Residents' Council

Joining Residents’ Council is your chance to be the voice of your building! This is a great opportunity to get involved, meet people from your residence and develop leadership skills. Residents' Council positions are selected in September and January every year.

What is Residents’ Council?

Residents' Council is an autonomous student body that serves the interests of students living in our residences. Each of our residences has a Council that helps support the community within. Through their work in advocacy, programming, and leadership and mentorship, Residents' Councils are essential pillars in our vibrant campus communities.

Residence Events Pass (REP)

The Residence Events Pass is your all-access ticket to every REP event that Council is planning. While the majority of Council programming is free and accessible to everyone in the building, REP event access is only available through the purchase of a Pass, or individual event tickets. In the past, the Pass has included events like Semi-Formal and Formal.

Residents' Council is a fantastic opportunity to positively impact your community. You can be the reason someone enjoys their first year in residence, or even university! You work with like-minded students just like you and it's a whole lot of fun. - Spencer C., Past Elgin Hall Council President

How do I Join Residents’ Council?

Each Residents’ Council is governed by its own constitution and has its own selection process. President applications are now live, and will close on March 12, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.

Join Residents' Council as:

President
Executive Member
Commissioner
Floor Representative/Building Ambassador/Junior Commissioner

Contact your council of interest if you require more information.

President Applications Now Open!

Residents’ Council is an autonomous body, composed of student leaders and representatives. The Council strives to represent the interests of their constituents and support the on-campus student experience through educational programming and leadership development.

The Council President is a volunteer student leadership position, responsible for leading the Residents’ Council in the planning and execution of year-long Council programming and resident advocacy. The Council President works closely with their building Programming Coordinator(s), Residence Manager(s), Residence Staff, and Residence Sophs, to support residence community and learning.

In accordance with the Residents’ Council Constitution, all candidates must:

Be enrolled as an undergraduate student at Western University for the upcoming academic year
Live in the residence which they are representing, during the indicated term being applied for
Be in good standing with the Housing Office and the Student Code of Conduct
Have received no outcomes from the Conduct Office higher than a Letter of Warning
Demonstrate and uphold the values of Western University, Housing, and Residents’ Council

Core Competencies

Communication and Interpersonal Relations: Convey ideas clearly and effectively to inform Council members, advocate for resident concerns, and maintain stakeholder relationships
Team-Building and Development: Build and develop a capable, diverse and cohesive team to maximize their collective skills and talents; motivate others to achieve Council goals; recognize and reward contributions
Negotiation: Explore alternatives and consult varying positions to reach outcomes that gain the support and acceptance of all involved stakeholders
Time Management: Effectively manage both personal and team time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently and goals are achieved
Leadership: Present strong leadership skills: develop shared vision, identify personal leadership philosophy, and lead and maintain a standard of excellence
Accountability: Take responsibility for actions, decisions and deliverables as relevant to role; work to establish a culture of accountability among direct reports and across Council; model accountability for others

Role Responsibilities

Act as chief spokesperson for Residents’ Council
Advocate for the interests of their constituents to all relevant administrative and governing entities within the University
Chair regular Council meetings
Liaise between their constituency administrator (Programming Coordinator) and Council to ensure all information such as are necessary for carrying out duties are shared in a timely and accurate fashion
Directly supervise and coordinate the duties of Council Executive members
Recruit and support training for Council Executive, Commissioners, and First-Year Representatives
Attend regular Communication Meetings and monthly Presidents’ meetings as set by Housing
Prepare, at the end of their term of office, a report on the year’s Council activities
Attend all Council training as provided by Housing, including early arrival in August
Complete all other duties in matters concerning the Council, as required/outlined in your Constitution