Saturday, March 27, 2010

VACURH Table of Contents

VACURH Table of Contents

FoX Award Winners
January 2010 Winners (not shown, in voting committee)
December 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
November 2009 Winners (in voting committee)
October 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
September 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
August 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
July 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
June 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
May 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
April 2009 Winners (in voting committee)
March 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)
February 2009 Winners (Archived March '10)

SAACURH
SAACURH OTM Winners '10 Part 1 (Archived March '10)
SAACURH OTM Winners '09 Part 2 (Archived March '10)
SAACURH OTM Winners '09 Part 1 (Archived March '10)

Important Documents
VACURH Constitution revised March 27, 2010 (Archived March '10)

Articles
2009 VACURH Conference (Archived May '09)

Executive Board Notes
Categories For Nominations (Archived September '09)
Format For Sending Nominations (Archived May '09)
Recognition Committee Member (Archived May '09)

VACURH Constitution

Virginia Association of College and University Residence Halls Constitution

PREAMBLE

We, students at institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in order to create a positive living and learning environment, share experiences and the value of association, facilitate communication and cooperation, and participation in national and regional affairs, do hereby create and enact a constitution for the Virginia Association of College and University Residence Halls.

ARTICLE I. NAME AND SUPPORT

The name of the Association shall be the Virginia Association of College and University Residence Halls. The Association shall hereafter be known as VACURH. VACURH supports the goals of the South Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls as well as the National Association of College and University Residence Halls, hereafter known as SAACURH and NACURH respectively.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE AND METHODS

The member of VACURH shall consider the following to be the purposes and methods of the Association:

1 To share information relating to the concerns of the schools' residential governments via active communication, education, and leadership development.

2 To be a body that appreciates and understands true diversity in which individual and group differences are accepted and welcomed.

3 To represent the Commonwealth as a unified body to both SAACURH and NACURH.

4 To represent students' concerns and provide information on student life to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth.

ARTICLE III. SUPREMACY

The Constitution of VACURH shall serve as the supreme governing framework for all actions and functions of the organization. All other rulings, decisions, votes basic regulations that are in conflict with this document, excepting amendments, shall be considered null and void. Interpretation of this document shall be left to the Executive Board or its appointed officer.

ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP

Section A. Definition

1 The membership of VACURH shall consist of member colleges and universities of Virginia that are in "good standing".

2 A member in "good standing" is hereby defined as a college or university that has paid annual dues to VACURH. Member institutions are strongly encouraged to seek affiliation with SAACURH and NACURH.

Section B. Dues/Operating Budget

1 Annual dues shall be stated and due at the beginning of the VACURH conference of each year.

2. Fees

a. Small schools shall pay a fee of $15 due by the opening gavel of the VACURH conference.

b. Large schools shall pay a fee of $25 due by the opening gavel of the VACURH conference.

c. Dues must be paid to the VACURH AD Finance and Administration by the beginning of the VACURH conference.

3. Small Schools and Large Schools

a. Small schools are those with an on-campus population of less than 1,000.

b. Large schools are those with an on-campus population of 1,000 or more.

ARTICLE V. REPRESENTATION

Section A. All National Communication Coordinators, hereafter referred to as NCC's, shall be elected appointed by each member institution's residence hall government. They shall reside in a residence hall, and be in "good standing" with their respective institution. Section B. Good standing is defined as those members holding a position in their respective residence hall organizations, and meeting the good standing qualifications of their respective schools. Section C.

Meetings

1 The Executive Board and the NCC's from all member schools in good standing shall meet at the annual SAACURH conference and the regional No-Frills meeting and all other VACURH conferences.

2 Quorum -A 2/3 majority of the member schools in good standing shall constitute a quorum, with no school counting more than once. Each time a vote is taken, the quorum must be present. Exceptions will be made only in the case of mail-in votes.

3 In the event that quorum shall not be present, the Director will have the authority to take quorum from the present members if the business at hand should be in dire need of discussion and voting as decided upon by the Director.

4 Everyone present shall have speaking rights during matters of general business. NCCs shall be the only ones with speaking rights during elections. During elections, the Executive Board shall lose their speaking rights as stated in the elections by-law.

5 The Director shall have the right to remove a representative from a meeting. This decision can be overturned by a 2/3 majority vote of the schools present.

6 Each school shall receive one vote to be cast by the NCC or proxy.

a. The Executive Board shall have no voting rights during business. If an NCC is on the Executive Board, they must proxy their vote to another delegate from their school.

b. If an NCC is on the Executive Board and does not have any other members from their school present, they must cast the vote for their school.

c. No NCC shall proxy their vote to a member of another school.

ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section A. The Executive Board of VACURH shall consist of the following officers, all serving without a vote in general business:

1 Director

2 AD Affiliations

3 AD Recognition

4 AD Finance and Administration

5 AD Technology

6 Conference Chairperson

7 Advisor

8 Appointed Positions

Section B. Duties of the Executive Board

1. Director:

a. To provide leadership and direction to VACURH and its officers.

b. To collaborate with the other VACURH officers in facilitating the business transactions of VACURH.

c. To preside over all business meetings during his/her term of office.

d. To appoint committee chairs as recommended by the NCC's of all member schools. The Executive Board shall define duties of these positions.

e. In the event there is not a full Executive Board, the Director will have the power to combine positions or reallocate duties if necessary.

f. To attend all quarterly meetings of the Executive Board.

g. To protect, defend, and uphold the VACURH Constitution.

2. Assistant Director of Affiliations:

a. To coordinate recruiting efforts in conjunction with regional liaisons of SAACURH and NACURH.

b. To assist the Director in the workings of the Executive Board.

c. To assume the duties and responsibilities of the Director in the absence or incapacity of the Directory, or if the office of Director is vacant, until someone is appointed to fill the vacancy.

d. To collaborate with the AD Finance and Administration in the affirmation of new member schools in the matter of dues collection.

e. To assist in the upkeep of the VACURH distribution list in an effort to promote retention of affiliated schools.

f. To attend all quarterly meetings of the Executive Board.

g. To protect, defend, and uphold the VACURH Constitution.

3. Assistant Director of Recognition:

a. To coordinate efforts with the regional AD NRHH liaison to handle any questions about NRHH from member schools.

b. To coordinate with the VACURH Executive Board on any VACURH events.

c. To attend all quarterly meetings of the Executive Board.

d. To run the recognition Board Room at the annual VACURH conference

f. To coordinate the FoX program within VACURH

i.The AD Recognition shall have a committee of at least two (2) members other than the AD Recognition as the FoX Selection Committee who will serve from affiliated VACURH schools. Each affiliated school is allowed only 1 member on the FoX selection committee. Each member school does not have to have a representative on the committee.

ii. Each member of the committee must be from a different school, and will have one vote. The AD Recognition will not vote but someone from his/her institution may serve on the selection committee.

. iii The VACURH Advisor will act as the tiebreaker for this committee.

g. To protect, defend, and uphold the VACURH constitution.

4. Assistant Director of Finance and Administration

a. To be responsible for all correspondence concerning VACURH.

b. To compile, present, and distribute all minutes and agendas for all business meetings of VACURH.

c. To produce a newsletter to inform member schools of state, regional, and national affairs, in collaboration with the AD Technology.

d. To assist with public relations as necessary.

e. To take roll of member schools at meetings and to ensure there is a quorum for voting.

f. To record all changes to and update the VACURH constitution and to make the changes available to all member schools.

g. To serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Association.

h. To control the accounts of VACURH in all applicable capacities in accordance with the VACURH budget.

i. To suggest appropriate changes to the VACURH budget as they deem necessary.

j. To attend all quarterly meetings of the Executive Board.

k. To assume the duties and responsibilities of the AD Affiliations in the absence or incapacity of the AD Affiliations, or in the office of AD Affiliations is vacant, until someone is appointed to fill the vacancy.

l. To protect, defend, and uphold the VACURH Constitution.

5. Assistant Director of Technology

a. To take pictures of any and all events including the VACURH conferences, all events at state meetings, regional events, and national even and compile these in a scrapbook.

b. To coordinate a VACURH distribution list to promote better communication.

c. To design a display representing VACURH to be presented at the SAACURH conference.

d. To maintain a VACURH web page of ongoing events in the state and to work with the Secretary to update all member school’s information

e. To attend all quarterly meetings of the Executive Board.

f. To assume all duties and responsibilities of the AD Finance and Administration in the absence or incapacity of the AD Finance and Administration,

or in the office of AD Finance and Administration is vacant, until someone is appointed to fill the vacancy.

g. To protect, defend, and uphold the VACURH constitution.

6. Conference Chairperson

a. To plan and execute the annual state conference with the help of their conference staff.

b. To keep the Executive Board informed about the VACURH conference, including but not limited to, monthly updates, evaluations and pre-

conference information.

c. To attend all quarterly meetings of the Executive Board.

d. To also provide the AD Finance and Administration with the budget prior to the VACURH conference and to keep them informed of all changes

e. Submit a post-conference report within 60 days of closing of the conference.

f. Should the school not submit a post-conference report within the allocated amount of time, they shall lose voting rights until they submit this report.

g. If a conference staff turns in their post-conference report before or on the deadline specified by the Director, their host schools VACURH affiliation

dues shall be paid by VACURH for the next year.

7. Advisor

a. To communicate with advisors of other member schools.

b. To serve as an information resource for the Executive Board and VACURH.

c. To provide guidance for the Executive Board.

d. To attend all quarterly meetings of the Executive Board.

e. To oversee the expenditures dealing with VACURH.

f. To serve as a member of the Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers (VACUHO) Governing Council; giving reports on the status of VACURH and attending Governing Council meetings as scheduled.

Section C. Attainment:

1 Elected Officers defined as Director, AD Affiliations, AD Recognition, AD Finance and Administration, AD Technology and Advisor shall submit a bid a the start of the VACURH Conference. At the business meeting, the NCC s in good standing will elect the aforementioned positions with a majority vote of those present. A quorum must be present.

2. Other Offices:

a. Conference Chairperson: Elected/Appointed by the bidding institution and shall assume the office upon the approval of the bid site by the NCC's at the annual VACURH conference.

3. Appointed Positions:

a. The Executive Board may appoint a person to the Executive Board or head a committee.

Section D. Term of Office

1 The term of office of elected officers shall begin at the closing ceremonies of the VACURH conference. The state advisor will swear in the new officers at the closing ceremony.

2 The term of office of the Conference Chair shall begin upon the bid sites t selection until the completion of the Conference Chair duties following the conference.

3 The term of office for the VACURH advisor shall be two years.

Section E. Officer Qualification

1. All Executive Board Members, excluding the Advisor, shall be:

a. A resident of a member college or university in good standing.

b. In good standing with his/her home institution.

c. Enrolled full-time in his/her school for the entire term of office.

d. The recipient of full institutional support stated by a letter from their respective institution. Institutional support which may include, but is no limited to:

i. Faith and trust of the institution

ii. Use of a copy machine

iii.. Use of a fax machine

iv. Access to computer facilities with internet access

2. No member school of VACURH shall have more than two elected state officers from their respective school, and the Conference Chairperson shall be from the host institution. This does not include the Conference Chair in this count.

3. The VACURH Advisor shall not be from the same institution as the Director.

4. The VACURH Advisor must be from a member school and cannot be an undergraduate.

Section F. Removal from Office

1. To remove an elected VACURH Officer from his/her position, the Executive Board and the Officer in question shall be required to state their position in writing, to the NCC's for their vote. This vote may be taken over email or through the mail. Votes not returned shall count as abstentions and therefore not count toward the total number. A 2/3 majority of all member schools in good standing shall be needed to remove the officer.

2. To remove an appointed officer, a majority vote of those present is needed.

3. In the event that an officer position is not filled at the state conference, the election may take place by way of mail or email at the discretion of the

Director.

Section G. Officer Installation

1. The following oath of office shall be administered to each board member when they are sworn into office: "I solemnly swear to uphold the VACURH constitution and to faithfully serve the member schools to the best of my ability. I promise to work to be a strong supporter of college and university housing and residence life programs throughout Virginia. I will represent VACURH with honor, pride and enthusiasm to the rest of the region and nation."

2. After being sworn in, each State Board Member should be presented with a VACURH Pin.

ARTICLE VII. FINANCES

Section A. Appropriations for the annual budget shall be defined in the by-laws.

Section B. The AD of Finance and Administration for VACURH shall control the finance of VACURH. These finances shall be maintained according to the budget approved by the delegation of the state.

Section C. The Conference Treasurer shall work closely with the VACURH AD of Finance and Administration to make sure the budget is viable and sound. They will oversee the finances of the state conference. These finances shall be maintained according to the budget approved by the state conference staff.

Section D. Amendments to the VACURH budget can be made, providing funds exist, with a majority vote of the Executive Officers.

Section E. The annual budget shall be submitted and voted upon, by a majority vote of those present, by the VACURH member schools at the annual No-Frills conference.

Section F. Travel and Meal Allowances: The Executive Board may be reimbursed for meals and travel for time spent preparing for conferences and quarterly board meetings. The Officer may be reimbursed up to $7.50 a day for meals, and $7.50 a day for gas, if and only if the VACURH Treasurer has been given a receipt for these reimbursements. This amount shall not exceed more than $420.00 for all combined officers in a year.

Section G. Conference Excess: Any conference excess that is accrued by the host institution shall be paid to VACURH.


ARTICLE VIII. CONFERENCE BIDS

1.Voting on the following year's VACURH conference will take place at the current VACURH conference.

2. Each school bidding for the conference shall submit one copy of their bid in Word or html format to the AD of Technology via email to be posted on the VACURH web page and one copy to the listserv no later than two weeks prior to the annual VACURH conference. It shall be the responsibility of each institutions NCC to notify their delegation of the bids' availability.

3. Each school shall have the opportunity to address the meeting in a presentation no longer than thirty minutes.

4. There will be a thirty-minute question and answer session with the option to extend.

5. Following the presentation and question and answer session for each bidding school there shall be a thirty-minute closed discussion with the option to extend.

ARTICLE IX. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

The business of VACURH shall be governed as outlined in the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, unless superseded by this constitution. Interpretation and use of these rules shall be left to the discretion of the Director.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS The Constitution of VACURH shall govern all functions of VACURH. Amendments to the Constitution shall be heard at the state meetings and voted on at the following business meeting. All amendments shall be voted upon by a majority vote of those present and quorum must be present.

ARTICLE XI. RATIFICATION The Constitution of VACURH shall be considered ratified upon approval by the members of the association and shall become effective immediately.

Elections: By-law I

1. Qualifications for office shall be outlined in the Constitution.

2. The VACURH Advisor shall chair elections.

3. Should the VACURH Advisor be unable to chair the elections, then the Director shall chair elections followed by the AD Affiliations, AD Recognition, A Finance and Administration and then the AD of Technology.

4. The VACURH elections shall be held at the annual VACURH conference during its business meeting.

5. The VACURH business meeting shall enter into executive session.

a. Only VACURH NCC’s may speak, ask questions, and make motions.

b. All questions or comments must be bid-specific.

c. Anything said, discussed, or otherwise communicated during executive session must remain confidential.

d. The chair shall inform the members present of the procedures and expectations of this executive session.

e. Quorum applies and shall be outlined in the Constitution.

6. Each candidate shall submit a written bid containing a letter from the candidate stating why he/ she is qualified and what he/ she wishes to accomplish in the position, and a letter of support from the department of housing of the candidate's college or university. Bids shall be no longer than eight pages in length (with one side of print equal to one page) not including cover pages. Each candidate shall submit a copy of their bid in Word or html format to the AD Technology via email to be posted on the VACURH web page, and one copy to the listserv no later than two weeks prior to the annual VACUR Conference. It shall be the responsibility of each institutions NCC to notify their delegation of the bids' availability.

7. Any bids submitted after the deadline shall be inadmissible.

8. Should there be no bids for a given office, floor nominations may be taken at the business meeting.

9. Should a position remain vacant after all candidates who have submitted a bid have been considered, then floor nominations shall be accepted.

10. Candidate bids shall be submitted to the VACURH NCC's prior to the business meeting.

11. Order of elections shall be:

a. Director

b. Assistant Director for Affiliations

c. Assistant Director for Recognition

d. Assistant Director for Finance and Administration

e.Assistant Director for Technology

f. Advisor

12. Each candidate or his/her designee shall be invited to enter into a (maximum) five-minute speech to the business meeting. All other candidates shall be asked to leave during each speech.

13. Following each candidate speech shall be a question and answer session of no longer than ten minutes with the option to extend.

14. Once Candidate A has made his/her opening speech and question and answer period then Candidate B shall be invited back into the room for his/her opening speech and question and answer period. Candidate A shall leave the room.

15. This process shall continue until the candidate list is exhausted.

16. All candidates shall be asked to leave and the business meeting shall enter into a maximum of a twenty-minute pro/con or compare/contrast session of the group of candidates.

17. Pro/con should be used when there is only one candidate.

18. Compare/contrast should be used for multiple candidates.

19. NCC's shall cast a secret ballot vote following all discussion.

20. The Executive Board shall have no voting rights during elections. If a NCC is on the Executive Board, they must proxy a vote to another delegate from their school.

21. If a NCC is on the Executive Board and does not have any other members from, their school present, they must proxy their vote to another delegate from another school.

22. No NCC shall proxy their vote to a member of another school.

23. Legal votes for elections of only one candidate shall be:

a. The candidate's name

b. No confidence

c. Abstain

24. Legal votes for election of more than one candidate shall be:

a. The candidate's name

b. Abstain

25. The candidate with the most votes shall be elected. Should no confidence votes or abstentions receive the majority, the office shall remain vacant unit NACURH.

Conference Policies: By-law II

Conference Add-On: A fee of $3.00 per delegate shall be included in the state conference budget. The total sum of this amount must be paid to VACURH by the conference staff on the first day of the VACURH conference.

Conference Loan: A state conference loan for the amount of up to $500.00 is available through the state budget for the host school. The check for the loan must have two signatures. This loan must be repaid on the first day of the VACURH conference.

Contingency and Excess: In the event that excess revenue results, all excess shall be directly deposited into the VACURH account for use in the Delegate Support Fund. Deficit of up to $500.00 is to be covered by the host school.

Member School Delegate Fee Discount: All VACURH members in good standing shall receive a $3.00 per delegate discount on the delegate fees for all state conferences. This should be reflected by adding an additional three dollars to all delegates from non-member schools.

Conference Report: All VACURH bank accounts must be closed out completely at least 45 calendar days after the conclusion of the conference. This includes paying all bills and closing out the accounts by the 45th day. Also, a final conference report including the complete financial summary should be delivered to the State Director by at least the 45th day. Any revenue that has not been received by the 45th day shall be forwarded to the state budget after the deadline. Conversely, any debts up to $500.00 that are held or received after the accounts have been closed will be the responsibility of the host school. A copy of all checks, deposits, and statements for conference expenditures should be included in the financial report The VACURH State Board will specify the report format I a conference staff turns in their conference closing report before or on the deadline specified by the State Director, their host school’s VACURH affiliation dues will be paid by VACURH for the next year.

Conference Chair(s): The Conference Chair(s) shall be responsible for attending the Mini-VACURH conference prior to the VACURH Conference. In addition, the Conference Chair(s) will be required to submit conference updates to the VACURH newsletter. The Conference Chair(s) also serve as ex-officio members of the VACURH State Board and may be asked to attend VACURH State Board meetings.

Roll Call VACURH Conference: Roll call will take place immediately following opening ceremonies and all schools are encouraged to participate.

Distribution of Extra Program Materials: Any schools hosting a VACURH conference must provide a Program Materials area for any extra program materials. NC s can take any extra materials back to their school for their own use as a resource.

Conference Awards: During each year's VACURH conference, the conference staff is responsible for selecting a committee to judge and select winners for the Be Roll Call, and Best School Display (Large and Small). The winners of these awards should receive a certificate covered in the host school's conference budget. Criteria for these awards should be developed by the conference staff and publicized to the membership prior to the conference.

VACURH Board Registration: Registration for VACURH State Board shall be included in the VACURH and Mini-VACURH budgets. The conference staff shall budget for four state board members per room at each state conference.

VACURH Meal Reimbursement: The Executive Board may be reimbursed for meals and travel for time spent preparing for conferences and quarterly board meetings. The Officer may be reimbursed up to $7.50 a day for meals, and $7.50 a day for gas, if and only if the VACURH Treasurer has been given a receipt for these reimbursements. This amount shall not exceed more than $420.00 for all combined officers in the year.

State Meetings: The conference staffs shall work with the State Board to find an adequate location to hold business meetings during the conference as well as to a schedule to conduct such meetings.

Liability and Disclaimer Statement: Each individual attending a state conference will be required to read and sign a disclaimer statement prior to officially being recognized as a delegate to the conference. The host schools should make every reasonable effort to ensure that the conference staff, host school, and the state affiliates have taken effective precautions to provide for the safety and security of conference delegates.

No Pay-No Key Policy: Delegations who arrive at the conference without full payment for the conference will not be allowed to stay for the conference. All conference fees must be paid before a delegation will be allowed to attend a conference.

Conference Drug and Alcohol Policy: Alcohol and illicit drugs are nationally recognized as substances that may have a negative effect on the lives of college students. As a leadership organization that works largely with college students under the legal drinking age, it is recognized that alcohol is not needed for a good time or to promote positive growth. Illicit drugs can be lethal. Therefore, all events related to state conferences shall be designated "alcohol and drug free". Additionally, the use, consumption, or influence of drugs or alcohol by any conference delegate is strictly prohibited. Any delegate or advisor found in violation of this policy will be subject to removal from the conference as well as any other sanctions developed by the conference staff and the VACURH State Board.

Violations: Violations or discrepancies of said policies are subject to review by the VACURH State Board and VACURH Conference Committee Chairs.

State Awards: By-law III:

A. First Year Experience (FYE) Award: Purpose: State awards follow the same policy guidelines as the the Regional bids follow (State awards section taken from SAACURH Policy Book). This FYE Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of a first year student. This award encourages involved first year students to remain active in leadership positions and to continue improving the residence hall environment on campus. Pages: Bids will be no longer than eight (8) pages (10-12 point type)

Selection: Recipients will be selected by the NRHH Board Room at the annual VACURH conference. Award: The winner shall receive a plaque at the closing ceremonies of the National Conference.

Suggested Criteria:

1. Recipients must be of freshman status or a student involved in a residence hall environment for their first year at an institution with no previous residential life experience. (May have just completed their first year within 60 days of the National Conference.)

2. Recipient must be returning to the residence halls or university housing for the following semester.

3. Recipient shall write an essay on why s/he should be honored with the First Year Experience Award.

4. The bid must include a letter of good standing from the Dean of Students or Registrar of the recipients host institution.

5. The bid shall have one letter of recommendation from an advisor or residence hall staff member.

6. The bid shall include a list of collegiate accomplishments and involvement;

Recommended criteria, but not required:

1. Involvement at the state, regional, or national level (i.e. community service, NRHH, program presentations, at conferences, campus organizations, case study, etc.).

2. Academic Honors (Le. Deans List, scholarships, etc.).

3. Community involvement.

Recommended topics to cover in the essay:

1, Why the student became involved in your residence life program (floor, hall, or campus government).

2. How your experiences helped the student grow and develop.

3. What are the students' ideas and goals for the next year?

B. Student of the Year Award

Purpose: This award recognizes outstanding service to VACURH by an individual who has been directly affiliated with the organization.Pages: Bids will be no longer than eight (8) pages (10-12 point type).Selection: Recipients will be selected by the NRHH Board Room at the annual VACURH conference.Award: To be determined by State Board Suggested Criteria:

1 Award shall be judged based on the time period from NACURH to present.

2 Service and correspondence to RHA/ campus and to the state, region, and nation.

3 Recognition through awards: campus, state, regional, and national services.

4 Participation in campus, state, regional and national services.

5 Participation in conferences: spirit and attendance, and participation in meetings and programs.

C. NCC of the Year Award

Purpose: Recognizes outstanding service to VACURH by an individual who has been directly affiliated with the organization.Pages: Bids will be no longer than eight (8) pages (10-12 point type).

Award Selection: To be determined by State Board Recipients will be selected by the NCC Board Room at the annual VACURH conference.

Suggested Criteria:

1 Term of office for award purposes shall be form NACURH to present.

2 State, regional and national correspondence.

3 Recognition through awards: campus, regional, and national services.

4 Participation in campus, state, regional and national services.

5 Participation in conferences: delegation building, spirit and attendance and participation in meetings and programs.

D. Program of the Year Award

Purpose: VACURH recognizes the most outstanding student implemented program concerning residence halls through the Program of the Year Award. This award was created in an effort to recognize the high level of initiative and professionalism that exists on the student level. Pages: Bids will be no longer than twenty (20) pages (10-12 point type).

Selection: Recipients will be selected by the NRHH Board Room at the annual VACURH conference. Award: To be determined by the State Board

Categories of the Report:

1. The following areas of consideration and questions should be addressed when submitting an application for the award:

a. Relatedness to Residence Hall Students·

For whom is the program designed? How does it relate to residence hall setting? Is it practical an applicable to other residence hall settings? What were the goals of the program?

b. Proven effectiveness

How successful was the implemented program? How was the evaluation of the program or concept carried out?· How was the program marketed?

c. Creativity and uniqueness

How new is the concept of the program in dealing with general residence hall programming? How unique is the program in presentation style – new twists to old concerns (not to be judged on the uniqueness of the program to a particular campus or residence hall system? How was the program costs met? What methods were used in developing the program (research, questionnaires, interviews, etc.)?

d. Level of student input and involvement

Was the program conceived by students? How many students were involved in the actual planning and implementation of the program? Who benefited from the program?

e. Presentation of the Information

Correct Grammar and spelling, neat, concise, clear, and readable?

E. School of the Year

Purpose: The School of the Year Award is the highest honor a member school can attain. The award recognizes outstanding achievements on the campus level by a residence hall organization and associated groups, as well as contributions on regional and national levels.Pages: Bids will be no longer than thirty (30) pages (10-12 point type).Selection: Recipients will be selected by the NCC Board Room at the annual VACURH conference.

Award: To be determined by the State BoardCriteria for Selection:

1. Campus Level (45%)· Structure and organization of residence hall government.· Goals and programs accomplished emphasis on new programs and organizational growth.

Perceived student benefits from residence hall government, Community service, Addressing challenging issues, Other residence hall groups,· Communication of residence hall government, residence hall staff, and administration, Budget.

2. Regional Level (25%)·

Representation at Regional Conferences, Communication with regional member schools, Involvement in regional projects, Number of regional OTM winners, Communication with regional officers, Representation at regional business meetings, State involvement, Hosting a regional Officer or conference.

3. National Level (25%)

NIC requests, NRHH chapter, Representation at National Conferences, Representation at National Business Meetings, Number of national OTM winners, NIC report· Bids for national awards (pay, SALT, etc.), Communication with member schools, Communication with national officers, Payment of dues, Intangibles; spirit and involvement of students. Hosting a national office, national officer, and/or national conference.

4. Miscellaneous (5 % )

Letters of support, Adherence to format, Appearance/neatness, Conciseness


School of the Year Judging Guidelines:

· Structure and Organization of the RHA

· What kinds of liaisons are there from the central level to each hall?

· What kinds of liaisons are there to other campus groups?

· What kinds of communication lines go to each hall (e.g. newsletters, etc.)?

· Does the bid describe the purpose of the RHA?

· Does the RHA structure contribute to the goals of the organization?

Goals and Programs Accomplished:

· Did the school establish goals at the beginning of the year?

· Did the school follow through and achieve the goals they had set?

· Did the goals and accomplishments enable the school to rise above what had been done in previous years?

· What kinds of new programs were established?

· Were the programs just new to the school, or were they entirely new programs never done before?

· Did the RHA provide campus-wide programming?

· Did the RHA provide programming that enabled their group to build group cohesiveness (e.g. activities for the RHA members)?

· Did any programs provide leadership training to the members?

· Were there any programs specifically addressing the hall council concerns?

· Just as a point of reference, how many programs did RHA provide? How many were Educational (diversity awareness, alcohol and substance abuse education, NACURH related theme weeks/months, AIDS/sexual awareness, responsive programs, etc.), Social (movie nights, recreational activities), Arts and Cultural (theater, music), or Community Service (philanthropic, community related topics).

Perceived Student Benefits from RHA:

· Are the accomplishments of this RHA impacting students in the halls?

· To what extent?

· Are the students participating in RHA gaining new insights based on their participation? To what extent?

· Is RHA actually improving the way of life on campus? How so?

Community Service:

· Is the RHA giving something back to the university community? To what degree?

· What is the number of activities for philanthropies?

· Is the RHA giving something back to the community surrounding the university? To what degree?

· Are there any philanthropic events that not only raise funds or ask for time but raise awareness?

Addressing Challenging Issues:

· Are the students proactive in addressing programming around challenging issues?

· Are the students sensitive to significant world / community / university events that they respond to with programming or education? Is the school sensitive in program planning to related issues? Are issues unique in nature?

· Is the RHA utilizing on-campus resources (if any) to address the issues? Other

Residence Hall Groups:

· What other groups besides RHA are active in the halls? How have they contributed?

· Are other groups on campus being utilized in program planning? (I.e. staff support, monetary issues?

Communication of Regional and National Information to RHA, Residence Life, and Administration:

· Are students communicating information effectively to staff?

· Does the school's RHA get support for NACURH-related activities from their administrators because students are proactive and involved?

· Is there an ambivalent or positive relationship with hall staff members? Do they work together toward the common goal of improvement of way of life on campus?

Budget/Financial Resources:

· Are they efficiently using their budget (using large OR small budget)?

· How much money allocated will receive direct student benefit (i.e. programming, conference attendance, money for hall improvements, etc.)?

· Is the majority of the money spent remunerating participation in RHA, or on student need?

Representation at Conferences:

How many conferences were attended? How many delegates attended? Were they "good" delegates?

· Did the school complete a display/banner? Compete in the case study? Compete for spirit awards?

· How many programs were attended / presented by delegates? How did the delegates apply what they learned on their campus?

· Did the school bid for or win any awards?

· Was the delegation a unified group?

Communication with the Region:

· How much correspondence occurred throughout the year?

· Are they willing to share their experience, so as to enable other member schools to benefit?

· Have they enlisted other member schools to provide them with information?

· Have they worked with other member schools on projects, or traveled with them to conferences?

· Has the school assisted in recruiting new member schools?

Regional/ NACURH involvement:

· Are the student leaders willing to take on other projects that will impact the whole region? To what extent?

· Does the school actively communicate with Regional Officers? With NACURH Officers?

· Was the school represented at all conferences? At all business meetings? By whom?

· Do any students hold Regional/NACURH offices?

· Did the school bid for/host a conference?

· Did the school bid for/host a NACURH office (NIC or NRHH)?

Use of NACURH Services:

· Does the school have an NRHH chapter? How effective is it?

· Has the school effectively used the NlC (ordered pages, etc.)?

· Did the school submit registration, dues, and an NIC report on time? Was the information in the NIC report of high quality?

FoXs:

· Is the school participating in the FoX program?

· How many FoXs have been submitted this year? How many have won?

Bid Format:

· Are they concise and to the point, or is there a lot of fluff?

· Is the bid neat and easy to read? Easy to understand?

· Is the bid year specific?

· Does it exceed the page limit? Are the pages numbered?

· Is the bid in 10-12 point type? Did they use ultra-small font to cram in additional information?

· Is the bid sensitive to environmental issues? Is it recyclable?

· Are the letters of support from people who are qualified to speak on RHA's behalf? Do they speak well of RHA?

Intangibles:

· Is this a school you can't help but love?

· Are the students spirited about their RHA? About their school? About NACURH?

· How much did the organization grow? Is there a significant change in relation to school size? Is the school setting a new standard or meeting the norm?


F. Advisor of the Year Award

Purpose: This award recognizes outstanding service by an individual advisor who has gone above and beyond their job description while serving in an advising capacity to a residence hall leadership group. Pages: Bids will be no longer than eight (8) pages (10-12 point type).Award: To be determined by State Board

Selection: Recipients will be selected by the NCC Board Room at the annual VACURH conference. Suggested Criteria:

1. Campus, state, regional and national involvement (i.e. Regional Board, Conference Staff, etc.)

2. Recognition received through awards: campus, state, regional and national.

3. Participation in campus, state, regional and national services.

4. Participation in conferences: attendance, presenting programs, etc.

5. The nominee should be evaluated on their accomplishments during the one year period stretching between NACURH and present.

G. VACURH Service Award

Purpose: The VACURH Service Award recognizes those students who have spent most of their four year collegiate careers living in the residence halls constantly striving to enhance their residential living environments and the principles of VACURH. Nominations with documentation detailing the individual’s service in a resume format, with attached letters of support must be submitted to the State Director by the specified deadline which should be at least two (2) weeks prior to any occasion where awards may be presented. Pages: Information submitted for consideration shall be no longer than five (5) pages (10-12 point type).

Award Selection: The State Board shall approve each recipient after confirming all requirements for the award have been met and documentation with the required signatures has been submitted.

Award Criteria:

1. Recipient must be a student at a VACURH member school in good standing to be eligible.

2. Recipient must have been active in his/her campus residence life for at least 7 complete semesters/three and one half academic years or the equivalent. This need not be consecutive time, but can be total time and can be combined time from different institutions, as long as they are VACURH member schools.

3. Recipient must have had at least two (2) years involvement with his/her campus residence hall association and/ or hall councils. The remaining time may be served in other residential life capacities (resident advisor, desk attendant, program assistant, etc.)

4. Recipient must have attended at least two (2) VACURH related conferences, one (1) must be the annual state conference held in the sprin and one (1) can either be the annual conference or mini-VACURH.

5. Documentation in resume format must be submitted attesting that the above qualifications have been met by the applicant and should deta activities, participation, and involvement along with dates for each. Documentation should include a letter(s) attesting to the accuratenes of the information and must carry the signatures of the school NCC and RHA Advisor.

6. A representative from the recipient’s school may receive the award if the recipient is not at the conference.

7. The recipient may have graduated within six (6) months of the award.

8. The award may be given out at all VACURH related conferences.

9. Recipients will receive a VACURH Service Pin and a certificate in recognition of this accomplishment


Standing Committees: By-law IV:

There shall be a standing Committee, which shall run from the close of the VACURH annual conference each year to the close of the VACURH annual conference the following year, designated for designing statewide programs for the member schools of VACURH,

1. The VACURH State Board shall appoint a student from a VACURH Member school to preside as chair over the committee.

2. The Committee shall be made up of as many persons as the Chair appoints.

3. At the request of the state director, the committee chair shall report on the progress and activities of the committee.

4. The Committee shall coordinate no less than one statewide program between the close of the VACURH annual conference each year to the close of the following VACURH annual conference the following year.


VACURH Symbols By-law V:

Colors: The Official colors of VACURH are blue and yellow

Mascot: Freddie the Fox is the VACURH mascot; Freddie is always laughing and is portrayed as a young fox to represent the youth and enthusiasm of our organization.

Motto: The motto of VACURH shall be “A Common Goal for the Commonwealth"

VACURH Pin: The Pin of VACURH is in the shape of the commonwealth of Virginia, with the field in Blue and the letters for VACURH spelled out across the statein yellow. Each member of the State Board shall be given one pin after being sworn into office. The VACURH Pin is also a state recognition given to people who have shown outstanding leadership and service to VACURH and/ or have assisted in the accomplishments of the State Board Member giving the award. Two (2) VACURH Pins are given at the Annual VACURH Conference Closing Banquet/ Awards Ceremony by each State Board Member. This award is designed to recognize people who have helped the State Board Member soar, from behind the scenes. Each Recognition Committee member, upon verification active participation to the AD of Recognition, will receive one (1) VACURH Pin awarded by the AD of Recognition at the Annual VACURH Conference Closing Banquet/Award Ceremony.

VACURH Service Pin: The VACURH service pin is round, with blue enamel. Freddie the fox appears in the middle with the words VACURH on the top and SERVICE on the bottom. The Service Pin is presented, along with a certificate, to each person who is recognized with the VACURH Service Award. This pin may not be used for any other purpose.

VACURH Flag: The Flag shall be set on a field of yellow; in the center should be Freddie the Fox set against the outline of the Commonwealth of Virginia in blue. VACURH should appear at the top of the flag in blue, with the motto, "A common Goal for the Commonwealth" in blue at the bottom.

As amended VACURH 2010, Emory & Henry University March 27, 2010