Our Student Leadership

Student Leadership Opportunities

National Leadership | Student Board of Advisors

National Leadership

Roosevelt’s National Leadership Team is a representative group of students who volunteer to lead the network each year by organizing chapter participants, strategizing and supporting policy projects, communicating key messages, and influencing decision-makers. The purpose of the National Leadership Team is to strengthen our student chapters and advance policy work across the network; this group of student volunteers works either regionally with chapters or with individuals and groups working on policy projects, or with both.

The Roles & Responsibilities of National Leadership

Regional Team Positions

*all events are currently digital due to COVID-19; more information will come about the 2021-2022 school year.

Non-Regional Positions

What You’ll Gain From A Role on National Leadership

• An understanding of Roosevelt’s worldview and the ability to explain to others the trends in our economy and democracy that have led us to––and can lead us out of––the current US policy landscape.
• Intensive training and one-on-one staff guidance specific to your role and responsibilities, including on topics such as: policy research and writing, coalition building, outreach skills, event planning, time management, etc.
• The experience of helping drive the day-to-day work of a national student network. 
• The experience of peer advising and coaching, including giving and receiving feedback. Members of National Leadership advise chapter leaders and/or students leading policy projects.
• Individual professional development support, including a better understanding of the progressive professional pathways available to you, access to mentorship opportunities, and connections to Roosevelt Network alumni and partners. 

Program Structure

National Leadership terms run from August–June, starting with our annual Hyde Park conference in the summer and ending with each academic year. More information about the program components and requirements are outlined below.  

Attendance at the Annual Hyde Park Conference

All 2021–2022 National Leadership students are expected to attend our virtual Hyde Park Conference, which this year will take place from July 29–31 for members of National Leadership,  and August 5–8 for all qualifying students. The Hyde Park Conference provides critical onboarding and training for each role, provides an opportunity for goal-setting for the year ahead, helps build the community of National Leadership members, and more. The second portion of the conference, open to all qualifying students, is the first chance for National Leadership students to publicly step into their roles as leaders in the network. 

Mid-Year Retreat

All National Leadership students are expected to attend one weekend of programming in early January, approximately halfway through their term. This weekend helps the team regroup for the spring semester and is filled with trainings, workshops, and community-building activities that provide an opportunity to set new or revised goals for the rest of the term. Due to COVID-19, it is unclear whether this event will be virtual or in person in January 2022. 

Biweekly Staff Check-Ins

Throughout the academic year, each member of National Leadership will have a biweekly check-in call with one of Roosevelt’s National Staff members. These calls will range from 30 minutes to one hour.

Cohort Calls

Each National Leadership position will have monthly, hour-long cohort calls to discuss successes and challenges, and to share advice and tactics for success. Regional teams will also often have student-run check-in calls for their region’s three-person team, and/or office hours with chapter leaders in the region.

Members of National Leadership Are:

• Undergraduate students who have participated in their institution’s Roosevelt chapter,  held a chapter leadership role, participated in one of our national programs (ie: 10 Ideas), and/or been in one of our fellowship programs (i.e., a Forge Fellow or Emerging Fellow).
• Students should: 
  • Be able to commit to a year-long, part-time, remote opportunity that regularly uses Zoom, Google Docs, Slack, and other forms of digital collaboration. 
  • Have at least one more semester of their degree program left in the 2021–2022 academic year. 
  • Have relevant and matched experience to the role to which they apply and its responsibilities. For example:  
    • For policy coordinators, experience working in the relevant issue area is preferred;
    • For regional teams, experience with running or leading a chapter or campus student organization is preferred;
    • For communications coordinators, experience with communications––either as an academic area of study or running chapter communication––is preferred. 
• For regional team positions specifically, students who apply should attend an institution in that region.

What is the term for National Leadership roles?

Each position is a one-year term, but students who have successfully held the role and are not graduating the next academic year will be able to continue.  

Is this a stipended opportunity?

Yes. Regional Coordinators are paid $800 per semester, and all other positions are paid $700 per semester. 

Student Board of Advisors

The Student Board of Advisors (SBA) is a non-binding advisory board for the Roosevelt Network. The five-person board offers advice, guidance, and student perspectives to national staff when programming changes are being considered or when overall network strategy is being set, as well as in other kinds of high-level conversations and decisions. The SBA is a collection of individuals who together should represent the diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives of Roosevelters across the nation. 

What You’ll Gain From Serving on SBA 

• The experience of serving on an advisory board for a national organization. 
• The opportunity to collaborate with our Alumni Board of Advisors, the parallel body for our alumni members. 
• Individual professional development support, including a better understanding of the progressive professional pathways available to you, access to mentorship opportunities, and connections to Roosevelt Network alumni and partners. 

Board Structure & Operations

SBA has five members who are all in the last two years of their degree programs. The board is mostly self-governed, but works closely with the Roosevelt Network National Director. The board positions are: 

• Chair: The chair of SBA runs the board and is traditionally in the final year of their degree program. Each chair serves one year on SBA as the junior chair before being promoted into this role.
• Junior chair: The junior chair commits to a two-year tenure on the board––the first year as junior chair, and the second as chair; as such, they are traditionally juniors or students with two years left in their degree programs. They assist the chair with running the board. 
• Three “general members’”: The remaining three members of SBA are seniors or students in the final year of their degree program. Our goal is to have a board that represents different experiences in the network: students who have participated in different opportunities, attend different kinds of institutions, are from different regions of the country, and who have a diverse set of identities.

Members of SBA: 

• Are undergraduate students in the final year of their degree program. 
• Have participated in the network in various ways: as chapter members or leaders, as fellows, anyone who has submitted to 10 Ideas, etc. 
• Can commit up to five hours per month to an unpaid, volunteer role. 
• Are excited about the opportunity to provide advice, guidance, and input to high-level, strategic organization decisions. SBA does not participate in the day-to-day operations of the network like some roles on National Leadership. 

What is a board term?

For general members, the board term is one academic year. For the junior chair, the commitment is two years. 

Is this a stipended opportunity?

No. Serving on this advisory board is an unpaid, volunteer position.