Getting
Involved
House Councils
House Councils are the local or town
government of the Student
Government Association system. House Councils may be organized
by cluster or by building, based on the size of the constituency
and the needs of the residents. These groups focus on providing
social and educational programs, coordinating community service
opportunities, and in general advocating for the students to help
make it a great place to live. These groups will often collaborate
with the Resident Assistants, Area Government,
and other groups to provide quality events and opportunities for
their residents.
House Councils consist of an Executive
Board and representation from each floor. All of these positions
are elected by the students in the building. Most House Councils
hold elections in early September and anyone that lives in the
building is eligible to run for a position.
Typically, a House Council has an open
meeting with their community once a week to discuss events and
community issues. The Executive Board members also meet with their
advisors on a weekly basis.
House Councils receive funding through
dues collection, fundraising, and by petitioning their Area Governments.
Each House Council is held responsible
for following the guidelines and procedures of the SGA, Area Governments,
and its own Constitution and by-laws.
Join House Council!
House Council Elections
are held each September and all students living in the residence
halls are eligible to run for one of the
four offices. Students wishing to run will have to complete an
intent to run form and gather signatures from students in their
cluster.
Elections are coordinated by the Area
Government for the area. They will be posting flyers with specific
election information
including when forms are due, where they are available, and
when voting will take place in the cluster.
General Election Timeline
for House Councils
Early September- Intent to run forms
available. Students must complete these forms by the deadline indicated
in order to be a candidate
listed on
the ballot, the exception is if they plan to run as a write
in candidate.
On or before September 26- All House
Council elections must be completed.
Position Descriptions for House
Council
Officers
President
There are currently six Area Governments at UMass Amherst.
Click the Area Government below to be taken to the Area Governments
webpage.
Contact Information
For questions about House
Council you can contact your Cluster Residence Director, your
Area Governor
(listed below), or Chris Haigh, Leadership Development Specialist
at chaigh@gw.housing.umass.edu or
413-577-2329.
