”
RHA plans to improve on-campus life for residential students.
“We are in the process of planning a Pajama Jam, an all night event in which students can come hang out in their pajamas, play Wii and Xbox, watch movies on a 500 inch projector and, of course, eat food,” David said. “We are also looking for student feedback on what they would like to see. There are a number of things we want to do as an organization and right now, the executive board is working hard to make that vision into a reality.”
RHA executive board members are chosen through an election process. Residential students are encouraged to vote because the decisions representatives make directly affect them.
“Representatives are chosen in the election by students. These students come to a general meeting, which includes all the hall representatives as well as the RHA officers. In the meeting we go over upcoming programs and what needs to be done to make them successful,” said Edwin Hoff, RHA Vice President of Special Events . “We also ask the students for their personal opinions on the programs as well as their own ideas for programs. RHA’s main goal is to increase the appeal of living life on campus by offering opportunities for the students to get involved in on campus life through programming and other various social situations.”
The Hall Council is a part of the RHA administration that works as the governing body. They convey issues and concerns, new facilities or other living area needs to the RHA.
“A Hall Council is a group of residents that get together and talk to their hall representatives about various things they like or dislike about on campus life,” Hoff said. “Ideas for programs are also discussed in the general meetings.”
Davis encourages students to join the leadership positions.
“We are still looking to increase student involvement, we need students to fill these important leadership positions. The hall representatives are the students that represent their entire residence hall,” Davis said. “The floor councils are representatives for their floor, and they report to their hall representatives to discuss any issues that they might want to present to the executive board. We encourage students who want to get involved in any of those positions to come visit us in room 100-A in Oberholtzer Hall for more information.”
The General Assembly is open to any students who don’t want committed leadership positions within RHA but still want their voices heard.
