Month: November 2021

FY23 Executive Board Elections: Information and Application

Update: 1/28/22

We’ve received applications for five out of our six Executive Board positions, but we currently have an anticipated vacancy for the Director of Programming position. Accordingly, we’ll be extending the application process for DOP applicants only:

  • Friday, February 11 at 11:59pm: Applications for DOP close
  • By EOD Monday, February 14: Confirmation of eligibility to run for office
  • By EOD Monday, January 14: Candidates are announced, and application materials for all candidates are publicly posted to the RHA website for residents and voting representatives to view
  • Wednesday, February 16 during Legislative Council: DOF and DOP elections

Other Executive Board candidates who do not win their elections (see sections above) may submit a new application for the DOP position.

Update: 1/12/22

We have received word from the Department of Housing and Residence Life on compensation for the FY23 Executive Board. Despite our adamant requests otherwise and proposal for an increase in compensation for Executive Board members relative to current FY22 compensation, HRL has proposed a net decrease in Executive Board compensation beginning next year. Currently, next year’s Executive Board members are slated to receive the following compensation per semester, applied as rent exemptions:

  • Executive President: 100% of rent covered
  • Director of Development (DOD): 55% of rent covered
  • Director of Administration (DOA): 55% of rent covered
  • Director of Communication (DOC): 45% of rent covered
  • Director of Finance (DOF): 45% of rent covered
  • Director of Programming (DOP): 45% of rent covered

To be frank and clear, this represents a significant cut to Executive Board member compensation, relative to the current year, and a new modality of payment. Currently, the Executive Board is compensated in lump-sum stipends at the end of each semester as opposed to via rent exemptions (which reduce the cost of housing upfront). Currently, the FY22 Executive Board receives the following compensation, as they have for at least the previous two years:

  • Executive President: $4,750
  • Director of Development (DOD): $4,500
  • Director of Administration (DOA): $4,500
  • Director of Communication (DOC): $4,250
  • Director of Finance (DOF): $4,250
  • Director of Programming (DOP): $4,250

We understand that this is a significant change in expectations regarding Executive Board elections. Accordingly, we will be extending the Executive Board application deadline to Wednesday, January 26 at 11:59pm to allow for interested candidates to think through the implications of these changes, discuss these changes with the current Executive Board and their family, etc. Candidates who may have already submitted an application may submit an updated or revised application by the new deadline, or they may withdraw their application entirely if they are no longer interested in serving on the Executive Board; please contact Bryan Gomez to withdraw an application.

Subsequently, the overall elections timeline has been amended to the following:

  • Wednesday, December 1 – Wednesday, January 26 at 11:59pm: Applications for the Executive Board are open
  • By Friday, January 28 at 5pm: Confirmation of eligibility to run for office
  • By Monday, January 31 at 5pm: Candidates are announced, and application materials for all candidates are publicly posted to the RHA website for residents and voting representatives to view
  • Wednesday, January 19 during Legislative Council’s Community Session: “Meet the Candidates” session for Executive President, DOD, and DOA candidates
  • Wednesday, January 26 during Legislative Council’s Community Session: “Meet the Candidates” session for DOC, DOF, and DOP candidates
  • Wednesday, February 2 during Legislative Council: Executive President and DOD elections
  • Wednesday, February 9 during Legislative Council: DOA and DOC elections
  • Wednesday, February 16 during Legislative Council: DOF and DOP elections

Due to the extension of the application period, the “Meet the Candidate” sessions have been canceled.

🛑 Have You Read the Above Updates?

Information below may be modified or no longer in line with the updates posted above!

The election cycle for the FY23 (Fall 2022 – Spring 2023) RHA Executive Board has begun! If you are interested in leading the second largest student organization at Tech, developing as a student leader, and building community for over 8,000 residents, consider running for one of the six positions on the Executive Board:

  • Executive President
  • Director of Development (DOD)
  • Director of Administration (DOA)
  • Director of Communication (DOC)
  • Director of Finance (DOF)
  • Director of Programming (DOP)

Duties and responsibilities of each position can be found in our organization’s Constitution and representative Job Descriptions from the current year. Likewise, representative information regarding compensation for the Executive Board can be found in our Job Descriptions; do note, however, that compensation for next year is currently being discussed with HRL and that next year’s compensation model may differ from this year’s. Once compensation packages are finalized, this post will be updated accordingly.

The timeline for this election cycle is as follows:

  • Wednesday, December 1 – Wednesday, January 12 at 11:59pm: Applications for the Executive Board are open
  • By Friday, January 14 at 5pm: Confirmation of eligibility to run for office
  • By Monday, January 17 at 5pm: Candidates are announced, and application materials for all candidates are publicly posted to the RHA website for residents and voting representatives to view
  • Wednesday, January 19 during Legislative Council’s Community Session: “Meet the Candidates” session for Executive President, DOD, and DOA candidates
  • Wednesday, January 26 during Legislative Council’s Community Session: “Meet the Candidates” session for DOC, DOF, and DOP candidates
  • Wednesday, February 2 during Legislative Council: Executive President and DOD elections
  • Wednesday, February 9 during Legislative Council: DOA and DOC elections
  • Wednesday, February 16 during Legislative Council: DOF and DOP elections

Candidates who apply will receive more information by Friday, January 15 at 5pm regarding preparing for their “Meet the Candidates” session and election night, alongside their confirmation of eligibility to run. More policies and information regarding elections can be found in our Policy Book.

Informational Video

Looking for an explanation of the Executive Board elections procedures and processes? Check out this 30-minute video explaining all of the ins and outs of elections!

Apply Now!

Applications are due by Wednesday, January 12 at 11:59pm EDT

Complete Application on Qualtrics
Changes to Legislative Council ▼

To facilitate elections, structural changes to Legislative Council will take place on February 2, 9, and 16:

  • 7:30 – 7:35pm—Roll Call and Executive Updates
  • 7:35 – 8:20pm—Old and New Business (“Bills”)
  • 8:20 – 8:30pm—Brief Break
  • 8:30 – 10:00pm—Elections

Note that there will be no Open Forum or Community Session during nights with elections.

Information for HCOs and LC Voting Representatives ▼

Voting representatives (typically Hall Council Officers) should note the above structural changes to Legislative Council on election nights and prepare accordingly:

  • LC will last one hour longer than typical. Voting representatives/HCOs can switch out and rotate throughout the night, so if two HCOs from one Hall Council want to attend LC from 7:30-8:30pm and then switch out with two other HCOs from 8:30-10:00pm, that’s okay. Voting representatives simply should not change in the middle of the election of a given position.
  • The use of laptops and other electronic devices will not be permitted during elections; all necessary materials will be provided on paper.
  • While not a complete meal or dinner, substantive food and drink will be provided to all attendees during elections.

RHA and SMILE’s Give Thanks

With the goal of spreading gratitude and promoting a community that appreciates others—especially those who serve us—RHA and SMILE (Spreading Messages In Love and Encouragement) are partnering up to organize Give Thanks for the second year!

Give Thanks takes place during the entire month of November and encompasses many initiatives put on to appreciate and give back to those who make Tech work day in and day out.

SMILE, RHA, Hall Councils across campus, and the National Residence Hall Honorary are all spearheading their own initiatives as parts of Give Thanks! See below for more info.

Next Week: Thank You Card Writing Events 🍂

Next week (November 15 – 18), we’re hosting free thank you card writing events across campus as part of our larger Give Thanks initiative. Stop by our tables to take part, grab some Sweet Hut pastries (first come, first served), pick up some custom stickers and cards, and give back to your community. SMILE* will be gathering messages for our Midnight Rambler and Stingerette drivers!

  • Monday, Nov. 15, 12:00pm – 2:00pm — Tech Green
  • Tuesday, Nov. 16, 11:00am – 1:00pm — Tech Green
  • Wednesday, Nov. 17, 5:30pm – 6:30pm — Folk-Caldwell Courtyard (outside of the second floor West Village entrance)
  • Thursday, Nov. 18, 5:30pm – 6:30pm — Outside North Avenue Dining Hall

*SMILE will only be present on Monday and Tuesday. If it is raining or if there is other inclement weather during the above dates/times, the card writing events will be cancelled.

How Does the Event Work? 📮

It’s simple! You show up with a kind heart and the address of somebody you want to send a card to, and we provide all the supplies needed to decorate and send off a card. We’ll have brush/calligraphy pens, gel pens, adorable washi tape, decorative fall and Thanksgiving-themed stickers, postage stamps, colored envelopes, and more! When you finish writing your card, you’ll just address it and put a postage stamp on it (which we’ve already bought—there’s no cost to you to send off your letter). You can then either take it directly to a mailbox, or you can leave it with us, and we’ll take it to the Post Office for you. Note: we can send letters to both domestic AND international addresses (at no additional cost).

NRHH 💎

To Give Thanks, the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) is facilitating internal staff appreciation and thank you card swaps among Housing and Residence Life (HRL) staff members. NRHH will be attending an upcoming all-staff meeting with supplies for residence life professional staff to write thank you cards to fellow staff members to help encourage appreciation and recognition within the department. It’s important that Hall Directors and other residence life staff are thanked not just be the residents they serve but also the fellow staff they work with and their supervisors!

SMILE 😃

Each week in November, SMILE is highlighting a different group on campus and collecting messages of appreciation from students to deliver to those staff members.

Week 1: CARE and Stamps Health Services Staff
Week 2: CULC/Library Custodial Staff
Week 3: GT Dining Staff
Week 4: Midnight Rambler and Stingerette Drivers

Be sure to stop by our tables on November 15th and 16th on Tech Green (see above) to help us Give Thanks to Midnight Rambler and Stingerette Drivers!

Hall Councils

As a part of Give Thanks, each of our 16 Hall Councils across campus are recruiting their own residents to show gratitude to a variety of groups including GTPD, CRC staff, residence hall custodial staff, RAs, bus drivers, and more! To learn more about what your community is doing for Give Thanks and how you can get involved in your Hall Council’s Give Thanks initiative, be sure to check your emails for messages from Hall Council and attend your weekly Hall Council meetings.

You can keep up with Give Thanks on SMILE’s Instagram (@smile.gatech), RHA’s Instagram (@rhagt), and in your inbox! Be sure to look out for—and get involved in—Give Thanks initiatives going on in your pocket of campus!