The Roosevelt Institution at Hunter College:
Student Organization Constitution
Article I
The name of this organization shall be the Roosevelt Institution at Hunter College. It shall also be known as the Hunter College Chapter of the Roosevelt Institution.
Article II
The Roosevelt Institution was founded in 2004 as the nation’s first public policy student think tank. As a non-profit, non-partisan national network of campus-based chapters, the Institution conducts policy research on the pressing political issues facing our world, from environmental protection to equality under the law to trade and taxes. The Roosevelt Institution connects the fruits of that research to the policy process, delivering sound, progressive proposals to policymakers and advocacy groups at all levels of government as it organizes, trains, and empowers the next generation of progressive leaders. Recognizing the need for a student voice in the policymaking process, the Roosevelt Institution is committed to providing an organized model to train and empower students in the policymaking process, and to affect real change in American politics.
Article III
Membership is open to students who are interested in learning about, discussing and debating local and national public policy issues. Members must be committed to, and willing to promote, the progressive ideals on which the Roosevelt Institution was founded through political activism and sound, well-researched policy proposals. Members are asked to complete and sign a Membership Form, and are expected to attend meetings regularly.
Article IV
Section 1.
There shall be four Executive Board officers: an Administrative Director, a Policy Director, a Finance Director, and a Membership Director.
Section 2.
Elections shall be held annually at the end of each school year (May) at a regular plenary meeting. In order to run for an Executive Board position, and in order to vote, a member must have attended at least four meetings or club events within three months prior to the date of the election. Candidates must also receive at least one nomination from another member during the time of elections to run for office. Voting is done through secret ballot. The candidate who receives a plurality of votes will be declared the winner of the election for a particular office. In the event of a tie, a run-off is held between the top two candidates who receive the most number of votes. The candidate who receives the majority of votes in the run-off election will be declared the winner.
Section 3.
A. The Administrative Director, or Admin Director, is the President of the Chapter, and thus, the chief presiding officer over all plenary meetings and Administrative Committee meetings. The Admin Director will prepare an agenda for each meeting and is responsible for setting and executing the long term goals for the organization. He/She must faithfully carry out the decisions reached by the entire group. The Admin Director must represent the organization, or designate a representative, at all campus meetings where representation is requested. The Admin Director is also responsible for assigning responsibilities to others and checking to see that the work is being done. As Administrative Director, this officer will oversee the functioning of the Administrative Committee, or Admin Team, and will preside over Admin meetings. The Admin Director should attend all Policy Directors meetings.
B. The Policy Director oversees the Policy Branch and must therefore organize policy centers and working groups. The Policy Director works with policy center directors to motivate them, connect them to experts and professors, help them find projects, provide structure and give guidance. The Policy Director should hold weekly meetings with policy center directors. The Policy Director is also a member of the Admin Team and he/she must attend all Admin meetings. The Policy Director must also be able to take over the Admin Director’s responsibilities when the Admin Director is unable to carry out these duties for any reason and must therefore be familiar with all of the duties thereof.
C. The Finance Director is responsible for all funds of the organization. He/She must be able to prepare the budget for the club in consultation with the Executive Board. This officer must also be able to keep track of the expenses of the club and keep a thorough record of all monetary transactions. The Finance Director is a member of the Admin Team. He/She is responsible for filing checks with, and filing for reimbursement from, the National staff of the Roosevelt Institution.
D. The Membership Director is responsible for maintaining a complete and regularly updated database of all official members. He/She is also the chief custodian of the permanent records of the organization, and they must be kept in a complete and accurate manner. The Membership Director is responsible for overseeing that detailed and accurate minutes of every meeting are kept. The Membership Director is a member of the Admin Team and he/she must attend all meetings.
Section 4.
Any official member of the organization may motion to impeach an Executive Board officer. A motion to impeach must be made at a plenary meeting of the entire organization and it must be seconded by at least three additional members in order to be called to a vote. Voting is done through secret ballot. After a vote in which every member must participate, a two-thirds majority is required to impeach the officer. An impeached officer must resign immediately and a special election must be called to fill the vacancy.
Article V
Section 1.
The organization shall be comprised of three standing committees: a Steering Committee, an Administrative Committee, and a Policy Branch.
Section 2.
A. The Steering Committee is a body of directors from the Admin Team and the Policy Branch that makes important decisions for the chapter. The committee includes the Admin Director, the Policy Director, the Finance Director, the Membership Director, and all other Admin and Policy officers. Any major decisions, such as determining goals for the year, are voted on by the committee. The Steering Committee shall meet once a month, or whenever major decisions have to be made.
B. The Administrative Committee, or Admin Team, fulfills the needs of the organization that are non-policy related. It builds relationships, manages and raises funds, organizes and plans events, advertises, recruits, and promotes the policy created by the chapter. The Administrative Director serves as the committee Chairman and is responsible for appointing the other non-Executive Board committee officers. The Admin Team is composed of the Admin Director, the Policy Director, the Finance Director, the Membership Director, the Communications Director, the Outreach Director, and the Events Director.
1. The Communications Director is responsible for keeping chapter leaders, members, and the general campus informed and up to date on the chapter’s activities. This officer sends weekly email updates to chapter members and maintains the chapter’s website. He/She is also in charge of advertising, recruiting and publicity drives for events.
2. The Outreach Director is responsible for all interactions with press, elected officials, academics, and community leaders. This officer writes press releases and works to generate media for policy center work.
3. The Events Director is responsible for organizing and planning chapter-wide events. He/She must work with the rest of the committee to budget, reserve space, and advertise for events.
C. The Policy Branch is responsible for creating public policy ideas that address various National Challenges and/or Local Initiatives. The Policy Branch is comprised of Policy Centers and Working Groups. Policy Centers consist of groups of students who share broad interests in general policy areas, such as education or economic policy. Working Groups are formed within these centers, in which students write policy, research and debate about specific issues relating to the general policy center. Every working group has a director and each policy center has a director who facilitates communication between the working groups in the center. A Policy Center director must also be the director of a working group. The entire Policy Branch is managed by the Policy Director. At Policy Branch meetings, the Policy Director serves as the presiding officer and each Policy Center director must attend.
Section 3.
In the event that any officer of the Steering Committee or Administrative Committee is unable to fulfill his/her duties for an extended period of time, the Administrative Director reserves the right to nominate a temporary replacement with the consent and approval of the Steering Committee.
Article VI
Regular plenary meetings shall occur bi-monthly at a date and time scheduled by the Administrative Director and agreed upon by a majority of the members. The Steering Committee shall meet at least once a month or whenever a majority of its members deem it necessary. Both the Administrative Committee and Policy Branch shall meet at least once every week. The date and time of the meetings shall be determined by the respective directors of each committee, and agreed upon by a majority of members. Special meetings may be called to order whenever the Executive Board deems it necessary. Major events, conferences, and panel discussions are categorized as special meetings.
Article VII
With regard to plenary meetings, ten official members shall be required to constitute a quorum.
Article VIII
An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by any member. To pass, the Amendment must be voted upon and receive a two-thirds majority of all votes. The amendment should be introduced during a regularly scheduled plenary meeting of the organization.
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