OCRA Act

WHEREAS, the Off Campus Residents’ Association was established in 2003 to advance the interests of students living off campus; and,

WHEREAS, the leadership of the Off Campus Residents’ Association has become concerned to the sustainability of its current governance structure; and,

WHEREAS, moving the Off Campus Residents’ Association under the umbrella of the Student Government will allow for the efficient continuation of the Association and for increased interoperation between the two organizations; now, therefore be it

ENACTED, by the North Carolina State University Student Senate that:

Section 1. The provisions of this act shall come into force of effect upon both the enrollment of this act and the ratification of it by the Board of Directors of the Off Campus Residents’ Association.

Section 2. The Off Campus Residents’ Association shall be reorganized as the Off Campus Residents Authority, as provided for by this act. All assets and liabilities of the former organization shall remain with the new organization. The officers of the association at the effective time of this act shall remain as the equivalent officers in the authority.

Section 3. The Student Body Statutes shall be amended by adding:

Chapter 10.

Off Campus Residents Authority.

§10-1. Definitions and conventions.

Within this chapter, the following definitions and conventions shall apply:

(a) “OCRA” and “Authority” refer to the Off Campus Residents Authority.

(b) “Director” refers to the OCRA Director.

§10-2. Name.

The name of this organization shall be the North Carolina State University Student Government Off Campus Residents Authority, or simply the Off Campus Residents Authority or OCRA.

§10-3. Affliation.

The Off Campus Residents Authority shall be considered a subsidiary agency of the North Carolina State University Student Government, as defined by SBS §3-1.1, and shall be regulated through these statutes.

§10-4. OCRA Purpose.

The Off Campus Residents Authority shall exist to:

(a) respond to the problems and concerns of students living off campus;

(b) advocate for the interests of off campus students; and

Part I. Officers.

§10-5. OCRA Director.

The Off Campus Residents Authority Director shall be considered a Student Government Official, and shall have executive authority over the agency, and shall specifically:

(a) appointed the junior officers, including committee chairs;

(b) call and preside at meetings of the Executive Board;

(d) coordinate the activities of the remainder of the OCRA officers.

§10-6. Associate OCRA Director.

The Associate Off Campus Residents Authority Director shall be considered a Student Government Official, and shall specifically:

(a) discharge the duties of the OCRA Director in the absence of the Director; and

(b) provide coordination and supervision of programs of the authority, as determined by the Director.

§10-7. Selection of Director and Associate Director.

The OCRA Director and Associate OCRA Director shall be appointed by the Student Body President no later than the first Sunday in March, subject to the simple majority confirmation of the Senate. The terms of these positions shall be for one (1) year, starting the first Monday of April; however, willing incumbents shall continue in the positions on an interim basis past the end of their terms if a successor has not yet been confirmed. The Director and Associate Director shall be off campus students, and the Director shall have at least six (6) months experience with the authority or its committees.

§10-8. OCRA Junior Officers.

The OCRA Treasurer, OCRA Secretary, OCRA Webmaster, and OCRA Standing Committee Chairs shall be considered the OCRA junior officers. These junior officers shall be considered Student Government Officials, exempt from the dual office-holding ban of SBS §1-1, and shall have the rank of Assistant Directors. The junior officers shall be appointed by the OCRA Director for a one-year term coinciding with that of the Director.

§10-9. OCRA Treasurer.

There shall be an Off Campus Residents Authority Treasurer who shall have such duties typical of a treasurer, and shall specifically:

(a) maintain the financial records of the authority; and

(b) prepare reports for the Department of the Treasury as request by the Department or required by these statutes.

§10-10. OCRA Secretary.

There shall be an Off Campus Residents Authority Secretary who shall have such duties typical of a secretary, and shall specifically:

(a) maintain the official records of the Executive Board; and

(b) keep record of all current members of all OCRA committees

§10-11. OCRA Webmaster.

There shall be an Off Campus Residents Authority Webmaster who shall maintain an OCRA website on space provided by the Division of Web Development that is developed consistent with that Division’s guidelines and directives.

Part II. Executive Board.

§10-12. Executive Board Powers and Duties.

The operations of the authority shall be governed by an Executive Board, which shall be the functional Board of Directors of the organization. The Executive Board shall be specifically empowered to:

(a) Provide general direction to the authority on initiatives and programs;

(b) Set and amend the OCRA Budget;

(d) Remove members from committees for cause.

§10-13. Executive Board Membership.

The OCRA Executive Board shall be comprised of the OCRA Director, the Associate OCRA Director, the OCRA Junior Officers, and the Student Body Treasurer or his designee. The OCRA Director shall chair the board and the OCRA Secretary serve as board secretary.

§10-14. Executive Board Operation.

The OCRA Executive Board shall be considered a public body, and shall meet only with at least three (3) business days public notice. A quorum of a majority of the members selected, and of at least three (3), shall be required to transact business.

Part III. Committees.

§10-15. OCRA Committees.

The programs and initiatives of the Off Campus Residents Authority shall be carried out by either the Executive Board or by the OCRA Committees. Membership on these committees shall be open to any student. The Chair of each committee shall maintain list of the current active committee members for submission to the OCRA Secretary.

§10-16. Publicity Committee.

The OCRA Standing Committee on Publicity shall be responsible for publicizing the existence, activities, and programs of the Off Campus Residents Authority.

§10-17. Housing Fair Committee.

The OCRA Housing Fair Standing Committee shall be responsible for the planning and execution of housing fairs designed to provide information to students about off campus living.

§10-18. Activities Committee.

The OCRA Standing Committee on Activities shall be responsible for planning and executing activities of general interest to student concerning off campus issues.

§10-19. Ad hoc Committees.

The Executive Board may organize such ad hoc committees as it may deem necessary. The chair of an ad hoc committee is not considered a junior officer or member of the Executive Board, but an existing member of the Board may chair the committee.

Part IV. Finances.

§10-20. OCRA Finances Generally.

The Off Campus Residents Authority shall be empowered to maintain separate financial accounts from the greater Student Government, and shall collect, budget, and expend those funds. All funds in the possession of OCRA are considered Student Government funds, and are subject to the oversight of the Department of the Treasury and the Senate Finance Committee, and to the governance of the Senate, as provided for under Chapter 5 of these statutes.

§10-21. OCRA Budget.

Prior to the start of the fiscal year, the OCRA Executive Board shall adopt a budget of OCRA funds providing for all anticipated expenses and revenues. No stipend or other salary shall be funded out of the OCRA Budget.

§10-22. Financial Access.

The Student Body Comptroller and the Department of the Treasury shall have direct access to accounts and financial records of the authority, including access to transfer funds in and out of the OCRA accounts.

§10-23. Financial Reports.

The OCRA Treasurer shall file a financial report to the Department of the Treasury at the end of each month during the academic year. This financial report shall include, at a minimum, information on:

(a) the current cash balance of the authority;

(b) any outstanding revenue or expenses;

(d) the source of any revenue received.

Part V. Miscellaneous.

§10-24. OCRA Bylaws.

The OCRA Bylaws shall be the bylaws of this chapter, and shall be enacted by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board. Such bylaws shall not conflict with these statutes, and shall be made available to the public.

§10-25. Oversight.

General oversight of the agency may be exercised by the Committee on Campus Community, which shall have the power to review the records of the agency, compel report of its members, and to make recommendations to the Director, President, or Senate regarding its improvement.

An act to Enact the Merger of the Off Campus Residents’ Association with the North Carolina State University Student Body Government and to Provide for the Governance of the New Subsidiary Organization