Volunteer Opportunities with HFS
May 6, 2025 by Paige Stanley
From housing leadership opportunities to sustainability groups to advisory boards, volunteers play a major role in the functioning of UW’s Housing and Food Services (HFS) department.
Volunteers provide insight into the student experience, helping HFS to improve housing and dining systems to best serve our campus community. Not only does HFS benefit from volunteer efforts, but these positions help students boost their resume, gain valuable transferable skills, meet new friends and make an impact on campus.
RCSA
The Residential Community Student Association (RCSA) serves as the democratic voice of student residents and leads the residential community through promoting engagement, ownership and advocacy. Striving toward an inclusive residential community, RSCA works to advocate for residents. RCSA holds weekly General Council meetings to form task forces and discuss campus living with UW professionals on HFS’s dining and facilities teams. Students involved in RCSA gain valuable leadership and advocacy skills.
“Being a part of RCSA allows students to develop leadership, advocacy, and communication skills while connecting with other students” RSCA Director of Communications, Velerie Dancel, said.
All UW students are welcome to attend General Council meetings, which happen every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 PM in Madrona 313.
Learn more about RCSA here.
Budget Advisory Committee
The Budget Advisory Committee is a sub-committee within RCSA that strives to both gather feedback and educate students on the budget processes of HFS. The Budget Advisory Committee is comprised of a representative from each residential community. BAC begins each academic year by learning how HFS operates with the help of weekly guest speakers from various HFS units. Then, in January, the committee begins reviewing and providing feedback on the annual rates proposal based on input from members and the residents they represent. BAC allows students to ask questions and get clarification, ensuring transparency between HFS staff and students.
“Working with BAC is extremely rewarding for me because I get to see the transparency behind every action or decision HFS makes financially,” RCSA Director of Administration and Finance, Hana Liu, said. “Chairing this committee also gives me a deep appreciation for how complex it is for a service such as HFS to operate and reinforces my belief that transparency builds trust between residents and administration!”
The Budget Advisory Committee begins recruiting in October. Please reach out to rcsaadmn@uw.edu if you have any questions, and learn more here.
SEED
Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED) works with residents and HFS to bring awareness to sustainability issues that impact our campus. The committee is comprised of representatives from each residence hall. In addition to education efforts, taskforces within SEED work to implement sustainable initiatives, including the OZZI program and in-room compost bins.
“These taskforces allow students to develop leadership and planning skills, strengthen their communication skills, and take ownership over their projects throughout the quarter,” RCSA Student Advisor, Kirupa Gunaseelan, said.
Learn more about SEED and their accomplishments here.
Frost Bite
Frost Bite is a student volunteer–run ice cream shop known for its low prices, large portion sizes and great sense of community. The non-profit business model serves the campus community because all funds go directly back into running the business and improving the space.
Volunteer responsibilities include opening, closing, scooping ice cream, serving customers, operating the register and sharing ideas to improve the Frost Bite experience. As a Frost Bite volunteer, you can create your own schedule, build your resume, get a free WA food workers permit and get free ice cream each shift!
Learn more about Frost Bite here.
Dining Dawgs
Dining Dawgs is UW Dining’s Student Advisory Board. Board members work with HFS leadership to share student customer praise, ideas and concerns regarding UW Dining in order to support key business decisions and improve the overall dining experience. Dining Dawgs is also a great way to meet other students, boost your resume and try out new dining options. All students are welcome to apply to join Dining Dawgs.
Learn more and apply here.
REP and RPB
Residence Education Programmers (REP) and the Residential Programming Board (RBP) are student groups that promote community within UW’s residential communities. REP plans 15-20 education programs per quarter centered around academic success, wellness and diversity. RPB provides 25-30 diverse, inclusive and social events per quarter. Both teams collaborate with other on-campus groups to promote campus-wide community.
Learn more about Residential Programming and the perks of joining the team here.
Hall Caucus
Hall Caucus serves as the voice of residents for the ASUW Student Senate. Led by the RCSA Director of Government Affairs, Hall Caucus is comprised of two Hall Senators from each residence hall and community. Senators attend three meetings per week, including Hall Council, ASUW Student Senate and Hall Caucus meetings. Hall Senators come together during Hall Caucus to address ongoing discussions, foster teamwork and write legislation. As the only committee that represents RCSA and Hall Councils to the student government, Hall Caucus works diligently to advocate for resident concerns.
“I find working with the Hall Senators to be the best part of my job because they are a rewarding group of students who are always looking to grow and advocate” RCSA Director of Government Affairs, Autumn Yi, said.
Learn more about Hall Caucus here.
Check out the Student Leadership page to learn more about volunteering opportunities!
Hall Council
Hall Councils are comprised of residents from each hall/community who work together to plan events, discuss advocacy within RCSA, and provide input on their experience as an HFS resident. There are many levels of representative positions and opportunities to gain leadership experience.
“Being a part of Hall Council was a very rewarding experience and a really good way to get involved in the UW community” RCSA Director of Government Affairs, Autumn Yi, said. “I think it helped me with doing things I would never have tried (like getting involved with Senate) and gave me a lot of opportunities as a freshman.”
Get information about attending Hall Council events and learn more about joining here.
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