GUIDELINES FOR ACLU OF OREGON STUDENT GROUPS
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon (ACLU of Oregon) is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to
promote and defend civil liberties principles through legal, legislative and public education programs. The ACLU of
Oregon is an affiliate of the national ACLU. We have more than13,000 ACLU members in Oregon and more than
500,000 nationwide. The ACLU of Oregon has offices in Portland and Eugene, with a staff of 10 serving the state.
There are three active chapters: the Benton-Linn Chapter (Benton and Linn counties), Lane County Chapter and
Southern Oregon Chapter (Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties).
Student groups play a key role in promoting civil liberties on campuses and in their communities, and the ACLU of
Oregon is committed to helping student voices be heard and to helping students promote civil liberties through public
education and activism. In order to be recognized as an ACLU group, campus groups need to agree to operate under
the guidelines outlined in this memo. The following requirements are not intended to discourage your activism but to
provide the framework necessary for operation. We hope that these guidelines will help increase your understanding of
your invaluable role in the success of the ACLU and our mission to promote and defend civil liberties principles.
High school student groups will need to read and sign these Guidelines as well as complete the “ACLU of Oregon
Student Group Registration Form”.
College or law school student groups will need to read and sign these Guidelines, complete the “ACLU of Oregon
Student Club Registration Form” and adopt “ACLU of Oregon College and Law School Group Bylaws” or other
approved bylaws.
STARTING A STUDENT GROUP ON CAMPUS
In order to form a student group, you should have at least five students who will make the ACLU a priority. Discuss
the possibility of a group with your peers and create a list of names and contact information for those who want to get
involved. These steps will help make sure there is enough interest on your campus to maintain an active student group.
The next thing to do is to ask your school administration for the written policies on student groups: What is the
procedure for forming a group? What benefits are groups entitled to? What are the responsibilities of student groups?
What are the expectations in terms of faculty advisers?
The ACLU staff is available to help you get started, provide guidance through the process and help if you have any
problems with securing equal access to school programs. If you run into problems, contact the ACLU of Oregon for
help.
Your contact at the ACLU of Oregon is Claire Syrett, Southern District Field Organizer: [email protected] or (541)
683-9277.
ACLU student groups must comply with the following guidelines to be recognized as a group and remain in good
standing.
ACLU of Oregon
Guidelines for student groups
1. Designate three contact persons (primary contact, secondary contact, and faculty adviser) for your Student
Group. The primary contact is presumed to be the club chair or president, unless otherwise indicated. Mail a
completed “ACLU of Oregon Student Group Registration Form” to the Field Organizer or complete the online
form. Notify the ACLU of Oregon of any changes in leadership, faculty adviser, contact information or group
status,
2. Send via mail or e-mail a copy of the Student Group Bylaws, or other document outlining the Group structure
and procedures to the Field Organizer. You are encouraged to use the Student Group Bylaws posted on our
website. If you draft your own, they must first be submitted for approval.
3. Register with your school’s student affairs office. Follow all guidelines for campus organizations established
by your school.
4. Apply for available funding through your student affairs office and follow all financial guidelines. Fundraising
activities must be on-campus only and must be approved by the ACLU of Oregon Development Director.
Under very limited circumstances a group may receive funds from the ACLU of Oregon to support a specific
event by submitting a “Request for Funds” form.
5. Association officers are expected to be or become ACLU members. ACLU membership is encouraged for all
group members. Basic membership is $20 and a $5 student membership is also available. Becoming a member
of the ACLU is a personal commitment to the principles of freedom, justice and equality, and the ACLU’s work
in defense of these ideals.
6. Once you have the school’s approval, an adviser, and a list of interested students, contact the Field Organizer to
discuss setting up an initial meeting. Activities at your first meeting might include election of officers, approval
of bylaws, and planning activities and events for the coming months. Plan to include an ACLU of Oregon staff
person in your first meeting agenda. We will make every effort to have an ACLU staff person attend future
meetings.
7. Once every semester or quarter, contact the Field Organizer with an update on your activities, and to address
any issues or questions. The Field Organizer can give you updates on ACLU of Oregon activities around the
state as well as offering opportunities for involvement in campaigns or other activities.
POLICIES FOR GROUP ACTIVITIES
The ACLU of Oregon staff is here to support the students and advisers, and offer guidance, resources and ideas. You
are encouraged to consult with the ACLU of Oregon staff on a regular basis. Questions may arise as to whether an
activity falls within the ACLU’s mission of defending freedoms under the Bill of Rights. Any position taken by the
group must be consistent with ACLU policies.
We cover a broad range of issues: free speech, religious freedom, reproductive rights, GLBT rights, racial justice,
privacy, due process, discrimination, and much more. However, there are many worthy causes (organizing labor
unions and anti-war activities, for example) that are not part of the ACLU’s work.
Please contact staff before working on any issues. You must have express authorization from ACLU of Oregon staff
before beginning work on any project to ensure that your work falls in line with ACLU of Oregon’s mission. Improper
use of the ACLU’s name can damage the ACLU’s credibility and effectiveness.
In addition, you are not authorized to make statements to the media on behalf of the ACLU, including your campus
newspaper. If you receive an inquiry from the media, discuss it with your contact at the ACLU of Oregon as soon as
possible.
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ACLU of Oregon
Guidelines for student groups
All work you undertake must be done on a non-partisan basis. The ACLU does not endorse political parties or
candidates, including student government.
While we do not endorse candidates for office, we do work on ballot initiative campaigns when Constitutional issues
are involved. This can be a particularly effective activity for a campus group. Again, you must consult with ACLU of
Oregon staff before beginning to work on a campaign.
Upon request, your group leader must submit a written report to the ACLU of Oregon outlining your activities. You
will be given the opportunity to provide articles for publication in the ACLU of Oregon’s newsletter.
You need to comply with the following each time you plan to hold an event:
1. Notify the Field Organizer in advance of all public activities (including providing a schedule of all regular
group meetings).
2. Report afterward, with information on attendance, names and organizations of speakers, and a general sense of
how it came off.
3. Contact the ACLU of Oregon Field Organizer prior to taking a public position on any controversial issue.
ACLU of Oregon student groups are free to discuss all sides of any issues (indeed, public debates with opposing
groups can be very successful events) but may not take stances contrary to ACLU policy. ACLU of Oregon
responds quickly to all requests for clarification about ACLU policies.
ACLU WEBSITE POLICY
The ACLU of Oregon’s website is located at http://www.aclu-or.org.
Postings on the ACLU of Oregon website represent the views of the ACLU of Oregon and must reflect ACLU policy.
Separate student group websites may be allowed, with guidance and approval from the ACLU of Oregon.
The ACLU of Oregon website hosts pages for our student groups. Your section can list contact information, meeting
times and information about upcoming events. To post information, send it to Brian Willoughby, Communications
Director at [email protected].
FINANCES
ACLU Student Groups need to keep good records of income and expenses and provide regular financial reporting to
student group leadership and to the Field Organizer. Under no circumstances may a bank account be opened in the
name of the ACLU, the ACLU of Oregon or a School Group of the ACLU or any similar name. ACLU Student
Groups need to comply with any requirements their school may have concerning student group funding and record
keeping. In order to be reimbursed for expenses, activities must be pre-approved by ACLU staff and receipts provided.
To facilitate financial planning, your group may want to submit a budget to the ACLU for approval at the beginning of
the year.
MEMBERSHIP
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ACLU of Oregon
Guidelines for student groups
By joining the ACLU, you automatically join the national and state organizations and any local chapter as applies.
Growth in membership increases our financial strength, our lobbying ability, and our ability to reach others. The
greater your membership, the stronger your voice.
Student groups are encouraged to actively recruit new members. The Field Organizer can provide you membership
brochures and other materials. An easy and effective way to recruit new members is to ask people you know to join.
Membership brochures should be displayed whenever anyone speaks to a group on behalf of the ACLU or anytime an
information table is set up at a student event.
New memberships should be promptly returned to the Field Organizer. Membership information is confidential and is
not to be shared or used for any other purpose than maintaining a group roster and facilitating communications with
members. If you have any question’s regarding ACLU’s privacy policy, please ask ACLU staff.
KINDS OF ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENT GROUPS
Student groups generally engage in the following kinds of activities:
1. Public Education Events: Groups are encouraged to sponsor speakers, forums, debates, film screenings, and
other events on civil liberties topics. Consider co-sponsoring such activities with other groups to improve
publicity and turnout. Clubs also sponsor information tables to distribute ACLU literature and may, with prior
review by the ACLU of Oregon staff, submit articles to campus publications.
2. Monitoring Civil Liberties on Campus: Student clubs sometimes take action around school policies relating to
civil liberties, such as student speech codes, student internet use policies, and harassment policies. Groups also
get involved in specific situations involving alleged violations of civil liberties by school authorities.
3. Issue Advocacy: Student groups serve to mobilize action at the school level for civil liberties campaigns in
which the ACLU of Oregon is participating, such as lobbying on state legislation that affects civil liberties.
I have read and understand the above Guidelines and I agree that all of our ACLU Student Group activities will follow
them.
Name: _______________________________________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________________________
School: _______________________________________________________________
Position in Student Group: ________________________________________________
Mailing address (during school year):________________________________________
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ACLU of Oregon
Guidelines for student groups
______________________________________________________________________
Home address (if different than above): ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________________________________
E-mail: ________________________________________________________________
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