Congratulations: Indiana  &  Fort Wayne   Newsletter Contest	Board Members Phone Numbers	State Convention:  New Officers Elected		State Convention:  We Missed You Bylaws Changes	Phrases  from Phyllis [State President] Connections [Great Lakes Regional Director]
Voter Education Campaign 2002	Title IX is 30	Summer State Workshop July 13: Information Directions Registration form		Public Policy Impact Grant	Diversity & Educational Equity
Reports: Indiana President Membership Legal Advocacy Fund Educational Foundation Financial		Branch News: Valparaiso, Warsaw, Calumet Area, Michigan City, LaPorte, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis

Indiana achieved platinum and Fort Wayne achieved gold. These are two of the new award categories replacing the 5-Star program, The 21st Century Recognition Program , which is tied to the 21^st Century Call to Action. The four levels are platinum, gold, silver, and bronze.

State applications achieved points in three areas:

1. State action and branch support in the categories of:
• Membership development
• Outreach to diverse people or groups
• Visibility
• Leadership development
• Technology
2. Foundation and LAF support
3. State project to promote equity at the state level while providing a model for the branches

Congratulations to the state and Fort Wayne on your hard work and achievements!
 

Northern Indiana’s area codes have changed! Before you call a board member in that region of the state, please check her phone number in the Board of Directors listings. This affects many members in the 219 area, the northern one-third of the state. Beginning June 15, you must use the new area code. Remember to update any information on these board members in your newsletters and branch directories.
 

The following changes to the bylaws were given approval by the delegates at the 2002 State Convention. Please add these to your copy of the state bylaws.

ARTICLE VII. OFFICERS

Current version:

Section 1. Elected Officers, Appointed Officers. The elected officers of this state shall include a President-elect, Director of Membership, Director of Finance, Director of Education Foundation to be elected in even-numbered years, and Director of Programs, Secretary, and Director of Public Policy in odd-numbered years. Appointed officers shall include a Director of College/University Relations, Director of Communications, Parliamentarian, Legal Advocacy Fund Liaison, issue chair(s) and Director of Diversity Affairs. Appointments are to be made by the incoming president and approved by the elected officers following their election and prior to July 1.

Revised version:

Section 1. Elected Officers, Appointed Officers. The elected officers of this state shall include a Director of Membership, Director of Finance, Director of Educational Foundation and Legal Advocacy Fund (LAF) Liaison to be elected in even-numbered years, and a President-elect, Director of Programs, Secretary, and Director of Public Policy in odd-numbered years. Appointed officers shall include a Director of College/University Relations, Director of Communications, Parliamentarian, issue chair(s) and Director of Diversity Affairs. Appointments are to be made by the incoming president and approved by the elected officers following their election and prior to July 1.

ARTICLE X. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Composition. The board of directors shall include the President, President-Elect, Director of Program, Director of Membership, Director of Finance, Secretary, Director of Public Policy, Director of Diversity Affairs, Director of College/University Relations, Director of Communications, Director of Educational Foundation, Legal Advocacy Liaison, Issue Chair/Chairs, and Parliamentarian.

Changes are shown in italics. The President-elect is elected in odd-numbered years for one year.
 

Who missed you? The AAUW-Indiana state board and branch members who gathered for the 2002 State Convention in French Lick.

What did you miss? An energizing opportunity to learn and grow, relax in a rocking chair on the front porch of an historic building, meet and enjoy fellow AAUW members from throughout Indiana. And lots more -- like seeing excerpts from the play, St. Susan [see cast photos below], portrayed by members of the Epilogue Players of Indianapolis; like hearing about the recent legislative session; like choosing from among 13 speakers at the Issues Conference addressing women’s health, legal and financial, and education topics; like participating in a town hall session on AAUW concerns.
 

You also missed a beautiful drive through the Dogwood Capital of Indiana (Orleans) with all the pink and white blooms lining the street along with the redbud and green leaves already showing. What about the massage, spa bath, manicure or pedicure you didn’t get?

Many Evansville branch members didn’t miss out – they chartered a bus and came en masse to spend Saturday soaking up fellowship and knowledge. Evansville served as host branch and we thank them for their efforts and hard work on our behalf.

Many thanks to Jean Amman for the excellent programs she choreographed for us. Kudos to Mitzi Witchger and Monna Maley for their assistance. And a big round of applause to Phyllis Thompson for keeping everything on track both before and during the convention!
 

Photo includes Jean Amman, right	Photo includes Coy Halpern, left	Mary Lou Thomas & Susan Wahls at Registration Table

Don’t miss out again! Put July 13 on your calendar immediately and make plans to attend the Summer Leadership Workshop. Details and a registration form are elsewhere in this issue.
 
 
 

As AAUW strives to achieve its 21^st Century Call to Action, it is a reality we must change the way we lead. We cannot ignore our past, we must build on it and then become the "trailblazing and tailgating" branches and leaders to meet the challenges of today and beyond. The legacy we have been given is rich and rewarding. However, our future depends on the legacy we are building for those who follow.

To that end, I am going to attend a new and different AAUW Leadership Conference in Washington, DC that will bring together state presidents, state EF chairs, and state LAF liaisons in a 2-1/2 day training program that will generate collaborative, innovative, and strategic thinking activities; enable participants to share best practices; produce a functional action plan for each state; and build leadership skills.

As a result, I will have the opportunity to take action on critical decisions that will guide AAUW’s future, will hear motivational and informative keynote presentations, and will be provided transferable leadership skills building relevant to my own personal, professional, and volunteer life.

In turn, I will share with each of you what I learned in Washington, at our Indiana Summer Workshop on July 13 in Indianapolis. This workshop is designed for all branch members. Each branch member is a leader, a professional, and a volunteer. I truly am looking forward to seeing and sharing with you on July 13, 2002 in Indianapolis at Marian. It will be a great adventure for all of us. I will see you there!!

Remember:

"Today’s women
Born yesterday
Dealing with tomorrow
Not yet where we’re going
But not still where we were."

Adrienne Rich

Annual  Report of  Indiana  President

Phyllis Thompson

What a privilege it has been for me to serve as your President. I have been afforded such an opportunity to work with each branch and learn what you are doing, not only within your branches, but also how you are working in your communities and in collaboration with other groups. I am truly impressed.

This year in Indiana we have certainly been "trailblazers." We have forged new territories within our public policy, LAF contributions, and the beginning of giving Trailblazing Grants to Trailblazing branches. We are about to complete our Maryhelen Barnes International Endowment and that is an accomplishment.

The Indiana Board of Directors is serving you in many capacities. Most of the Board serve on other boards because of our AAUW affiliation.

AAUW Indiana is affiliated with and participates in the following organizations: Gender Fairness Coalition, Women and Work, the Ella Jenkes Award, and Indiana Commission for Women.

I have served on the Regional Planning Committee for the 2002 Conference. I have also been in contact with the Director of Indianapolis Convention and Tourism Bureau as Indianapolis will be the site of the next Regional Conference in 2004.

I am looking forward to representing you at the Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. June 21-23 of this year. This used to be called Conference of State Presidents, but now includes LAF Liaisons and EF Directors. What an opportunity!

The Board of Directors made a very difficult decision this past year. We determined not to disband any branch, but rather to work with them and try to reactivate and re-energize those members. Hence, you can see our active branches are fewer, but are stronger.

We are still working to establish a branch in Bloomington. This will be accomplished. We are encouraging branches to work with the colleges and universities within their communities to begin Student Affiliate branches. We want to start new branches within the business community and encourage all branches who live within a college or university community to make certain that institution is an AAUW member.

I look forward to our next year together. We will continue to be "trailblazers and then become tailgaters" as we work with branches within our state and also with other organizations who share our common goals and mission.

Always remember, I am but a phone call and an email away. I will come whenever you want and help in any way I can. Keep working hard; it is truly worth the effort.
 

Connections

Delinda Chapman,  Great Lakes Regional Director

I heard positive comments about your Spring Convention held at French Lick. Leader-on-Loan, Michele Wetherald was excited about the connections she made with the Indiana membership. I am sorry I missed your event. While Michele was connecting with you in Indiana, I was connecting with members in Ohio at their state convention. In June, we all join together to connect at the Great Lakes Regional Conference in Grand Rapids. What a treat for us all!

I have always thought that "connections" is what we are all about in AAUW. When I was the AAUW—Illinois state president, my monthly newsletter to branch presidents was called "Connections." The theme for the 1999 AAUW Association convention was "Connections." And now, my regional director position is about connections; connecting states to each other and to the Association board.

As AAUW members we are connected globally through IFUW. We are connected to colleges and universities through our name and mission. We are connected to legislatures through our public policy. We are connected to all women through our mission to promote equity.

Robert Putnam, in his book Bowling Alone, talks about "social capital." "Social capital" refers to connections among people. Putnam makes the point that social contacts affect the productivity of individuals and groups. We must reconnect with one another. We must re-create social capital. To reconnect, Putnam suggests participating in public life, attending public meetings, serving on committees and boards, campaigning, running for office and voting. AAUW, through its voter education program, its public policy positions, and public and candidate forums, provides the connections to build that social capital.

Our Sister-to-Sister  and Woman-to-Woman  Woman-to-Woman summits, your Get-Out-the-Vote activities, and conferences for girls, such as Expanding Your Horizons, are models that connect our members with the community. AAUW plays an important part in building connections. AAUW grows as branches grow in involvement in the community.

It’s summertime and hopefully the living is a bit easier, time to relax, regroup, think, plan and be ready for another year of promoting equity for all women and girls, lifelong education and positive societal change. By September you will be ready for action. You will be prepared to build that social capital. As a man said to me yesterday, "If there’s equity for women, then there’s equity for men." I say amen to that. That’s why we are out there spreading our message. So, enjoy your vacations and I’ll see you again before too long.

I send my best wishes to Phyllis Thompson and her incoming board of directors of AAUW Indiana. I look forward to my continuing association with the Indiana state board and the Indiana AAUW membership.
 
 

Membership Annual Report:  Some Good News and Some…

Treva May,  Director of Membership

Coming to the end of another fiscal year, I have very mixed feelings of success and failure. I have enjoyed working with the members I have had contact with but I keep thinking of all the things I didn’t get done or didn’t finish. I was sure we would manage to get one new branch but someone else will need to finish the job. There are several possibilities in the works, however. We have lost too many branches!

I was involved in a survey of SMVP concerning fragile branches. The report has not yet made it to our hands but I am anxious to see it. The first question concerned why we had fragile branches. The average age of the members was most often the response.

We gained and lost in total membership in Indiana this last year. Some branches made considerable growth but others had losses. I am a firm believer in the Give a Grad a Gift program but the problem is to retain the young women.

In an attempt to make contact and hopefully get to know new members, I sent a welcoming letter and a personal note with a gift of a beaded star to all new members. If you are a new member and haven’t received one, let me know. I also gave gifts to members who got members to join but it was difficult to get this information. These members received a corner AAUW bookmark.

Another thing I tried to do was mention different members in the Indiana Bulletin. You were told if you saw your name in the Bulletin and let me know, I would send you a gift. These gifts were personalized plastic canvas AAUW bookmarks.

The Indiana AAUW website has been a good recruitment tool. At least three women have contacted me because they saw my name and telephone number there. Anderson has two new members because of the website. Thanks to Marsha Miller for keeping this current.

I have copies of the membership of each branch as of February 1, 2002. If you would like a copy, please let me know. Association recently sent very helpful information for a workshop entitled Shaping Our Future, which included suggested presentations. The emphasis is on selling AAUW. If you would like more information on this, please contact me.

All in all, I believe we have had a good year.
 

New Officers Elected

[L-R] Kay Depel, Laura LeRoy,  Mary Lou Thomas

The nominating committee consisting of Emily Stephens (Madison-Hanover), Donna Akins (South Lake County), Ophelia Shelton (Gary-Merrillville), Mitzi Witchger (Indianapolis), and Michelle Chosney proposed the following slate:

Director of Membership – Patricia Robinson (Anderson)

Director of Finance – Mary Lou Thomas (Fort Wayne)

Educational Foundation Director – Kay Depel (South Lake County)

Legal Advocacy Fund Liaison – Laura LeRoy (LaPorte)

Nominations from the floor:

Nominating Committee – Treva May (Anderson) and Monna Maley (Evansville)

The above women were unanimously elected by the delegates at the 2002 State Convention and will serve from July 1, 2002 until June 30, 2004.
 

Thanks to the AAUW Public Policy Impact Grant, Public Policy was a big focus of the convention at French Lick. From lobbyists to the Indiana Commission for Women, from former legislators to journalists, the message is clear: Make the Citizen’s Guide to the Indiana General Assembly [last updated January 6, 2002; check web site for future updates] part of your phone and address resource directory. AAUW members do have a powerful voice to impact change. And when we use our voices to create positive changes for women and girls, each of our voices does make a difference.

Marsha Grant’s St. Susan, performed at this year’s state convention, reminded us that we share the legacy left from the work of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

More than 300 Members at Large were sent information about the fact that Indiana received an AAUW Public Policy Impact Grant, and orange notices about our State Convention were sent to them. It is hoped some of them will be encouraged to get more involved in local branches this year. Do welcome them.

Each Indiana AAUW branch member for whom we had the correct mailing address received an orange postcard with the events of State Convention. Hope YOU were able to attend.

Other connections and planning have begun. The AAUW Public Policy Impact Grant will help us work with some local and state organizations in designing a Hate Crimes prevention training for the fall.

If I have your email address, I’d include you in getting Action Alerts and Two Minute Activist information so you can contact your elected officials about your concerns. Mine is: greatmw@insightbb.com. Having email addresses makes this type of contact so much more efficient and cost effective.

Is your branch partnering with other local organizations like the League of Women Voters? Because this is a big election year with district reapportionment, each of our groups would like to focus on educating voters. Why not plan a joint Get Out the Vote project for the fall?

Phyllis Thompson and I were honored to represent Indiana AAUW at a reception and briefing event given by the Public Policy ‘think tank’ Hudson Institute. The focus was on cutting-edge policy challenges and solutions. We met researchers, the local trustees, and Hudson Institute management, exchanging our AAUW business cards with theirs. One more way to get the word out about AAUW.

AAUW Leadership Day will be held in Indianapolis this year on Saturday, July 13. That’s another time where we can exchange ideas and adapt them to our own branches. All are welcome to attend. You can maximize the day and your drive time by carpooling. You’ll have time to chat, and work on all the world’s problems…or at least strategize about AAUW.

So many opportunities…how many participants? Be one!
 
 
 

Indiana did a great job raising money for LAF! We raised $4,424.30 last year. I want to thank all the branches that submitted their donations on time either to me or directly to the national office. However, I think this year we can beat that. Indiana AAUW can do more, and so I have set a goal of $5,000 for this year. With the help of all our generous and eager branches, we should have no problem meeting this goal!!

One way to meet, and exceed, this goal is to encourage members to Get Pinned! Anyone who contributes$100 or more to LAF in 2002 will receive the new 2002 LAF lapel pin as a symbol of commitment to gender equity in higher education. Show your support for the brave LAF plaintiffs who speak out for justice to make colleges and universities more equitable for women.

It is easy to see how our donations help. In February 2002, the LAF Board of Directors awarded $46,500 to five ongoing cases and two newly adopted cases: Lerner v. Northeastern University (MA) and Sokol v. St. Louis Community College (MO). The Marguerite Rawalt Legal Defense Fund trustees awarded $5,300 to two ongoing cases. The Rawalt Fund is a $220,000 trust fund that supports cases adopted by the Legal Advocacy Fund.

Matching Gift Doubles your LAF Donation

A generous donor has pledged to match all gifts to LAF, dollar for dollar up, to $40,000  through May 31, 2002. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, experiences sex discrimination in higher education. Through matching donations, she hopes to raise awareness about the personal and professional toll discrimination takes on female academics. Help LAF earn an additional $40,000 for plaintiff case support and other important programs. Send your contribution today to LAF, 1111 Sixteenth St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

(Ed Note: Laura was reappointed to a second two-year term on the National LAF Association Committee. In this capacity, she reviews applications  for assistance and makes recommendations on which should be accepted.)
 
 
 

The two flow well together and I am pleased to be able to connect them for us. Educational equity has long been an AAUW focus and, sad to say, we seem to take steps backwards all too often. Headway is made in one city, state, or school system while another makes a change that cancels a previously made advancement. New administrators, money shortages, and voters who turn down tax increases to benefit the educational system are all contributors to slowing, stopping, or reversing educational equity programs.

Would educational equity be easier to create if women were running the systems? Probably not. On the whole, women are not very supportive of one another. We have never developed a "good buddy" or "old boys (girls)" network  and we should.

Educational equity has somewhat taken second place to diversity since our 2001 convention. If you will recall, one of the items we had to consider was the addition of the word class to our mission statement. It sparked some semi-heated debate because of the thoughts that it wasn’t necessary as we live in a "classless" society and that it was done in a "sneaky" fashion with no opportunity for member input, simply an edict send down from the top. And now, a year later, most of the bulletins I get from the various branches still do not have the word class added.

The following is a definition taken from a statement issued by Valerie Drucker, Associate Director of Diversity: "Class can encompass social rank, economic status, and job and educational level. Classism is the systematic oppression of poor people and people who work for wages by those who have the ability to control the necessary resources by which other people make their living." With this definition in mind, I am again urging all branches to add the word class every place that the AAUW mission statement is printed or displayed.

I am pleased to say that several branches have utilized the suggestions for diversity programs. Some were planned before the 9/11 events that shocked us all into heightened awareness. Now I am requesting that those who planned, participated in, and attended these programs let me know how the program was received and if there is any change underway (or already completed) as a result of he program. Time and distance make it unlikely that I will get to any of these programs in person so I need feedback from you to give you "KUDOS" for what you have done, perhaps suggest another path or another step, and pass your success on to other branches to give them ideas and encouragement.

Lastly, I want to draw on something that I have seen in the past and we all saw in Beth LeRoy’s EF report  in the Spring issue of the Indiana Bulletin. It is very likely that the person chosen to represent the majority of the people here on Earth would be a non-white, non-Christian, heterosexual, illiterate woman who lived in a substandard dwelling without adequate food and very probably in a third-world country. No one can convince me that those of us who belong to AAUW (and, by the way, this makes us part of the more privileged "class") would want this woman to stay in the place described. She epitomizes the woman we want to help. We want more education, more opportunities, better health, better pay, etc. All of which are part of embracing diversity, eliminating some of it (none would be boring), and championing the rest while seeking equity for all in all arenas.
 
 

The year 2001 was a good year for Indiana and the Educational Foundation. The total contributions for the state rose from $23,694.78 to $26,002.29, an increase of $2,307.51.

A big thanks!! Give yourselves a pat on the back for a great effort. The following is a list of total giving and per capita for each branch.
 

The total per capita for the state was $22.2813.

Nineteen of the 24 branches contributed to the Foundation. Imagine what we could do if all branches contributed!

This growth in total contributions is especially important in light of the fact that total membership dropped from 1225 to 1167, a loss of 58 members; yet our total went up thanks to great work by all of you.

Grant applications will be available late this summer. Please make grant information available to women in your area and encourage teachers, women wishing to make career changes, and anyone who is thinking of community action to complete applications. Information about applications can be found at aauw.org and can be filled out online.

We have not quite reached my goal of completing this fellowship, but we are very close. Since I realized we were running out of time, we have contributed about $30,000 to the fund, bringing the total to $94,443.54.

Reasons to contribute to the Foundation

Educate a woman and you educate the world. The Foundation is doing just that. Since 1888, AAUW has awarded 7,800 fellowships to women. Women from 125 countries have received fellowships since 1917. Since funds are limited, only 10% of eligible applicants receive support. Each year over 3,000 applications are received and just about 300 are awarded funds.

As a branch and state EF chair, I know it is difficult to come up with ideas for fund raising. In my state file, there is a list of ideas and association has more. Contact me if you would like a copy of this list.

In my branch, we have linked with a youth group to help out at our event. This means our older members do not have to stand for long periods of time or be outside during our chicken sale. Have an unbirthday party. Each person can contribute the price of a gift. Raffle off a small item at branch meetings. Join with another group for a big fundraiser.

I want to thank you for a great four years as your EF chair. Remember, your EF chair is there to help you so contact her when you have questions or are not sure what to do.
 

Valparaiso

Members of this branch really outdid themselves at their book sale in February. They raised $9,750 and I quote from their newsletter, "if you didn’t shout, sing, and dance on top of the kitchen table last year when we took in something over $8,000, you can do it now." Congratulations! They even convinced a Valpo U. "total book snob" (self-proclaimed) who only buys new books to spend $11 for 19 "new" books at their sale!

Warsaw

Speaking of dancing on the table, Warsaw is doing the same but for a different achievement. They have recruited 15 new members recently (9 for 2001/02 and 6 for 2002/03). They certainly have reason to celebrate – congratulations!

Calumet Area

This hard-working group helped sponsor eight different events during March, Women’s History Month. The theme was Women in Action: Crating Local/Global Change. Many of these programs were held over the lunch hour so as not to take away from work and family time yet give women something for themselves. All were held on the Purdue University Calumet campus.

Michigan City

These members heard a retired history teacher speak of the contributions made by early Michigan City women at their March meeting in recognition of Women’s History Month.

LaPorte

Members raised $1,750 at their Port-A-Pit chicken sale in March. So many chickens were sold at this popular activity that several branch members wanting chicken did not get them!

Fort Wayne

Five women were honored with Educational Foundation named grants – Sally Caudill, Meg Finnin, Sara Gabbard, Dorothy Woods, and Mary Willett. Joanne Beerbower is an Eleanor Roosevelt Award Winner and Cheryl Mathews was named Woman of the Year. Profits from their book sale were $4,313.

Indianapolis

Members are planning an Eleanor Roosevelt Walk/Run to raise money for this fund on June 8 at Holliday Park. Participant fees are $15, $20, or $25, which may be paid outright or collected from sponsors. Of course, the fees will help boost the branch contribution to the Educational Foundation for its assistance to teachers. They have revived the Foreign Gourmet Group and began with dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant. Prior to seeing the Epilogue Players at the State Convention, this group previewed them at a branch meeting, with a vignette from St. Susan.

Thank you very much to those branches sharing their newsletters with the Indiana newsletter editor. To the rest of you – please share your news by sending your newsletter to Barbara Wellnitz.
 

When you make your plans for the coming AAUW year, don’t forget to include newsletters to go out to your members. Remember, this may be the only means of communication during the year with some members. Start now to plan your issues to keep members apprised of branch events and AAUW happenings.

The contest begins in August 2002 and ends in March 2003 with the winners honored at the 2003 State Convention. Winning entries will be displayed so everyone can benefit. Entries will be judged on content and design. Branches will be divided into groups according to size. A branch must publish at least three issues during the year in order to be eligible and copies of each issue must be submitted.
 

Did you know that only 30 years ago:

• Many schools and universities had separate entrances for male and female students?
• Most medical and law schools limited the number of women admitted to 15 or fewer per school?
• Married women were not allowed to attend some colleges and universities?
• Pregnant students were often expelled and not welcomed back after they gave birth?
• Many colleges and universities required women to have higher test scores and better grades than male applicants to gain admission?

A License for Bias: Sex Discrimination, Schools, and Title IX, a research report published by the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund, found that federally funded schools and universities consistently fail to address student complaints and concerns about sex discrimination and, by doing so, widely ignore Title IX federal requirements. This report provides a valuable analysis of Title IX complaints and the effectiveness of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) enforcement efforts.

Some Title IX facts:

• Title IX violations hurt both male and female students. About a third of the Title IX complainants during a four-year investigation period were males. Elementary and secondary school males most often complained of unfair discipline including harsher and higher rates of punishment. Male college students complained most often of discrimination in admissions, financial aid, and testing and evaluation. Females at all levels of education most often complained of sexual harassment.
• Elementary and secondary school students are the most common victims. The most startling finding of the research (cited above reveals that students most often complain of staff-to-student sexual harassment (such as inappropriate touching and offensive comments in the classroom) and a majority of these cases occur in elementary and secondary schools.
• Sex discrimination is not adequately being addressed in our nation’s schools. The research found that enforcement of Title IX by schools and government agencies is often lacking. Hundreds of sex discrimination complaints, especially sexual harassment complaints, are filed each year with the OCR, the primary Title IX enforcement agency. Fifteen percent of the defendant educational institutions were under federal investigation by the OCR for multiple cases of sex discrimination, according to the report. In nearly 67 percent of these cases, the institutions were under investigation for repeat offenses.
• Schools widely ignore the federal requirements. Research showed that the requirement that every federally funded educational institution establish grievance procedures for addressing sex discrimination is virtually disregarded. OCR must improve its investigation and resolution procedures and hold schools accountable for non-compliance. Educational institutions need to understand their responsibilities and implement practices and procedures mandated by law.

Voter Education Campaign 2002

Why AAUW’s Voter Education Campaign is Critical

Election Day 2002 -- Tuesday, November 5 --  is just around the corner. And with your support, women’s voices will again be heard through AAUW’s Voter Education Campaign.

Since 1995 AAUW has conducted voter education and get-out-the-vote activities in almost every state. For the 2000 elections alone, AAUW members and their coalition partners reached 2 million drop-off women voters in 136 congressional districts and 14 Senate races.

The campaign has achieved success in educating women voters on the issues at stake as well as increasing women’s activism nationwide, recruiting and retaining AAUW members, forging diverse partnerships, increasing visibility, and fostering leadership development.

What You Can Do

Inform Women Voters

While the make-up of Congress is somewhat different from when AAUW’s campaign began in 1995, many issues remain at stake for women and families. The current congressional leadership jeopardizes women’s rights – reproductive choice, equity in education and the workplace, health care, and more – at every turn.

Inform women of the issues at stake. Join AAUW members and partners to get the word out.

• Keep women voters informed through Get the Facts. Distributed by the Women’s Network for Change, a nationwide coalition, free fax and email alerts let thousands of women know how the issues in Congress affect their lives.
• Email members of Congress with AAUW’s Two-Minute Activist.
• Hold issue forums, including Women’s Summits on Social Security Reform, an issue education program sponsored by AAUW.
• Organize letter-writing campaigns to members of Congress and editors of local and national media outlets.

As we near the 2002 elections, gear up to get out the vote.

• Mail and distribute AAUW’s informative, nonpartisan voter guides.
• Hold public candidate forums.
• Organize phone banks to contact women and encourage them to vote.
• Use partnerships with diverse organizations to inform a broad cross-section of women on the issues at stake.

Log onto AAUW’s website at www.aauw.org/5000/vec/html for these resources. (Resources are free unless otherwise noted.)

• Get the Facts alerts, to share with colleagues and friends and disseminate in your community.
• Action Alert, AAUW’s monthly public policy newsletter ($20/yr)
• Two-Minute Activist, to email Congress
• Position papers on AAUW priority issues
• Voting records for your members of Congress
• AAUW Public Policy Program in English and in Spanish