Table of Contents. Table of Contents 1. Welcome to Olympus 2. Where the Muses Reside 3-6. The Gospel Truth 7. The Muses 8. Goals 9

Transcription

1

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Welcome to Olympus 2 Where the Muses Reside 3-6 The Gospel Truth 7 The Muses 8 Goals 9 A Star is Born I Won t Say (I m in Love) One Last Hope Hercules s Villa 17 Meg s Garden 18 Letters of Support

3 Nearing our centennial, we were founded in 1918, opening our doors as the Indiana State Normal School Eastern Division by the Ball brothers. In honor of the generosity of the Ball family, the Indiana General Assembly changed the name to the Ball State Teachers College in 1929, and later the statue Beneficence was commemorated in their honor. The 1960s would have a large influx of students from outside the Midwest looking for differing majors, thus allowing Ball State to incorporate more into what it offers. In 1965 the Indiana General Assembly renamed the school to Ball State University in recognition of the immense growth in facilities and enrollment. Now, in 2017, roughly 21,000 graduate and undergraduate students enroll each year to study in one of the over 200 programs Fast Facts We have 22,513 students who attend Total campus population of 16,825, including 15,379 undergraduates and 1,446 graduate students 17.9% were non-residents of Indiana as of % of our population is female 21.1% of our population are of color 4,002 incoming freshmen 73% of incoming freshmen earned an Honors Diploma and a 3.5 GPA 190 Majors, 130 minor areas of study 30 Majors have a Degree in 3 opportunity 400+ Clubs and organizations on campus 2

4 Our residence Halls are the perfect place for any demigod who is trying to harness their inner-strength and go straight from Zero to Hero. Some of our halls offer in-house dining facilities and a majority of the halls are considered Living Learning Communities (LLC) which offer resources to the residents if they are of that major. When filling out housing contracts students are given the option to state if they want to be in their LLC. Johnson Complex Our two newest residence halls, Botsford/ Swinford opening in 2015 and Schmidt/Wilson opening for the 2017 school year. These halls house our Emerging Media/ Communication and Theatre/ Dance and Design LLC. Holds majority of our Freshman population and home to our STEM, Business, and Discover Living-Learning Communities. LaFollette Complex Living Spaces: Brayton/Clevenger Knotts/Edwards Mysch Shively LaFollette also contains Out of Bounds and The Buff, a convenience area with hot food and a buffet respectively. 3

5 Kinghorn Built in 2010, Kinghorn commonly houses Sophomores and higher residents. It also features its own inner courtyard, unique compared to other halls. For food, students can get Tom John s on the first floor, where hot food and a convenience section is available. This complex houses any grade level of student and provides resource rooms for the Early & Elementry Education, Social Sciences, and International/ Languages LLC. Studebaker Complex Living Spaces: Studebaker East Studebaker West: Painter/Witcraft Palmer/Davidson A convenience store sits in the bottom of Studebaker West, allowing a quick trip in and out for snacks. Noyer Complex Noyer houses a mix off all grade levels and caters to the needs of those studying in the Health Professions field. Living Spaces: Howick/ Williams Baker/ Klipple One of the most popular food courts are here, the Noyer Food Mall, as well as The Retreat, a buffet style court. 4

6 Woodworth All women residence hall, where WOW (Women of Woodworth) is commonly seen. Home of the Nursing LLC For food, one can eat at the Woodworth Commons, which is also the main court for Freshman Orientation over the summer. Park Park is typically home to our upperclassmen honor students. Park s MPR room is also home to many campus events including our RHA GAs. DeHority DeHority, most commonly referred to as DeHo is home to the Honor Students. This hall is also most often used during summer orientations to give the incoming students a taste of residence hall life. 5

7 Elliott The only hall to have a 21 and over floor and one of the oldest buildings on campus, Elliott is also within a short distance of Elliott Dining, a buffet style dining facility. The Atrium The Tally At the Atrium, student can choose from name brand foods like Chick-fil-A or Papa Johns, or just pick something up from the McKinley Grille. The Atrium is also in charge of our library coffee shop, the Bookmark Cafe, and Jamba Juice in the bookstore. The Tally, located in our Student Center, offers options like Taco Bell and Starbucks as well as a kitchen with a rotating menu. 6

8 The Residence Hall Association (RHA) of Ball State University is an organization committed to improving the lives of those living in on-campus. We look to provide opportunities for residents to get involved on campus and socialize through the variety of programs we throw annually, and more so look for ways to provide a way to let them voice their concerns and opinions about our residence halls. We look to serve the residents on campus in a multitude of ways, and are constantly looking for better ways to achieve that goal. Our RHA governs over 13 hall councils on campus, with two representatives from each but Elliott Hall, which has one. All of our General Assembly meetings are accompanied by liaisons from other major organizations on campus, National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), Student Government Association (SGA), Partnership for Student Sustainable Advancement (PSSA), Student Action Team (SAT), and the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). There is also a seating gallery available for anybody who wishes to sit in our meetings, or who wish to speak about an issue. During the General Assembly meeting, our four advisors are normally present to be able to give insight and information when needed during meetings, and are also present for our executive meetings. In executive board meetings we commonly handle fund requests from differing organizations to bring to our representatives, and ultimately their hall councils to vote on. Most weeks we also allow time for our three committees to work with their respective board member to make sure our services on campus are being properly provided. This is the first year where our executive board is under a new structure. Originally, we had a Treasurer, Secretary, and an Outreach position which originally made a newsletter and helped with PR. After a semester of not having a Secretary, where our Treasurer took over many of the duties, we have since combined the positions as Vice President of Administration. Outreach was written out of our constitution and replaced with Vice President of Programming, a position to help serve as a middleman between our Activities and Public Relations Director and put in help where it is needed. Reducing the positions has so far streamlined our elections and business meetings with less voices and more efficient voting and discussion. Our current Vice President of Programming has been working with advisors to explore the role of his position and help dictate what it can do for the organization. This process of consolidation has not affected our committees at all for our representatives either. They have plenty of opportunities to be involved with our executive board s processes and increase their campus involvement to as much as they want. 7

9 President Kathy Berryhill National Communications Coordinator Cody Metcalf Vice President of Leadership Branden Jones Activities Director Sam Adams Vice President of Administration Jackie Weisenfelder Public Relations Director Allyssa Burdine Vice President of Programming Justin Fields Issues and Facilities Director Jacob Hanson 8

10 Coming into the year we had three larger goals that we plan to achieve and during every meeting, be it Exec or General Assembly we work to achieve them. Listed below are those main goals and what we ve done to achieve them: Increase our advertising to boost attendance o We streamed live on Facebook for the first time o We have started incorporating more snapchat filters o We have considered new methods of advertising such as dining table sets and seeing how it could fit in our budget Increasing our availability to Hall Councils o We started our first RHA With U Program o We have encouraged participation with our own hall councils o We have made our office hours and contact info more available o We have created GroupMe s to be able to reach out easier Increasing our ability to react to campus needs or general events o We quickly paired with SGA to fundraise money to send to Houston o We are looking to pair with Step In and Speak Out to promote sexual assault awareness 9

11 Rock the Halls Rock the Halls is our new start (and hopefully a tradition) for students for the Academic Year, and is our largest event with an equally large budget. Advertised throughout campus, plus streaming on Facebook Live for the first time, we were able to reach more students than ever, hosting an attendance of 1,600 students total. The first two hours of the event had several inflatables, tie dye (with 400 free t-shirts with the RHA logo for participants provided by RHA), corn hole, a photo booth, and various kinds of food (ice cream, sno-cones, cotton candy, and popcorn). Once the sun has set, we then show a movie, this year showcasing 22 Jump Street. This event also requires a host of volunteers for the scale of it that we get from past student leaders, members of our summer bridge programs, and other student organizations. This event allows our residents to socialize and meet new groups of friends with the shared experiences present, as well as advertise our RHA to new groups of students on campus. Crib Contest Crib Contest is continuing this year for its second time, allowing students from halls across campus to show off their decorated rooms to other students all over campus. Through the submissions we get, we pick three rooms to award hammocks, or laundry and Dining vouchers to their residents. These rooms are used for various HRL promotional materials and to give new students an idea of what their residence hall rooms can look like. 10

12 Swag Cab Swag Cab is a continuing event we hold that won Program of the Year at the GLACURH RLC This is a collaborative program with the University Police Department here on campus. The physical Swag Cab is a golf cart provided by the UPD and is driven by an officer from the department. As the Swag Cab makes it way around campus, rides are offered to students and faculty on their way to class, their Residence Hall, or meetings around campus. As they ride, a RHA volunteer asks them a series of Ball State related trivia questions, and for every question the rider answers correctly, they receive Swag Cab themed prize. While the Golf Cart is active, several volunteer RHA members set up at the main intersection on campus, the Scramble Light, and lay out the prizes and find students who want to participate in answering trivia. This event creates bonds among the students with the UPD officers, which allows the students and faculty to recognize who is keeping them safe on campus and makes them feel more comfortable to approach an officer, whether it be for an issue or not. Every time we host a Swag Cab on campus, we are able to provide rides to around fifty students in two hours, and also reach another one-hundred and fifty students at the Scramble Light during that time. This year, we have done two events for the Fall Semester of three, and already have the dates set for the Spring Semester. This program has also been instrumental in the process of rebranding for RHA, as we have seen a dramatic increase in RHA Swag on campus. Swag Cab was the first event to use the designated colors of RHA, which are blue and burgundy. Swag Cab has become a very treasured event to the organization and quickly one of our most recognizable among the student body. 11

13 Movie Nights RHA also hosts Movie Nights up to five times per semester where we have showings of movies for residents on campus. We serve popcorn and are looking to start serving cotton candy as well. Some of these events take place outdoors with our inflatable movie screen when the weather permits, in which many students take the opportunity to bring their own blankets to the event with groups of friends. The movie selection is a part of our SWANK contract, where they normally are movies that are not widely available yet or are still pre-released. Holiday Bash Last year, our RHA held its first Holiday Bash, a rethemed attempt of our previous Winter Bash, which instantly was a hit among residents on campus. The event consisted of many holiday and winter themed crafts, a demonstration and food by one of our Dining chefs. There were 335 total attendees, and the event took place in the newest hall on campus at the time, Botsford/Swinford. This year, we will keep the same location, and it is right next to our newest hall, Schmidt/Wilson, so we will hope to have even higher attendance this year. We look to continue the same activities, as last year we were able to bring in a photo booth, new crafts and food options, as well as provide a free long-sleeve ugly sweater style shirt for the first 150 participants, but due to the popularity we plan to expand the number of shirts we have available. A line formed for shirts around an hour before the event began, and we had a consistent line for the first half an hour of the event. The attendance for this event increased dramatically over the previous Winter Bash iterations, and we expect it to continually grow, with large interest already by residents on campus. 12

14 Campus Cup All 4 housing organizations put on successful events on a regular basis, but RHA wanted to create a way to boost attendance to these events, and create the feeling of community with friendly competition. Campus Cup was created to fit this need, as it is a program that awards points to the halls based on attendance to events facilitated by one of the 4 housing organizations. The program is now in its fourth year, and each year we have seen growing attendance and participation from students on campus. More so, we have been able to include some events from other organizations, such as the Partnership for Student Sustainability Advancement (PSSA), a group focused on green living and green initiatives in the residence halls. We have also been able to advertise the program throughout the year, which has bolstered recognition of Campus Cup. Also by included Of the Months in the point totals for the halls the number of submission has increased. Overall, this program is becoming a well-recognized competition and one that many students and halls are passionate about winning. Accelerate Accelerate is a summer bridge program sponsored and facilitated by Housing and Residence Life that takes place over 3 days before the beginning of move in and Welcome Week. This program allows for a group of around 250 freshman students to move onto campus and start creating relationship with other freshman students who live in their residence hall. Students are separated by hall, and are led by several upperclassmen students. This year, RHA was able to play large role in the implementation and facilitation of this program as the entire Executive Board was able to participate as Accelerate Lead Mentors. The RHA members who served as Mentors were also able to talk to many of the students about Hall Council and RHA, and now many of our representatives are former Accelerate students and interested in continuing their student involvement. Serving in these roles also served as a great leadership development opportunity for the Executive Board. This was the second year the RHA Executive Board has fully participated in Accelerate, and it is becoming a tradition of our student leadership. 13

15 RHA with U RHA With U is a new program our RHA held this year in conjunction with our campus NRHH s Fall Conference early in the school year. This program was pioneered to better connect with the hall councils across our campus by creating sessions where each of our executive board members individually hosts a presentation with their respective hall council positions. Each session, lasting 55 minutes, allows our executive board members to teach hall council members problems they may run into in their positions and how to better handle it. Our office hours and contact information were also provided, allowing hall councils to come to our executive board if they need help planning events for their halls or discussing votes or information provided by RHA. We would also create group conversations with our respective Hall Council positions, allowing us to plan dinners together and communicate with each other to build a better sense of community between the Residence Halls. This program allowed us to work alongside NRHH, something our university has not commonly done in the past, and provide material for their conference. It also allows a smoother transition into leadership positions for our freshmen who are new to these experiences. This Fall was our first time hosting these sessions and we are evaluating its effectiveness Stars goals STARS Goals are a requirement set by Ball State s Residence Hall Association for each Residence Hall to create a diversified set of events for the Academic Year. Each event a Hall Council hosts for their hall earns one half of a star, and the goal for each hall by the end of Spring is to become a Five-Star Hall, where they are recognized and awarded a plaque during our End of the Year Awards Ceremony. The STARS Goals are Leadership, Academics and Education, Service, Diversity, and a new one for the year, Collaboration, requiring the halls to work with one another to plan an event. Each category requires two events to get the full star, and this allows Hall Councils to have some direction when planning events and allows for better opportunities through these diversified events for our residents on campus. With RHAWU, communicating between Hall Councils and RHA for events is easier than it has been in the past too, allowing a stronger environment for each hall to be a Five-Star Hall. Scholarship Fund Starting last year where we had some extra money in our budget, we have begun a tradition of providing three $1,000 scholarships for student leaders on campus. Our executive board is not able to apply for the scholarship, and we also do blind review of the applications we get in. We now are budgeting for it every year to be able to recognize student leaders on campus and reward them for their contributions. 14

16 Ball State University s Ruth Peter s Chapter of NRHH is our sister organization on campus, and one our executive board members are consistently involved in. Representing the top 1% of leaders on campus, our chapter currently has 36 active members with the potential to induct 24 more to have full membership. Our NRHH has been a growing presence on campus, working hard to spread their name to be able to reach out to all the student leaders on campus. Our NRHH specializes on philanthropy and service through events such as Zumbathon (which won recognition by winning Campus Program of the Year at our own SOAR awards), a Fall and Spring Conference every year, and numerous other activities that take place during weekly General Assembly meetings. Through NRHH s service, we have been able to donate money to the United Way of Delaware County, bring in just over one hundred nonperishable food items from our Fall Conference this year, make dinner for our fire department, visit nursing homes to spend time with those who live there, and others. Currently, our chapter is split into four committees, Internal, External, Recognition, and Service. Internal focuses on bringing in new members and induction, as well as managing apparel and other merchandise. External focuses on our semester conferences and getting our name out there. Recognition does the muscle work on our OTMs and other ways of properly recognizing our student achievement, and Service looks for ways to constantly benefit the community outside of our chapter. 15

17 Gender Inclusive Housing Gender Inclusive Housing was an initiative that originated the last couple years from the growing LGBTQ+ community on campus after our Student Government Association successfully implemented unisex restrooms across campus. The question was then brought to RHA s attention and we began working alongside SGA to research then write legislation to move the piece forward. Within two months time RHA had legislation that mirrored SGA s and both groups had support from their respective representatives. SGA and RHA historically have not worked alongside each other, so this legislation marks the beginning of a stronger communication between these two organizations so we can better help the student body on campus. HeartS for Houston After Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, RHA looked for ways to raise money to help victims from the event. We were able to quickly form an event with SGA and execute it inside our Student Center, one of the busier dining facilities on campus. All of the money raised was donated to All Hands, and a giant heart was constructed for people to sign if they wished to show support. It was another collaborative event to help grow the connection between RHA and SGA, and we now have framework in the future to be able to respond to any crisis, allowing students safe ways to donate money. 16

18 For the last three years, Ball State attended both the GLACURH regional conference and hosted the Regional Business Conference. At last year s conference, our delegation truly shined. For the Regional Leadership Conference, we were able to take our NCC, the NRHH-CC, and 5 delegates who were truly passionate about their participation in the conference. We participated heavily in spirit, and were also recognized for one of the top 5 movie trailers that were submitted. We also had 1 delegate that presented a program, and they received a Top 10 recognition for her hard work and creativity. This year, we also decided to bid for Program of the Year, and submitted RHA s Swag Cab to be recognized, which was also recognized as a regional OTM winner. We were chosen as a finalist, presented, and ultimately won the title, which was incredible recognition for the hard work and growth that RHA has undergone in the past year. Our delegate s program that was recognized has been done a few other times here on campus by that specific delegate, and other delegates from this year s conference. One delegate from that delegation move on to become our NCC. Regionally, we have also boosted our OTM wins. Much of this is a direct cause of Campus Cup, as explained earlier in this document, as the competition challenges students and staff members from all over campus to submit OTMs to earn extra Campus Cup points for their hall. This year, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of regional OTMs won by Ball State. The expansion of this campus program has significantly influenced our regional involvement as well. 17

19 Another year, another NACURH attended for Ball State, bringing a full delegation to Purdue University this summer. Through our experiences at conferences at the past, we were able to better prepare than ever, being able to have spirit shirts for our delegation, building our iconic Bell Tower into a rocket ship, and producing more pins than ever to be able to trade. We hosted another program at this year s NACURH, and were able to draft the start to our RHA with U program. This would not have been possible without the possibility for NACURH to bring communication opportunities between schools, and our work with other schools helped create the program after learning how they interact with their hall councils. Our delegates have since also gone on to become student staff members for our University s Housing Department, or further involved in organizations, including one who is now an RHA Representative for their hall! The delegation was also heavily interested in our regional involvement and how the entire system works, something that was very new, but also very welcome. We were also to be more heavily involved in boardroom than ever, with both NCC and NRHHCCs speaking on the legislation being discussed and even proposing amendments. This group was further encouraged and able to speak about their experiences at their hall councils to promote GLACURH, something we have not done before but was a great opportunity to reach out to more people. 18

20 October 9, 2017 GLACURH, RBD, NCCs and NRHH-CCs, It is my pleasure to write a letter of support for the Ball State University Residence Hall Association as they submit a bid for the School of the Year. I supervise and work closely with their adviser, Jim Hague and am familiar with the wonderful initiatives, programs and legislation they have provided on behalf of the students they serve. What has impressed me most is that this group of student leaders in RHA are dedicated to serving students. Sometimes student leaders focus on what they can get out of the position, however, this group of RHA leaders are determined that their role is to provide the Ball State community with what they need. It is a refreshing and mature student leadership approach and it benefits all of our students! I have had the opportunity to meet with the RHA executives this August and we discussed opening a newly renovated residence hall without cable tv in it. We discussed where the university was regarding emotional support animals, our housing occupancy and how we are informing our new students of what to bring to the residence halls as well as all the specific hall amenities. The support and guidance that the RHA executives gave was insightful, invaluable and much appreciated. Specifically, what stands out for me is the support that RHA has given to the leadership of Housing and Residence Life as we initiate and consider gender inclusive housing for our students. RHA has surveyed students, reviewed other schools polices, spoken with other leadership groups such as the Student Government Association, spoken with other administrative leaders such as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services and the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Housing and Residence Life. They have done their homework and they have information that is practical, appropriate and inclusive. We will begin some sort of gender inclusive housing next year and that would not have been possible with our RHA executives diligent and extensive work. I have had the honor of working at Ball State University for 20 years in Housing and Residence Life. I am confident when I say this one of the best RHA executive groups we have had since I have been at BSU. They are representative of the students they serve, they are smart in their approaches, creative with programming and willing to listen and make reasonable decisions that work for everyone. I have been so impressed with them and support their bid for School of the Year. Thank you for your consideration. Should you need more information for this bid, please do not hesitate to contact me at (765) or cbickel@bsu.edu. Sincerely, Catherine M. Bickel, Ed.D Associate Director of Housing and Residence Life 19

21 October 10, 2017 GLACURH, RBD, NCCs and NRHH-CCs, It is my pleasure to write a letter of support for the Ball State University Residence Hall Association and National Residence Hall Honorary Ruth Peters Chapter as they submit a bid for School of the Year in the GLACURH region. As an alumnus of Ball State University and a past student leader in RHA and NRHH, I have become very familiar with the passion, dedication, and hard work Ball State s student leaders have provided to serve their peers, university, and surrounding community in Muncie, Indiana. Last year I had the opportunity to serve as the president of the Ball State University Ruth Peters Chapter of NRHH. Throughout the year, we created two conferences to serve hall council executive board members in the fall, and to serve all on-campus students in the spring. While planning both conferences, our executive board and general members were intentional in requesting categories for social justice and diversity programming. Towards the end of the year, executive board representatives from NRHH began planning a new conference structure for the following spring to better connect with other organizations and departments across campus, including the Multicultural Center and the Office of Student Life. Combining efforts with these two areas at Ball State University was intentional to provide more service-learning and education surrounding leadership and social justice for all students on campus, beyond the on-campus population. Alongside our dedication to social justice and better connections across campus, our NRHH chapter had a renewed sense of service last year. We were able to provide service to Ball State and our surrounding community by creating new initiatives in areas of service. Every other month, NRHH sponsored Zumbathon, a three-hour event that invited students, faculty, and staff to dance and donate to the United Way of Delaware County. This event provided a fun atmosphere for community members to participate in, and won Small Program of the Year at the Student Organization Awards Reception in the spring of Additionally, NRHH coordinated a meal service to a local fire department that responds to Muncie and Ball State fire crises. RHA, the department of Housing and Residence Life, and NRHH all strived throughout the year to better relationships with our fire department services, Muncie police, and Ball State University police. I fully support the efforts and passion of Ball State University and their student leaders as they seek the award of School of the Year in the GLACURH region. The student organizations within the department of Housing and Residence Life at Ball State University certainly strive for excellence in diversity, social justice, and service with high quality decision-making and care. It was an honor to be a student leader and employee in the department of Housing and Residence Life, and even more so to serve alongside outstanding students driven by creativity, passion, and service. Sincerely, Samantha Ralston Ball State University Class of Ruth Peters Chapter NRHH President 20

22 October 9, 2017 Dear GLACURH, Regional Board of Directors, NCCs, and NRHH-CCs, I am pleased to submit this letter of support on behalf of Ball State s Residence Hall Association as part of their School of the Year Bid. Over the past year, I ve had the distinct pleasure of working with the executive board of RHA to promote, expand, and rebrand the organization to students on campus. This bid showcases the hard work, creativity, dedication, and perseverance of our energetic and engaging executive board and hall representatives! The work of our student leaders this year has added value to the on-campus student experience; secured a strong foundation for the organization s future; and ensured the voice of residential students at Ball State would be championed by RHA. Over the past year, the RHA executive board affirmed their mission and developed a new vision through a series of retreats. First and foremost, they worked to develop a series of new activities that include: Rock the Halls, Swag Cab, Outdoor Move Nights, partnerships with Ball State s Student Government Association, the Homecoming Steering Committee, and Step In, Steak Up, Ball State s bystander intervention and sexual assault awareness organization. Next they created a marketing and promotion campaign including a new system about RHA events and programs. Thus far, RHA organized 27 programs, from December 2016 through May 2017, with 4,526 students in attendance, an increase of over 3,500 from the previous year. This pattern of successful events has continued this fall with 2,592 attending 8 programs thus far! As an advisor, I ve valued watching the organize think beyond this year and this group of student leaders to advance their vision and set long-term goals. The organization implemented a new executive board structure this year and our students are fulfilling the potential of their new structure and positions including, Vice Presidents for Administration, Programming and Leadership. In this period of transition there has been no loss in momentum with RHA. RHA also passed legislation with SGA to strengthen the relationship between both organizations through the creation of a new liaison-ship that guarantees better communication and collaboration on student issues. Moreover, through their efforts, RHA has affirmed their organizational slogan. Your Voice On Campus through establishing better lines of communication with the residential student populations and coordinating action plans to student issues and concerns. As a result of these efforts, RHA has been better able to respond to student concerns and work with the student body to pass resolutions to respond to these issues. For example, RHA worked with university auxiliary services to ensure feminine hygiene products and condoms could be made available in residence hall vending machines. They also worked with Housing and Residence Life at Ball State to expand computer lab hours to meet the needs of students schedules and increase the number of water filling stations in the residence halls. Finally this year, RHA co-sponsored legislation with SGA in support of creating a gender inclusive housing policy for Ball State students. Beyond hosting fun activities and service programs, the student body looks to RHA as a governing organization that supports and stands with them on important issues and concerns. Through the efforts of RHA s members, students who identify as gender non-binary or trans will have a more safe and inclusive experience in the residence halls this coming fall. Without the organization s and its executive board member s research and advocacy we would not be celebrating this successful new initiative on campus. Without a doubt, more students express knowing what RHA is and know about upcoming RHA events, this year, as a result of the organization s new initiatives. We know this based on annual satisfaction survey data that indicates 86.4% of students know what RHA is and what events it organizes for on-campus students at Ball State. This is a 36.2% increase over the past two years! Beyond, the impact on campus, RHA has been more active in GLACURH through submitting two bids last year (Program of the Year Swag Cab and Building Block of the Year) and nominating its Program of Year Bid to NACURH. RHA has also fully attended GLACURH and NACURH with strong representation within both, the NCC and NRHH, board rooms and at the conference with spirit and pride for Ball State and GLACURH! Finally RHA is supportive of a current student who serves on GLACURH affiliated committees. It is for the aforementioned reasons and many others that I strongly support Ball State s RHA for full consideration as GLACURH s School of the Year Award. Through these student leaders thoughtful actions and creative planning, the group has been able to develop new traditions on campus that connects with our student and also promotes their organization, while also and advances its organizational mission and values in tangible and value-adding ways. Respectfully Submitted, Jim Hague Assistant Director for Student Leadership Ball State University 21

23 Image Citation I can go the distance [Title Page]: Go the Distance. Digital image. The Disney Wiki. N.p., 15 Mar Web. 8 Oct < Olympus [Table of Contents]: Olympus. Digital image. The Disney Wiki. N.p., 24 Sept Web. 9 Oct < Pegsus [Page Numbers]: Baby Pegasus. Digital image. Disney Clips. N.p., 1 May Web. 8 Oct <