A message from CEO, Kim Churches

Voting officially closed the evening of Saturday, June 9 on the three proposals for AAUW bylaws amendments presented to the membership. As you know, the AAUW National Board of Directors was strongly in support of all three proposals, as were several state AAUW Boards.

We know that some were concerned that AAUW would be unable to reach quorum in a non-convention year. We are delighted to report that AAUW reached quorum in the first few days of the voting period — and in fact, 19.8 percent of members voted, significantly above the 5 percent quorum required. We are grateful to every branch and national member who took the time to express your valued opinions by voting. As context, during the 2017 national convention and national vote, just 11.5 percent voted (about 9,400 members), so this is a significant increase this year and a terrific example of members exercising their democratic spirit.

The results from the vote this year can be found here, and more detail and information about voting in your state is also available on the website. In summary:

• Proposal #1 to create staggered board terms passed. Staggered terms will affect elected and appointed AAUW Board members starting terms in 2019. More information will be available during the application and election periods in the coming year, and the AAUW Governance Committee will work closely with the AAUW Nominating Committee and staff to ensure a smooth transition.
• Proposal #2 to allow non-AAUW member eligibility to Board did not meet the percentage required to pass.
• Proposal #3 to remove the educational requirement to AAUW membership did not meet the percentage required to pass.

There are many passionate voices on the issue of the educational membership requirement, as well as on the proposal to admit a small portion of current non-AAUW members to Board director positions. Opening the membership has been a highly debated issue in AAUW for many years. While neither proposal met the two-thirds approval of members required to pass, it’s important to emphasize that of the members who voted, 48.7 percent did approve proposal #2, and 44.5 percent approved proposal #3 — not the two-thirds required by our bylaws, but a significant percentage to note. Meaning, our membership is grappling with different viewpoints about the future of the organization. We encourage branches and members to continue discussing these issues with fellow members and with valued community stakeholders to ensure voices and ideas are shared.

Because our organization is a democracy, members may raise these proposals again, as well as other ideas for membership vote. With staggered terms now going into effect next year, we’ll be voting every year on at least one-third of the Board appointments, allowing the organization to be timely and relevant as we address the barriers to gender equity.

If you have any questions about the vote, please don’t hesitate to reach out at executive@aauw.org. You can also always reach the AAUW Connect team at connect@aauw.org.

Now is the time to come together in support of our mission to keep AAUW vital as an organization and increase our impact in advancing gender equity for all women and girls. Thank you again for your commitment and support.

Sincerely,

Julia T. Browh Signature Kim Churches Signature
Julia T. Brown, Esq.
Board Chair

Kimberly Churches
Chief Executive Officer