Residence Hall presidents and programmers will receive free lodging next year to compensate for responsibilities including running meetings, encouraging cultural diversity and building homecoming floats, the Residence Hall Council decided Thursday night.
Students on next year's council will be the first to receive the room credit. The new compensation, which does not grant a private room, will be one of several changes for RHA under the new constitution that was adopted during the meeting.
The decision to pay the hall presidents and programmers, and also give them a stipend, came as a way to hold former volunteers more accountable said RHA Director Hanna Ricketson.
"We are increasing a lot of their responsibilities," she said.
The hall presidents' new duties will include serving as members of the Hall Council Presidents' Board, attending weekly meetings with Hall Council advisers, holding one open forum each semester for residents and promoting RHA. Hall program directors will act as a liaison with resident assistants, plan and evaluate hall activities.
Cledwyn Jones, a Barrett Honors College senator, said the room credits and possible stipends are good motivators but are ultimately paid for by students.
"I am concerned that the incentives come at a price to the students," said Jones, who is the Undergraduate Student Government liaison to RHA.
The cost of the room credit, which can range from $3,200 to $5,000 per year, would be paid for with RHA funds, which are collected from hall resident fees, and Residential Life, which is partially funded by tuition.
Ricketson said the decision was also motivated by the fact that many presidents and programmers go on to be RAs because RAs are offered more benefits.
"We felt like it was a good direction to go in," Ricketson said. "A lot of people kind of look at Hall Council as a stepping stone."
RHA executive board members, who are in charge of the entire association, already receive the lodging credit.
The new constitution also established procedures for the appointment of hall presidents and programmers who will be elected in the spring. Officers would then be appointed to a dorm where they would serve the following fall.
Reach the reporter at rkost@asu.edu.
