Constitution of
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
ROOSEVELT INSTITUTE
Enacted 2/25/2014
We, the GW Roosevelt Institute, are a student policy organization that engages a new generation
in a unique form of progressive activism that empowers young people as leaders and promotes
their ideas for change.
ARTICLE I. NAME AND LOCATION
Section I. This document establishes an officially recognized chapter of The Roosevelt
Institute Campus Network, a national network of student think tanks. The chapter will
hereafter be referred to as GW Roosevelt Institute.
Section II. In all student organization directories compiled by The George Washington
University, this chapter will be referred to simply as Roosevelt Institute.
Section III. GW Roosevelt Institute is located and operates at The George Washington
University at 2121 Eye Street, NW in Washington, DC. This includes the Mount Vernon
Campus and all subsidiary campuses of The George Washington University.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
Section I. Mission Statement
GW Roosevelt Institute seeks to provide a forum for expressing, researching, and
implementing the public policy ideas of students at GW, and to influence progressive
change in GW’s local community and the Greater Washington, DC Area.
Section II. Compliance
GW Roosevelt Institute may enact rules and regulations for organizational operations
providing such rules and regulations are consistent with the message and language of the
rules and bylaws of Roosevelt Institute Campus Network, The George Washington
University, and local and federal law.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section I. GW Roosevelt Institute Members
Members of GW Roosevelt Institute shall consist of all members of policy centers and
committees, all center directors, and all other officers and members of the Executive
Board.
Only registered GW students are considered members of the organization; all others
(friends, family, faculty, staff, etc.) are considered guests. Guests are welcome to attend
events and vote, but they cannot hold officer positions or handle money on behalf of the
organization.
To be considered a member of GW Roosevelt Institute, one must:
- Be a registered undergraduate or graduate student of The George Washington
University.
- Be in good standing with the university.
- Attend at least 2 GW Roosevelt Institute events in a semester
- Abide by the chapter constitution, the chapter’s bylaws, the university’s
requirements for student organizations and student conduct, as well as the national
Roosevelt Institute Campus Network charter and bylaws.
Section III. Membership Withdrawal
All members may voluntarily withdraw their membership at any time.
Section IV. Membership Dues
Should membership dues be required, as determined by the budget set by the Executive
Board, members must pay them within a reasonable period of time. A member may
remain active in GW Roosevelt Institute without having paid membership dues, but may
lose out on certain membership privileges. The Financial Director should accommodate
any member that may have financial difficulty paying dues, and work out a reasonable
solution.
Section V. Membership Revocation
Members of GW Roosevelt Institute may have their membership revoked if they engage
in behavior violating the above eligibility requirements and any other requirements for
membership. In addition, membership may be revoked for engaging in activity illegal
under local and federal law.
Membership may be revoked by a 2/3 vote by the Executive Board.
Section VI. Equal Opportunity
Membership to GW Roosevelt Institute shall not be denied on the basis of race, color,
sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, religion, disability, age,
veteran status, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, or any other basis in accordance with
local and federal law.
Section VII. Membership Privileges
All members of GW Roosevelt Institute shall be allowed to:
- Participate in any established policy center
- Attend any event sponsored by GW Roosevelt Institute
- Sit on any committee formed by the GW Roosevelt Institute Executive Board
- Propose the establishment of a new policy center under the requirements of the
chapter constitution and chapter bylaws.
- Attend any meeting of the GW Roosevelt Institute Executive Board.
- Vote in GW Roosevelt Institute general elections
- Run for elected positions within the organization
No student of the George Washington University may be barred from any open GW
Roosevelt Institute event strictly on the basis of a missing dues payment.
ARTICLE IV. STRUCTURE
Section I. Overall Structure
GW Roosevelt Institute shall be comprised of the following components:
The Executive Board, comprised of President, Policy Chair, Advocacy Chair, Finance
Director, Programming Director, Public Relations Director, Outreach Director, Secretary,
Freshman Representatives, and Editor-in-Chief.
The Policy Board, overseen by the Policy Chair and comprised of Policy Center
Directors, members of Policy Centers, and the Advocacy Chair.
Advocacy and Impact Committees, commissioned by the Executive Board and overseen
by the Advocacy Chair.
Section II. Executive Board - Elected Positions
The Executive Board of GW Roosevelt Institute shall be the sole interpreter and executor
of this constitution, and of the bylaws. It is the general purpose of the Executive Board to
represent GW Roosevelt Institute, grow the organization, and organize all chapter
programming.
Section II. Executive Board Positions
a. President
The President is the leader of GW Roosevelt Institute, responsible for all operations and
meetings of the Executive Board. The President is the official contact point for GW
Roosevelt Institute, and shall represent the chapter throughout the university, community,
and all regional and national Roosevelt Institute Campus Network operations.
b. Policy Chair
The Policy Chair oversees the Policy Centers and their Directors and is the primary
liaison between the Executive Board and all policy operations of GW Roosevelt Institute.
The Policy Chair shall be responsible for all meetings of Policy Directors, and will work
with the Advocacy Chair to strive for implementation of member’s policy ideas. The
Policy Chair shall also strive to connect with policy leaders in the community and
Washington, DC area for the purpose of adding a student voice to the policy
conversation, and advancing the resources available to the Policy Centers and their
Directors.
c. Advocacy Chair
The Advocacy Chair is responsible for all advocacy and impact project operations,
including but not limited to: implementing policy proposals, partnering with community
organizations, and engaging in activism. The Advocacy Chair is a permanent member of
the Policy Board and shall work with Center Directors and their respective Policy Centers
to ensure that policy proposals, as endorsed by the Executive Board, move to
implementation. Alongside the President, the Advocacy Chair will be the liaison between
GW Roosevelt and local organizations.
d. Finance Director
The Finance Director is responsible for maintaining the budget of GW Roosevelt
Institute, receiving and tracking dues payments, acquiring financial sponsorships,
coordinating all fundraising needs, and handling other fiscal matters. The Finance
Director must craft a new budget for Executive Board approval every spring semester,
including a recommendation for membership dues. The Financial Director shall oversee
all grant applications put forth on behalf of the GW Roosevelt Institute.
e. Programming Director
The Programming Director is responsible for coordinating GW Roosevelt Institute
events, including room reservations and other accommodations. He or she shall advise
and assist in organizing events for the various Policy Centers and committees as needed.
f. Public Relations Director
The Public Relations Director is responsible for advertising events, recruiting new
members, and maintaining GW Roosevelt Institute’s online and social media presence,
including newsletters and updates distributed to members. This includes coordinating the
chapter’s presence at the student organization fairs. The Public Relations Director shall
work alongside the Secretary to keep a database of all active members and their status
within GW Roosevelt.
g. Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for all record-keeping and organizational maintenance, and
for publishing meeting minutes for the availability of all GW Roosevelt Institute
Members. Minutes of the Executive Board and the General Body are the direct
responsibility of the Secretary; minutes of Policy Centers and committees are to be
handled on a case-by-case basis. The Secretary is also responsible for the official
tabulation of Executive Board voting and general elections, except in instances of a
conflict of interest.
h. Outreach Director
The Outreach Director will be in charge of representing GW Roosevelt Institute at other
student organizations on campus. Responsibilities of the Outreach Director include
attending meetings of other organizations as an official representative of GW Roosevelt
Institute, obtaining co-sponsorships for GW Roosevelt events, and merging GW
Roosevelt efforts with parallel campaigns run by other student organizations whenever
feasible. The Outreach Director may not attend another student organization meeting
expressly as a representative of GW Roosevelt Institute unless such action is approved by
the Executive Board. The goal of the Outreach Director shall be to build and maintain a
coalition of progressive organizations at the George Washington University. The
Outreach Director will work with Center Directors on contact and recruitment with issuespecific organizations.
Section III. Executive Board – Appointed Positions
a. Freshman Representatives
Two members of the freshman class (to be determined by year and not academic
standing) shall be appointed to the Executive Board. It is the Freshman Representative’s
responsibility to present the opinions of freshman General Body members, engage in
outreach to underclassmen, and to assist other members of the Executive Board where
more resources and leadership are needed. It will be the specific leadership duty of the
Freshman Representatives to organize at least one community service project per
academic year.
b. Editor-in-Chief
The Executive board may appoint an Editor-in-Chief to assist in overseeing research and
publication, including the GW Roosevelt Institute Policy Journal. The Editor-in-Chief
will work in tandem with both the President and the Policy Chair, and should have a
background in copyediting.
Section IV. Policy
a. Policy Centers
Policy Centers shall be governed according to the chapter constitution and the bylaws of
GW Roosevelt Institute. The Policy Centers have the purpose of establishing a structure
and means by which to develop and produce the ideas of its members within a particular
public policy field.
All members of GW Roosevelt Institute may be a member of any Policy Center or
Centers of his or her choosing.
All members of any Policy Center may remove themselves from any policy center at any
time.
The Policy Centers shall be organized by the division between journals of the Roosevelt
Institute Campus Network, unless a new Policy Center is created, or two existing centers
are merged.
Any member of GW Roosevelt Institute may propose the establishment of a new policy
center, to be voted on by a majority of the Executive Board.
In the case of membership discrepancies, the Executive Board may merge two or more
existing Policy Centers by a majority vote.
It is the responsibility of the Executive Board to have oversight in assuring cooperation,
effectiveness, and compliance of the Policy Centers. It is the responsibility of the
Executive Board to act on behalf of the Policy Centers to the national Roosevelt Institute
organization.
b. Policy Center Directors
Each Policy Center shall have a Center Director, appointed by a majority vote of the
Executive Board.
With the exception of Freshman Representatives, no member of the Executive Board may
sit as Policy Center Director, with the exception of an interim appointment.
All Center Directors are under the purview and direction of the Policy Chair.
Each Center Director may handle their Center’s own policy production and maintain
autonomy with respect to individual meetings and operations. Each Policy Center is
bound by the same legal responsibilities as the whole GW Roosevelt Institute
organization, including, but not limited to, compliance with university regulations and
federal and local laws.
Center Directors are required to attend at least one Executive Board meeting per month,
and shall be notified of all meetings.
c. Editing and Publishing
The Editor-in-Chief, Policy Chair, and President are the official editorial staff of GW
Roosevelt Institute.
Any policy work or editorial written by a member of a Policy Center for publication
online or in print on behalf of GW Roosevelt Institute must be approved by two of the
three editorial staff.
Any GW Roosevelt Institute member that wishes to submit a piece of writing originally
published through GW Roosevelt Institute to a publication outside of the chapter must
first notify the Editor-in-Chief.
Ownership of original work written by members of GW Roosevelt Institute for use by the
Roosevelt Institute Campus Network is a matter to be dealt with by the national office.
Section VII. Advocacy
All operations of the Advocacy Committees are under the purview and direction of the
Advocacy Chair.
A committee may be proposed by any member of GW Roosevelt Institute, to be voted on
by a majority of the Executive Board, at which time the Executive Board will also
appoint by majority vote a committee chair.
The Executive Board may set a timeline on a committee, after which the committee must
be renewed or dissolved. The Executive Board may dissolve a standing committee by a
2/3 majority vote.
An Advocacy Committee Chair may be any member of GW Roosevelt Institute or the
Executive Board.
Committee Chairs are responsible for organizing meetings and reporting back to the
Executive Board.
ARTICLE VI. DECISION MAKING
Section I. Executive Decisions
The Executive Board shall vote on all major issues of operation for the group.
All elected and appointed members of the Executive Board, as well as all Center
Directors and Committee Chairs in attendance of an Executive Board Meeting shall have
one vote in all decisions, with the exception of decisions on new appointees, wherein
only Executive Board Members shall retain one vote each.
Executive Board meetings may reach a decision on unanimous consent, unless one
member calls for a vote on a decision.
No member of GW Roosevelt Institute shall have more than one vote on the Executive
Board.
One half of elected Executive Board members plus one shall constitute a quorum.
In the case of a tie in Executive Board vote, the President shall decide on a proper course
of action.
Section II. General Membership Decisions
All major decisions on an institutional level shall come to a vote of the General Body
within a reasonable time of their proposal.
ARTICLE VI. ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
Section I. General Elections
General elections shall be held in the spring academic semester prior to the first Reading
Day, at a date set by the Executive Board. All members of GW Roosevelt Institute shall
be eligible to run for any electable position.
All members of GW Roosevelt Institute in good standing are eligible to vote in general
elections, regardless of dues payment status. The sitting Secretary holds the right to
dispute an election attendee’s vote if that attendee has both: a) not paid membership dues,
and b) not met other membership requirements, to the point where membership
consideration is spurious.
Any member of GW Roosevelt Institute may withdraw themselves from an election at
any point in time.
All Executive Board positions are elected positions, with the exception of Freshman
Representative and Editor-in-Chief.
President, Policy Chair, and Advocacy Chair shall be considered tier-one elections, with
all other elected positions being considered tier-two elections. A candidate that loses a
tier-one election may also be considered for a tier-two position. Any candidate that wins
an election for a tier-one position is automatically withdrawn from any tier-two
candidacy.
Candidates shall have at least 5 days before the set election date in which to declare their
candidacy, with a maximum declaration of one tier-one position and one tier-two
position.
Elections shall be run by secret ballot.
All members of GW Roosevelt Institute who cannot attend the election may cast an
absentee vote for tier-one candidates only, up to 24-hours prior to the day of elections.
Absentee votes will be submitted to the sitting Secretary.
The responsibility of counting ballots rests with the sitting Secretary, with results
approved by the Executive Board. In the case of an election with three or more
candidates, an instant-runoff ballot may be used.
Section II. Study-Abroad Contingency
A member of GW Roosevelt Institute who is studying abroad in the fall semester may not
declare sole candidacy for any position.
Two candidates may run on a split ticket if one is planning on studying abroad, in which
case the second candidate would take over their position without the need for an
additional election. A split ticket will be voted on as if it was a single candidate.
If a sitting member of the Executive Board is abroad or departs for the spring semester, a
mid-year election will be run prior to the adjournment of the fall semester.
Section III. Appointments
All members of GW Roosevelt Institute are eligible for appointments, and all available
appointments shall be made public to members.
For the positions of Freshman Representative, the Executive Board may only make a
year-long appointment in the fall semester after the first General Body Meeting has taken
place.
The positions of Editor-in-Chief and all Center Directors may be appointed any time
following spring elections.
All appointees are to be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
The Executive Board may choose to add an additional Freshman Representative by a 2/3
majority vote.
The Executive Board may appoint a temporary advisor with a set term period by a 2/3
majority vote. Any Executive Board advisors will have one vote on the Executive Board.
Section IV. Transition
The final Executive Board meeting of the academic year will serve as the official
transition of power within GW Roosevelt Institute to the new Executive Board.
The President shall maintain a handbook containing documents of historical significance
to the Roosevelt Institute, advice from current Executive Board Members or other
leaders, and all information which they deem necessary. Each year, the outgoing
President shall deliver the handbook to the incoming Executive Board.
Section V. Terms
The term for all Executive Board members and appointed positions shall be one academic
year. The term begins during the transition meeting.
There shall be no term limits for any office.
Section VI. Removal from Office
Any Executive Board member or appointee considered unfit for his or her position or
having failed to adequately fulfill the position’s duties may be removed from office by a
2/3 majority vote of the whole Executive Board.
The responsibilities of the ex-member of the Executive Board shall be absorbed by the
remaining Executive Board members until a successor to the position is elected to serve
out the remainder of the term. The responsibility of the ex-appointee shall be taken up by
a new appointee to complete the remainder of the term.
Any member of the Executive Board or appointee may elect to remove him or herself
from office.
Section VII. Emergency and Summer Voting
In the event that an elected Executive Board position becomes vacant during the summer
prior to the start of the new academic year, it is the responsibility of the Executive Board
to appoint a new candidate by a majority vote until an election can be held within the first
two months of the academic year.
Article VII. Meetings
Section I. Executive Board Meetings
The Executive Board shall meet once a week, as determined by the President. Center
Directors and Committee Chairs shall be notified of every Executive Board meeting,
though Center Directors are only required to attend at least one meeting per month.
Center Directors and Committee Chairs shall maintain a vote on Executive Board
decisions unless otherwise indicated, but will not be required to constitute a quorum.
Section II. Policy Board Meetings
The Policy Chair, Advocacy Chair, and Policy Center Directors shall meet as a group at
least once a month.
Section III. Policy Center Meetings
Each individual Policy Center shall determine where and when the Center will meet.
Section IV. General Body Meetings
General Body Meetings shall occur at least once a month. The timing and location shall
be determined by the President, who shall also act as chair for the meeting. Any member
present shall have an opportunity to address the actions and direction of GW Roosevelt
Institute.
Section V. Attendance
All members of GW Roosevelt Institute shall have the right to attend any general body or
Policy Center meetings. The Executive Board may decide to open its meetings to all
members. Only registered GW students are considered members of the organization; all
others are considered guests.
ARTICLE VIII. FINANCES AND ALLOCATION
Section I. Chapter Accounting
The Executive Board is responsible for establishing a GW Roosevelt Institute bank
account. The Financial Director shall maintain this account as well as a record of all
expenditures incurred by GW Roosevelt Institute.
Section II. Funding
The Executive Board shall seek funding from the university, large donors, grant
applications, and through applicable membership dues. All tax-deductive donations shall
be processed through The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network national organization.
Section III. Budget and Dues
The Finance Director is responsible for crafting a budget every spring semester, to be
approved by the Executive Board and submitted to the GW Student Association for
funding in the next academic year.
Any dues increases included in the budget must be approved by a 2/3 vote of the
executive board.
Section IV. Allocation
All funds for GW Roosevelt Institute shall be maintained in a general account. No Policy
Center shall maintain its own funds. All fundraising done at a chapter level shall be
considered available to all centers and the needs of GW Roosevelt Institute as a whole.
The Policy Chair and Finance Director shall exercise immediate oversight regarding any
expenditure made by any Policy Center.
Any Policy Center or committee may request usage of general funds with the submission
of a budget to the Executive Board. To be accepted, the President and Financial Director
must approve.
ARTICLE IX. FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Section I. Legal Status
As an official chapter of The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network national organization,
GW Roosevelt Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit organization and is subject to the
rules and regulations that govern it as a 501(c)(3) organization, as well as those
enumerated in the national Roosevelt Institute Campus Network Charter and the
Memorandum of Understanding Between Roosevelt Institute Campus Network and The
George Washington University Chapter of The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network.
GW Roosevelt Institute shall comply with all legal responsibilities therein and as a
student organization of the George Washington University in compliance with all
university policies and the Student Code of Conduct. Any agent of GW Roosevelt
Institute is bound by these conventions, as well as the laws of the District of Columbia
and the United States.
ARTICLE X. BYLAWS
Section I. Bylaws
GW Roosevelt Institute shall maintain a list of bylaws in addition to this chapter
constitution. The bylaws will be passed by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board.
Any member of GW Roosevelt Institute shall be permitted to propose a bylaw.
Bylaws shall deal with, but are not limited to, those issues enumerated in this chapter
constitution and any issue not specifically addressed in this document.
ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS AND PASSAGE
Section I. Amendment Proposal
Amendments to this chapter constitution may be proposed by any member of GW
Roosevelt Institute to the Executive Board.
Section II. Amendment Voting
Proposed amendments to this chapter constitution must first be voted on by the Executive
Board within a reasonable time following its original proposal. A 2/3 vote by the
Executive Board allows the proposed amendment to be voted on by the general GW
Roosevelt Institute body at a general body meeting within a reasonable period of time. A
2/3 vote by the general GW Roosevelt Institute body is required for the proposed
amendment to be passed.
Section III. Ratification
This constitution shall be established by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive Board and
members present at the Constitutional Convention, upon which ARTICLE VI shall be
instituted to run the election of the new Executive Board. The remainder of this
constitution shall be put into effect upon the transition of the new Executive Board in the
spring of 2014.