Dear Members of AAUW Pennsylvania,

As we look forward to AAUW strengthening its mission, deepening its impact on communities, and creating change through advocacy, we need not look further than the environments in which we live, work, and experience to know that our world looks and functions quite differently than it did fifty, thirty, and even twenty years ago. However, AAUW is no stranger to change.  In its 142-year history, AAUW has evolved to expand the universities and colleges from which it considered approved degrees (1940s); allowed education, nursing, and home economics to be approved degrees for membership (1963); diversified its population in allowing men to join the organization (1987); and further broadened its education requirement to accept associate or equivalent degrees (2005).  AAUW has been in a societal reflective flux from its inception and has prided itself on having the strength in foundation and mission, as well as in communal intellect, to recognize the pendulum of change and swing swiftly in due course.

AAUW’s annual election will start on April 3^rd and included in the vote is a proposal to open membership. To be clear, the vote for open membership is not one rooted in the hope for additional members. Our history has taught us that such a change will, in fact, not open the floodgates to new members. However, this change will allow for several imperative things to occur in the advancement of AAUW:

1. AAUW will align its mission with the people it serves – moving toward a stronger, truer vision of equity for all;
2. AAUW will strengthen our position as a more inclusive organization, which will allow us access to critical funding and resources we have been precluded from due to our restrictive membership requirements; and
3. AAUW will create a pathway for younger and diverse members to consider membership aligned with the world they have grown up in – one rooted in accessibility, community, diversity, and inclusion.

It is without doubt that each of us takes pride in our education and the tireless work it took to achieve such coveted degrees.  Our achievements and the journey taken toward those achievements are part and parcel of our personhood and who we have become today. Every single individual in our beloved organization has a personal story of his or her inception into AAUW. Whether it is following in a mother’s footsteps, searching for a likeminded community, or passion for fearless advocacy that led one to the doorsteps of AAUW, our story matters to us. Our membership in AAUW is an extension of self and the pillars that make us who we are.

At a time in our current world and culture that is incredibly tumultuous, and often unkind, it is imperative to practice inclusivity of the very populations on behalf of whom AAUW advocates. These populations are currently not aligned with the demographics and makeup of our organization. How can we have the meaningful insight for advocacy for populations to whom we do not belong? How can we be founded in a fight for equity, yet not offer equitable accessibility to our own organization?

Many of you know bright, capable, hardworking, and passionate people who do not hold a degree. Maybe they settled into mother/fatherhood and community without an opportunity for higher education. Maybe their families did not have the means to support a journey into higher education, and, therefore, they have worked the entirety of their lives, some reaching high-level positions all the same. Maybe they chose not to seek out higher education, but, instead, made the life decision to serve the very communities and underrepresented populations with whom they identify in meaningful and direct ways. Whatever the reason, their experiences, teachings, intellect, and capabilities should not be undermined by AAUW’s organizational requirements when their voices are critical to AAUW’s advocacy and impact. AAUW spends an incredible amount of time giving voice to these very women and men, so how can we take a position of silence and exclusion when it comes time to stand side by side in advocacy for change?

The world is in a drastically transformative time, and we need to evolve in accordance if we want to continue our impact.  AAUW was constituted with a joint mission and vision for its community, not one of personal achievement. While we are proud of the achievements of all members, this pride transcends individual educational accomplishments and accolades. We look to our membership’s impact in driving the AAUW mission and celebrate the “wins” in a variety of ways, from presenting various member awards to highlighting branch successes in written and oral form; requesting valued feedback for improvement; supporting the needs of branches; and mirroring frameworks, ideas, and branch successes across the state. Each of you is an important part of what makes AAUW a triumphant national voice in sharing our mission and putting our advocacy into action.

It is time to vote in alignment with AAUW’s mission and values. It is time to vote in furtherance of diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging. It is time to vote in a manner reflective of our advocacy and the communities we serve. It is time to vote “YES” to open membership.

 Be sure to make your voice heard in the 2024 AAUW National Election.

Sincerely,

Cindy Hall, President, on Behalf of the AAUW Pennsylvania Board of Directors