Over Veterans Day weekend, 12 delegates from Stevens traveled to the University of Cincinnati in Ohio to attend the Regional Leadership Conference (RLC) of Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls. RLC is an annual conference that helps develop leadership, inclusion, planning, and perspective skills to bring back to their respective schools to further the efforts of their Residential Hall Associations.
The residential system of any university is foundational to the student experience. Dorms are the first and last thing residential students see before tackling a day packed with academics, athletics, and more. Housing falls under the Department of Residential Education and Residential Life (ResEd). Student involvement in ResEd, aside from RA positions, takes the form of a student organization that plans events and represents the student body, The Residential Hall Association (RHA). RHA and their subordinates on the Hall Councils act as the students behind living and spending time at Stevens associated with the living on campus.
RHA and Hall Council work together to plan events between floors, halls, and as on-campus residents. Each resident hall—like River Terrace, Davis, Humphreys, Jonas, Palmer, Castle Point Hall, and Lore-El Center—elects members to their hall council. Hall Councils work with RHA, whose E-Board plans events, voices issues and complaints from the students to the administration, and keeps Stevens’ housing up to the students’ standards, along with the rest of the region and country.
Part of the RHA’s job is participating in the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). Stevens is part of the Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls chapter of NACURH, which includes schools from Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. These organizations bring together the RHAs of different colleges and universities. They help RHAs advocate at their schools, provide resources for RHAs, host conferences, and create a standard of living and events at nationwide residential programs.
The Stevens delegation left early on Friday, flying from Newark Airport to Cincinnati-Northern-Kentucky Airport. Residential directors were advisors and members of part of the RHA E-Board, hall council members, and general body members. The conference included presentations throughout the weekend. Students of member schools submitted program proposals that fit into the annual theme: “Bridging the Leadership Gap,” exploring aspects of leadership to teach the delegates from around the region.
Part of RLC is also a Boardroom. In the Boardroom, RHA presidents and National Communication Coordinators (NCCs) discuss and vote on matters of importance to RHAs in the region. Discussions this year included inclusivity, hosting for upcoming conferences, and compensation for RHA E-board members.
Beyond the formalities of the conference, there were also socials for students who identify as first-generation, LGBTQIA+, minorities, and events for the whole conference like a dance, drag show, clothes-pin trading (like pin trading at other events), and the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, and banquet.
After speaking with some of the Stevens delegations, they agreed that attending the conference was a great experience, and the skills learned will be valuable in bettering the RHAs and Hall Council. RHA looks forward to attending the Regional Business Conference over Presidents’ Day Weekend in February and continuing their use of the skills learned at RLC to make Stevens a better and more enjoyable place to live and learn!
