The purpose of the RSA is to serve as the official liaison between the students living in Northeastern University (NU) residence halls and the staff and administration of the Department of Housing and Residential Life; to act as a programming organization to the students living in NU residence halls; to act as an advocacy body on behalf of the resident student population; to provide leadership development opportunities to resident students; to oversee residence hall councils; to strive to make NU residence halls a continually more serviceable and livable community; to aim for a membership that equally represents each of the residence halls on campus; to act in an advisory capacity to the resident students and the staff and administration of University offices in matters pertaining to NU residence halls; to be a means by which the Resident Activity Fee (RAF) is distributed; and to be the means by which the residence population affiliates itself with the National Association of College and University Residence Halls, Inc. (NACURH).