Home Page
State Leadership
Mission Statement
Join AAUW-North Dakota
Info on ND Women's Netwo
>

Welcome to the American Association of University Women of North Dakota Web Site. 

We hope you will find this site helpful in keeping up with AAUW ND and the national AAUW organization.  If you have ideas you would like to see posted to this site or items to submit to our state newsletter, please contact our website/newsletter editor .



Click Here for the latest AAUW North Dakota News and our State Newsletter




  









Calling All Leaders!

AAUW Announces New Leadership Development DVD Series

 

AAUW is pleased to announce a new series of leadership-focused DVDs created for distribution during the 2008 state convention season and other leadership events. As we work to strengthen and revitalize AAUW, all members must connect together as a community of active and effective participants. To fulfill our mission of advancing equity for women and girls, AAUW continues to need strong leaders who will make sure the AAUW legacy continues. In the past, only two members per state participated in national level leadership training.  This new series of DVDs will provide leadership skills and strategies for all members.

 

Each state’s leadership exercised their scheduling option to present the DVDs.  States will make the DVD series available to branches after their state event.  A representative of the national leadership, including AAUW or Educational Foundation board members and regional directors, will attend one event for each state to listen and hear from members across the country. 

 

The DVDs are divided into modules which focus on leadership development as it relates to particular aspects of AAUW’s mission. Each module includes a discussion guide for participants. It’s vital that all of us can easily discuss AAUW’s mission… with a consistent message which will enable us to retain our current members and recruit the new and diverse membership of tomorrow.

 

The leaders’ introduction module features a conversation with AAUW President Ruth Sweetser, AAUW Educational Foundation President Barbara O’Connor, and new AAUW Executive Director Linda Hallman. They chart an inspiring course for AAUW’s future, with a mission-focused message that members will share with their local branches. Together, these three leaders

  • provide a “state of AAUW” message;

  • summarize the strategic process journey for AAUW’s future;

  • explain AAUW’s mission and how it relate to members, branches, the future of our organization; and

  • discuss the impact of AAUW mission-focused branch activities on their communities.

 

The remainder of the DVD modules focus on specific areas of AAUW programming and business, as well as other topics. These modules describe how you can become involved in—or strengthen your current involvement with—vital areas of AAUW’s mission.

 

To advance equity through advocacy, AAUW staff leaders describe

  • how you can become an effective advocate for AAUW priority issues;

  • how you can help mobilize women voters at the grassroots level in the upcoming elections;

  • how you can stay current with issues that impact the higher education of women, and the subtleties of the politics involved, through AAUW public policy resources and updates; and

  • how you can help eliminate sex discrimination on campus through the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund.

 

To advance equity through education and research, AAUW staff leaders

  • introduce AAUW’s latest research report—its findings and recommendations, media and promotional outreach tools, and how you can share this information with your branch;

  • provide an overview on the National Girls Collaborative Project and how you can promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) initiatives in your community;

  • describe how you can encourage women’s leadership development through AAUW’s National Conference for College Women Student Leaders and Campus Action Projects; and

  • report on AAUW’s fellowships and grants, tell how you can meet local recipients, and hear their stories to motivate involvement and investment in AAUW philanthropy.

 

To build a stronger community, AAUW staff leaders in the membership, fundraising, communications, and marketing DVD modules discuss

·         why it is so important to tell the AAUW story and marketing (it’s not a bad word!) is every member’s responsibility;

·         why effective communication and information sharing are important to building a community as AAUW moves into the future;

·         how branch and individual contributions make a difference;

·         how you can use AAUW’s website, videos, DVDs, and other materials to advance our mission in your branch; and

 

At this critical stage in our history, AAUW needs the active engagement of all members delivering the mission to advance equity for women.  With leadership training through the DVD series, all AAUW members will be better prepared to focus their mission-based efforts, recruit new members, and further develop their leadership potential ….. because equity is still an issue! 

 

 


 

 


 
Florine M. Swanson

 2796 290th St., Galt, IA 50101
 fswanson@wmtel.net
515-852-4360

Swan Song

 It has been my pleasure to serve as your Regional Director for the past 3 and ½ years.  North Dakota has felt like a second home state as we worked together to develop the Regional Conference at Grand Forks in June of 2006.   During this time I have watched the leadership in North Dakota continue to grow, numerous outstanding programs and public policy efforts, the success of a 2 year EF grant for the North Dakota Women’s Network and a membership that remained stable. 

 And now I move on to other venues of service within the organization, as AAUW will always be a part of life.  It is always good to go back to the grass roots.  I will be serving as the Clarion, Iowa AAUW Branch president this coming year.  This is a rural branch of 25 members, six of which are new in the last 6 months.  It was apparent as I moved back into local leadership again how critical it was to bring in new members.  Without them, nothing else can be accomplished.  That has been so apparent nation wide as we approved a list of disbanding branches during each monthly Executive Committee and less than a handful of new branches annually.  Also on my to do list is the establishment of a new branch in Iowa.

The support of the North Dakota membership in my campaign for Development Vice-President of the Educational Foundation was so appreciated.  Although I did not win the election, the caring of individuals in the Upper Midwest Region as well as throughout the United States has been something I will never forget. 

 As every one kept saying, “when one door closes, another one opens” or sometimes “a window opens and you fly out”.  So it is at this time that, Sarah Harder, Past AAUW President and past IFUW board member, has asked that I serve in the leadership role of pulling together a new affiliate organization in the United States for women graduates.  Being willing to serve provides many opportunities and to quote Sarah, “And this is not a contested election!”

 My personal congratulations to Connie Hildebrand on her election as chair of the Public Policy Committee.  Connie will continue to make North Dakota proud and represent the values of AAUW well.  My best wishes as well to your new Regional Director, Myrna Sandvick.  I know you will enjoy working with her to achieve the mission of AAUW.

 May our paths continue to cross and our friendships remain forever.

 

Florine Swanson

__________________________________
Welcome
Upper Midwest Region Director

Myrna Sandvick
3181 Benson Ave
Brandon, IA 52210-9623
(H) (319) 474-2721

sandvikmj@iowatelecom.net