This spring, AAUW members will be asked to consider a proposed national bylaws amendment to eliminate the degree requirement for AAUW membership. The amendment was brought forward to fully open membership to anyone who supports AAUW’s work. The intent is to align our practices with our mission for equity. The AAUW California Board of Directors voted unanimously to support a Yes vote on the amendment. The FAQs below address some of the questions our members have posed in the interests of educating themselves about the proposal.
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Does this devalue our support for higher education?
NO. We can change and keep strongly rooted in our commitment to higher education as a path to success as well as our support for fellowships and grants. This change allows those who have taken parallel educational paths to join our work for gender equity.
Won’t we have to change our name?
NO. We’ll still be “AAUW,” a national organization that works for gender equity. We have brand recognition and, in fact, the initials have not represented our organization for a long time. It’s akin to our friends at the YMCA. The words “Christian” and “Men’s in the YMCA acronym no longer apply. The organization is now known by its simple acronym and does not require an explanation. The same is true of AAUW. We are known by the work we do, not the words in our name.
Why is the degree requirement a barrier?
The 143-year-old requirement is no longer serving us the way we need.
You do not need a degree to believe in or advocate for our mission. We firmly believe that removing the degree requirement is in the best interests of AAUW and its future relevance and sustainability as an inclusive and forward-thinking organization committed to advancing equity for women and girls. Many of the members we hope to attract, younger members in particular, are not interested in joining an organization that they see as exclusive.
According to the 2021 Census, only 34% of all Americans had earned an AA or BA. That means we are missing a lot of voices at the table and a lot of passion and talent.
Furthermore, this change will allow AAUW and branches to qualify for grants from corporations and foundations that value diversity, inclusion, and equity that we are not qualifying for today.
Isn’t this just an effort to get more members?
NO. Eliminating the degree requirement alone is not likely to substantially increase membership. Changing requirements in 1987/2005 did not have a major impact. However, the requirement is counterproductive to recruiting diverse and younger members.
What is required for the amendment to pass?
An amendment to the bylaws requires 5% of eligible members to vote and a two-thirds majority of voters to pass.
Haven’t we voted on this before?
YES. In 2021, more than 62% of the voters approved the change. Fewer than 10% of the members opposed it and prevented it from reaching the two-thirds affirmative vote required for a change to the bylaws. Fewer than 25% of eligible members voted, suggesting no strong feelings either way.
If you want to check out the prior history of this issue, please click on the Open Up AAUW website.
Has AAUW made changes like this in the past?
YES. The organization has evolved to meet changing times with several bylaws changes since 1921:
- 1949: Voted to allow that any woman holding an approved degree from an institution approved for membership eligibility was entitled to membership in both National and branches, effectively prohibiting discrimination at the branch level.
- 1963: Voted to allow women with degrees from any accredited institution that requested to be on the list of approved institutions and eased the degree requirements to allow Home Economics, Education, and Nursing.
- 1975: Voted to drop the use of an exclusive list of approved institutions. Opened membership to any woman with a degree from any accredited institution.
- 1987: Voted to allow men to join
- 2005: Voted to allow individuals with an associate (or equivalent) degree to join
- 2009: Voted to change the organization’s purpose from “uniting graduates of different institutions for practical educational work” to “promoting equity for all women and girls”
Are any additional bylaws amendments being proposed?
YES. In order to simplify membership categories, it is proposed that all students will join as full members.
Won’t students have to pay full dues if this passes?
The AAUW National Board may set special dues levels for students and has expressed an intent to do that.
When is the vote?
AAUW is utilizing SimplyVoting.com, an independent, third-party voting system for this year’s vote.
- April 3 | Voting opens. Look for your encrypted ballot email from Simply Voting, Check your spam folder.
- May 15 | Online voting ends at 12 noon ET and results will be announced online.
All members without an email address on file or who have unsubscribed from AAUW National emails will receive a paper ballot by mail.
How can I get involved? See how you can get involved on the Open Up AAUW website.