• PITT County on September 13th from 1-5pm in the Mendenhall Student Center Multipurpose Room at ECU (contact Cheryl Dudasik-Wiggs, at dudasikwiggsC@ecu.edu)
• WAKE County on September 16th from 5:30-9pm (see www.wakewaa2008.org),
• MECKLENBURG County on September 17th from 5:30-8:30pm in the Hal Marshall Service Center Bldg in Charlotte (contact Marie.White@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov), and
• BUNCOMBE County on September 20th from 1-4pm at the Asheville YWCA (see www.buncombewomen.org/agenda_assemblies.htm).

For more information, see www.ncwu.org and the complete list of scheduled assemblies.Please do try to attend one — and if none’s scheduled for your area, it’s not too late to pull one together!

Current Topics Briefing #7
AAUW’s new online resource, Program in a Box, provides members with a portfolio of mission-based program activities for branches.

AAUW in the news

• No new posts since last e-newsletter

AAUW Dialog

• Meet Catherine Cole
• Redefining Back to School
• Inspired by Class Action
• Independent Convention
• The Queen of Multitasking Is Taking a Break

Watch AAUW Dialog — http://blog-aauw.org — for reports from the national party conventions!

Equity issues in the news

• No new posts since last e-newsletter

AAUW Legislative Alerts and Updates

• Convention Delegates and Watch Parties
• Oppose Administration Regulations that Limit Family Planning Services
• Attend a Town Hall Meeting

Message from the Regional Director

The Winds of Change - Message from the RD (08/15/08) - we are publishing Carol Newnam’s remarks on the web instead of waiting for the publication of the Tar Heel News because her comments on the proposed AAUW bylaws are time sensitive. You may have seen earlier notices about this. If you want to review the proposal and make comments for the benefit of the Association Bylaws Committee, go to the Strategic Process area of the www.aauw.org member center. Review the explanatory memo and the draft of the proposed bylaws and submit your comments using the form you’ll find there. Deadline for comments is August 30.

Notes from the AAUW NC Summer Meeting

• Presentation on the AAUW IT Techs Project (08/12/08) - more about the state STEM project. These are the slides John Hoffler used at the Salisbury meeting.
• Project Planning Resource (08/13/08) - Carolyn Garfein’s project planning template.

AAUW NC News

• Registration for the fall meeting (08/16/08) - Plan to join us in Chapel Hill on October 31 and November 1 for the fall board meeting and more!
• Recruiting for 2009-2010 is underway (08/24/08)
• Belated picture from convention (08/13/08)

Public Policy

• Draft Women’s Agenda has been posted (08/24/08) - the document that forms the basis for Women’s Agenda Assemblies around the state
• Public Policy summer round up (08/13/08)

Branch News 

• AAUW/JACKSONVILLE REGIONAL BRANCH AUGUST 2008 NEWSLETTER (08/21/08)

STEM

• Presentation on the AAUW IT Techs Project (08/12/08) -

Do you want to get these messages in “real time” but don’t want to keep checking the web? You can use an “rss reader” to watch the announcements, but if you don’t want to make that leap, you can get messages in e-mail as they are posted. See the subscribe information.

• step up to a position where their efforts can help AAUW across the state
• share their expertise and improve their skills
• get connected to a group of remarkable members who understand their values and desire to make a difference
• make contacts with other organizations in the state, leaders of AAUW from outside NC, and our more than 1000 branch members

Does that sound like you? Do you know someone else who is looking for this challenge?

The AAUW NC nominating committee is recruiting candidates for the positions of president-elect, treasurer and program vice president. The president-elect will assume the presidency on July 1, 2010 and serve until June 30, 2012 as the chief executive of the organization. During 2009-2010, the president-elect will be a key member of the AAUW NC board to learn more about the organization and its interactions with the branches, the national AAUW, and our coalition partners. The treasurer and program vice president will serve July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011. The treasurer is the chief financial officer, and the program vice president has overall responsibility for the specific ways AAUW NC implements the AAUW mission.

The committee is also recruiting for five members of the 2009-2010 nominating committee.

If you would like to volunteer or to recommend someone else for any of these positions, please contact a member of the nominating committee: Karla Atkinson (Brevard), Phyllis Guberman (Wilmington), Elizabeth Laney (High Country), B’Ann Vance (Gaston Regional), and Nancy Shoemaker (Raleigh/Wake County).

Watch for more information in the Tar Heel News,  but we ask that you start thinking of candidates (or consider volunteering) now.

[Note: The national organization is also recruiting candidates. Their deadline is October 1. For more details, see www.aauw.org.]

What does this mean to you?

• Consider attending an Agenda Assembly in your community (see the list of scheduled events)
• If your county isn’t listed, consider having your branch host an Agenda Assembly (see information for Agenda Assembly coordinators)
  • This can be as simple as a special branch meeting where you invite a few colleagues to participate
• Review the Draft Women’s Agenda and plan to raise your own voice on the issue(s) important to you
• If your special issue isn’t covered, plan now to get involved in the process in early 2010 to build support through this process for your issue. If you’d like to learn more about the NC Women United coalition, please contact info@aauwnc.org.

Thanks, all.

If there is a particular program you would like, please let Heather know - hksalc@yahoo.com. Also, Joanne Whitney Hill has new membership brochures and new public policy brochures. Please contact her if you need any brochures - 910-743-9996 or johill@hughes.net.

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SAVE THIS DATE: September 22, 2008; 6:30 p.m. - Our next branch meeting. Location: TBA.

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AAUW/NC FALL MEETING: Friday, Oct. 31-Saturday, Nov. 1; Hampton Inn, 1740 Fordham Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Hotel reservations by Oct. 1 - call 919-968-3000; give group code AMT; rate is $89 plus tax (hot breakfast included). Meeting reservation is $13. Make check payable to AAUW-Chapel Hill and mail with registration form to Sandy Slates, 2608 Freestone Lane, Raleigh, NC 27603. See JoAnn or Connie for registration forms. Additional details will be in the Fall Tar Heel News.

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CALENDAR

September 22, 6:30 p.m. - Branch meeting. Location: TBA

October 27, 6:30 p.m. - Branch meeting. Location: TBA

October 31 - November 1 - AAUW/NC Fall Meeting, Chapel Hill

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Heather F. Ochse, Editor, hksalc@yahoo.com
*AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.*

• Information on hotel reservations - deadline for group rate is October 1
• Registration form - deadline to ensure the host branch will be prepared to welcome you is October 17

• Elimination of the Regional structure
• Members may form interstate structures if desired
• Opens membership to anyone who supports the mission
• States are free to have a state structure or no state structure
• Branches are free to choose their structure with no required positions other than an administrative and financial contact
• Members will pay dues directly to AAUW nationally
• There will be fewer standing committees but the Board may appoint task forces and committees as needed
• Every member has a vote

This is a very important time in AAUW, with far-reaching changes in the making. If you want to be a part of the future of AAUW, please plan to attend our convention in St. Louis, June 26-28, 2009.

L. Carol Newnam
South Atlantic Regional Director

2008-2010 AAUW NC President Millie Hoffler-Foushee presenting tokens to 2006-2008 AAUW NC President Nancy Shoemaker. A good time was had by all!

In another AAUW victory, Congress also passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 which reauthorizes and updates existing programs and provides new ways to make college more accessible and affordable to all. The legislation provides programs that AAUW has long fought for including making Pell grants available year-round to better serve the growing number of nontraditional students - the majority of whom are women with work or family responsibilities; expanding the population of qualified individuals, particularly women and minorities, in STEM fields; and increasing funding for campus child care.

Also at the federal level, the US Department of Health and Human Services drafted proposed regulations which would broadly extend the definition of reproductive health services and allow health care providers to refuse to provide certain family planning services, including some of the most common forms of birth control. These regulations, not yet released, would affect more than 500,000 hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities that receive federal funding. AAUW opposes any attempt by government or other organizations to make any restrictions on a woman’s choice and AAUW members and supporters have been very vocal in their opposition to the proposed regulations. AAUW reported that this issue received the biggest response rate of the year through its website.

Check www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy for more information on these issues and how to join other AAUW members in advocating for AAUW public policy positions such as those above.   Join the Action Network to receive alerts about critical issues and then follow the quick and easy steps to send your message to our national leaders supporting AAUW positions as a “Two-Minute Activist.”

At the state level, during the General Assembly’s short session, legislators passed the FY 2009 budget which contains provisions of interest to AAUW members as they relate to our mission and public policy program. Among the budget highlights are the provision of increased funding for the education of children with disabilities and for the Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Fund; additional monies for child care subsidies to relieve the current waiting list; increased funding for the NC Health Choice program to provide health insurance to over 7300 additional low income children; and an increase in funds for affordable housing which will benefit low income families, many of which are headed by single females.

To prepare for the 2009 state legislative session, North Carolina Women United will sponsor Women’s Agenda Assemblies across the state to develop a legislative agenda to present to the General Assembly which convenes in January. AAUW NC is an active member of NCWU, a coalition of organizations of interest to women, and AAUW members are encouraged to participate in the Assembly held in your area.  Contact your branch president for more information or see www.ncwu.org.