Boards and Committees Structure

The Congress of the South 40 accomplishes most of its activities — particularly its programming — through its boards and committees.  Any resident can serve on a board if they so desire – it is one of the best ways for freshmen to get involved without an enormous commitment.  Students may sign up for boards as soon as they arrive on campus by contacting the execs in the CS40 office, located centrally across from Bear’s Den in Umrath Hall.

The Boards are advised by the Director of Development and Director of Services.  Each board addresses specific areas of programming.  Each area is headed by a Chair, but each Chair works collaboratively with the other Chairs their respective Board.  Assembly representatives are required to serve a board and will attend the meetings each week. Other college council members, though, are also able to serve on these boards.  Each board usually plans around 1 major event a semester.  Descriptions follow:

Development Board

Comprised of Scholastic, Community Services, and Culture, and Sustainability committees.   Relates to the advancement of the Washington University Campus and the St. Louis Community cultures and environments. Please direct any questions to the Director of Development.

Scholastic

The Scholastic Chair works closely with Faculty Fellows and Faculty Associates on the Forty.  Events may include the showing of a documentary or a speaker on a current event, with an informal discussion to follow.  Traditional programs from this committee include the January Reading Program in the Fall and Last Lecture (a lecture given by a WashU professor as if it were his or her last) in the Spring.

Community Service

Community Service serves as a resource to  South 40 residents with an interest in volunteerism and works to incorporate community service components into CS40 events.  The chair is responsible for helping individual residential colleges perform community service.  The chair may also work collaboratively with other Washington University service organizations.  Safe Trick or Treat is one of many programs traditionally overseen by the Community Service Chair.

Culture

The purpose of the committee is to provide our students with opportunities to explore the city and experience St. Louis culture.  Transportation will be provided and tickets to such events as the Symphony, Fox Theater, COCA, City Museum, and the St Louis Art Museum will be available subsidized through CS40.  This is a great opportunity for RA’s to collaborate with their College Council to provide a meaningful programming experience. Please contact the culture chair (cs40culture@wustl.edu) for more information.

Sustainability

This committee plans environmentally oriented programs and initiatives on the South 40 and works to make all CS40 events sustainable.  It also collaborates closely with the Washington University Sustainability Office and the Student Green Council.  Events planned by Sustainability include Green Cup, a competition between Residential Colleges to use the least amount of energy during the month of February.  The committee  also advises other groups on how to make their events more sustainable.

SEARs Board

Comprised of Social, Swamp, and Competitions committees. Relates to large activities and programs on the South Forty. Please direct any questions to the Director of Services.

Social

Every year, the Congress of the South 40 hosts a widely attended formal dance for the residents of the South 40. The Social Committee is responsible for planning every aspect of the event, including location, music, food, theme, ticket sales and promotion.

Competitions

Outdoor competitions make up the bulk of this committee’s programming.  Their largest event is the Residential College Olympics, a tournament where residents compete for their Residential College in everything from Scrabble to Basketball.  Each Residential College is responsible for sending at least 2 co-captains to weekly meetings with the coordinator to plan for the Olympics.

Swamp

This committee focuses on large events utilizing the Swamp, such as movies or tournaments.  The committee will work with College Councils and other campus organizations on cosponsorship.  At the legendary WUStock, a major event during Spring South 40 Week, the committee brings a high profile band to perform on the Swamp.  Student band performances, food, and activities accompany the event.

Operations Board

Internal Operations Committee (IOC)

This small committee, headed by the Internal Operations Chair and comprised of the College Council Vice Presidents, works in conjunction with the Speaker to review and enforce the Constitution of the Congress of the South 40.  The committee also oversees all CS40 elections and election petitions. They are responsible for reviewing the CS40 Constitution and proposing amendments to the Constitution as necessary. The IOC may make recommendations for constitutional amendments.  This committee is elected at the beginning of the year at Assembly. IOC will meet TBA.

MACURH Chair

The MACURH Chair serves as WashU’s National Communications Coordinator (NCC) for the Midwest Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (MACURH). They manage CS40’s membership in MACURH and attend three annual conferences along with the Speaker on behalf of CS40. The MACURH chair also manages logistics and transportation to and from MACURH conferences and serves as the point of contact for MACURH matters.

Advocacy Chair

The Advocacy Chair spearheads CS40’s advocacy efforts, including assisting with Residential Student Advisory Board meetings, managing resident feedback forms, and facilitating resident Town Halls.

Diversity and Inclusion Chair

The Diversity and Inclusion (D and I) Committee Chair works with the D and I Representatives of each College Council to host programs that are inclusive towards all WashU residents. They may also contribute to advocacy efforts related to D and I and serve as the liaison to other students organizations relating to D and I.

Finance Board

College Council Treasurers work closely with the Director of Finance to ensure responsible and properly tabulated spending by the Congress of the South 40.  The Finance Committee also screens campus funding requests from student groups looking to program on the South 40 and presents reasonable cases to the Assembly, where the measure is voted on.  Funds granted then transfer from the Finance request account, which is pre-designated in the budget.  Finance request forms are available on the CS40 website, and parties may appeal for up to $1000. The Finance Board will meet TBA.

Promotions Board