2016 AAUW NYS Emerging Leader Award

Michelle Messenger is a member of the Empire State Virtual NY Branch who was approved by the AAUW NYS Board during our 2016 Fall board meeting to be the 1^st member of the AAUW NYS Student Advisory Board. Michelle will be participating in our AAUW NYS Convention in Saratoga Springs, NY and will also be working with the Empire State Virtual Branch and the New York Institute of Technology on a one day joint conference on Friday, April 22, 2016 featuring the Start Smart workshop and a Career Fair.

Michelle is a senior at the New York Institute of Technology and will be graduating as an Engineer in May 2016. She loves Math and Science and she founded the Society of Women Engineers at the NYIT. She was drawn to engineering because both her mom and grandmother were computer programmers. Michelle’s career aspiration is to create better things for people who need them. Michelle interested in bionics and would like to work on creating a device to help people walk or hear again!

More Complaints Than Findings!

by Donna Seymour
AAUW NYS Public Policy VP

Education Department has received more than 1,000 filings on racial harassment in higher ed in last seven years. But only a fraction result in any findings.

In an op-ed this month on rising racial tensions on campus, Education Secretary Arne Duncan noted that in his seven years in office, the department’s Office for Civil Rights has received more than 1,000 complaints about racial harassment in higher education. He said this statistic was an indication that the current concerns about race on campus are “no small issue.”

Duncan didn’t note how small a proportion of those complaints have resulted in findings of discrimination. Most of the complaints, in fact, never result in a complete investigation by OCR, let alone a finding. That isn’t necessarily a sign of weak complaints or of poor enforcement by OCR. A review of more information provided by the Education Department, however, may illustrate why students are turning to campus protests and not to Washington with their grievances.

During the Obama administration, the Education Department has received 1,073 complaints about racial harassment in higher education. Generally, the number of complaints a year is up, compared to prior years. Since 2010, the smallest number of complaints in a fiscal year is 137 (in 2010). In the five years prior to the Obama administration, the number of complaints never exceeded 95 and was generally smaller than that (in the 50s). An increase in complaints does not necessarily mean that the situation on campus is worse, since a variety of factors (such as outreach to encourage complaints, or the government signaling interest in enforcement) can be a factor in the number of complaints.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/11/30/education-department-receives-many-complaints-about-racial-harassment-higher

Legal Advocacy Fund at Work for Pay Equity in the Workplace

by
Nancy Mion, ESVB Public Policy Director

New LAF Case – It is always exciting to learn about a new LAF case. The most recently adopted one reflects how the gender pay gap can impact on a woman’s life long earnings. The Legal Advocacy Fund provides individuals support as they fight for their rights. These are real people who need our financial and organizational help as their cases set precedents and draw attention to inequities.

You may want to share this case with your members. (You may receive info about this case from several other AAUW NYS sources too.) Here is a short summary you might want to use.

The most recent case adopted by the AAUW LAF is Rizo vs. Fresno County Office of Education. It vividly demonstrates the effect the gender pay gap has on women’s salaries. The plaintiff Aileen Rizo, a math consultant, learned that a male colleague, with less experience, was hired on the 9^th of 10 steps, while she had been hired on the first step. When she filed a complaint she was told that starting salaries were based solely on the employee’s previous wages. Since women are generally paid les then men, this practice perpetuates the wage gap. Rizo eventually filed suit under the Equal Pay Act and California sex status discrimination statutes

Want to know more about this case? Check out http://aauw-nys.org/laf_casesupport.htm

The Deadline for National AAUW Receiving Your Branchs 2015 Contributions to LAF is December 31. Individual donors often give their donations in December. Please encourage your members to support LAF with their personal contributions to this important AAUW Program. Do ask them to give you the money now before the end of the year deadline.

AAUW-NYS Convention

Do you have concerns about handling your finances and college loans after college?

SAVE THE DATE:
STUDENT TRACK ANNOUNCEMENT
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN
NEW YORK STATE CONVENTION
HOLIDAY INN, SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY
APRIL 16, 2016 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM

The American Association of University Women New York State Board is pleased to announce and welcomes ALL College and University students to join us for a day of learning and inspiration!

Come and hear great speakers including our keynote speaker, Dean Nada Marie Anid, Professor and Dean of the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences. Her expertise includes Industry-academic partnerships; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Emerging Technologies; Sustainability; Global Engineering Education and STEM K-12 Outreach.

Dean Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., is the first female dean of NYIT’s School of Engineering and Computing Sciences (SoECS). In this role, she oversees 77 engineering and computing sciences faculty members and approximately 1,700 graduate and undergraduate students at campuses located in Manhattan and Old Westbury, N.Y., the Middle East, and China.

To pre-register for this educational and fun event, email Maria Ellis, AAUW NYS College & University Director at mellis@fsacap.com or for more information call 973-216-4181.

Do you have concerns about handling your finances and college loans after college?
This student conference includes a workshop with financial counselors.

Great Decisions

2016 Great Decisions

Topics for Great Decisions* 2016

1. Middle East: From a proxy war in Yemen to an ongoing civil war in Syria, a number of ongoing conflicts have shaken the traditional alliances in the Middle East to their core. As alliances between state and non-state actors in the region are constantly shifting, the U.S. has found itself between a rock and a hard place. In a series of conflicts that are far from being black-and-white, what can the U.S. do to secure its interests in the region without causing further damage and disruption?
Date: 4^th Thurs, Jan. 28
Reviewer: Julie Kleszczewski

2. The Rise of ISIS: Born out of an umbrella organization of Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) burst onto the international stage after it seized Falluja in December 2013. Since then, the group has seized control of a number of critical strongholds in the country and declared itself a caliphate, known as the Islamic State. Still, the question remains: What is ISIS, and what danger does it pose to U.S. interests?
Date: 2^nd Thurs, Feb.11
Reviewer: TBA

3. The Future of Kurdistan: Kurdistan, a mountainous region made up of parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Syria, is home to one of the largest ethnic groups in West Asia: the Kurds. Now, most in the West know them for their small, oil-rich autonomous region in northern Iraq called Iraqi Kurdistan — one of the U.S.’ closer allies in the Middle East and a bulwark against the expansion of the so-called Islamic State. What does the success of Iraqi Kurdistan mean for Kurds in the surrounding region?
Date: 4^th Thurs, Feb. 25
Reviewer: TBA

4. Migration: As a record number of migrants cross the Mediterranean Sea to find refuge in Europe, the continent is struggling to come up with an adequate response. Although Europe’s refugees are largely fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and parts of Africa, their struggle is hardly unique. Today, with the number of displaced people is at an all-time high, a number of world powers find themselves facing a difficult question: How can they balance border security with humanitarian concerns? More importantly, what can they do to resolve these crises so as to limit the number of displaced persons?
Date: 2^nd Thurs, March 10
Reviewer: TBA

5. The Koreas: At the end of World War II, Korea was divided in two. The northern half of the Korean peninsula was occupied by the Soviet Union, the southern by the United States. Today, North and South Korea couldn’t be further apart. The North is underdeveloped, impoverished and ruled by a corrupt, authoritarian government, while the South advanced rapidly to become one of the most developed countries in the world. With such a wide gap, some are asking if unification is possible, even desirable, anymore?
Date: 4^th Thurs, March 24
Reviewer: TBA

6. The United Nations: On the eve of the international organization’s 70^th birthday, the United Nations stands at a crossroads. This year marks a halfway point in the organization’s global effort to eradicate poverty, hunger and discrimination, as well as ensure justice and dignity for all peoples. But as the UN’s 193 member states look back at the success of the millennium development goals, they also must assess their needs for its sustainable development goals — a new series of benchmarks, which are set to expire in 2030. With the appointment of the ninth secretary-general in the near future as well, the next U.S. president is bound to have quite a lot on his or her plate going into office.
Date: 2^nd Thurs, April 14
Reviewer: Maria Ellis

7. Climate change: In the past few years, the American public has become more aware of the damage wrought by climate change. From droughts in the west to extreme weather in the east, a rapidly changing climate has already made its footprint in the United States. Now, it’s expected that the presidential election in 2016 will be one of the first ever to place an emphasis on these environmental changes. What can the next president do to stymie this environmental crisis? And is it too late for these efforts to be effective?
Date: 4^th Thurs, April 28
Reviewer: Dr. C.S. Rani

8. Cuba and the U.S.: The U.S. announced in December 2014 that, after decades of isolation, it has begun taking major steps to normalize relations with Cuba, its neighbor to the south. The announcement marks a dramatic shift away from a policy that has its roots in one of the darkest moments of the Cold War — the Cuban missile crisis. Although the U.S. trade embargo is unlikely to end any time soon, American and Cuban leaders today are trying to bring a relationship once defined by a crisis in the 1960s into the 21^st century.
Date: 2^nd Thurs, May 12
Reviewer: TBA

Charles Room, The Harvard Club, 27 W 44th St., 5:30—7:30 p.m. For more information, email Julie K: juliek@msn.com

*Check back with us for a finalized list of authors and titles for each topic.

Published annually by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA) – an independent, non-governmental organization-promoting informed public opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global affairs. The anticipated release for the Great Decisions briefing book and related materials is January 2016. The exact titles and order of discussion topics is subject to change. For more information on Great Decisions 2016, for free promotional materials, to place an order or to locate a discussion group in your area you may contact a customer service representative toll-free at (800) 477-5836.

Congratulations to AAUW’s Senior Leadership!

Congratulations to AAUW’s Senior Leadership
Linda Hallman, Executive Director &
Patricia Fae Ho, President

In October, the mayor, the city’s Office of Women’s Advancement, and AAUW leaders announced an ambitious initiative to offer free AAUW Work Smart salary negotiation trainings to half of Boston’s working women in the next five years. That means training 85,000 women to negotiate higher salaries and better benefits — and making a dent in the gender pay gap, which stands nationally at 21 percent.

Women working full time in the United States typically are paid just 79 percent of what men are paid, and it’s even worse for most women of color. The gender pay gap starts just one year out of college, and it only widens over the course of a career.

One of the many ways that AAUW is fighting the pay gap is by empowering women to negotiate for what they’re worth. That’s why, in 2014, AAUW acquired the Start Smart and Work Smart salary negotiation programs, which focus on college women and working women, respectively, from collaborator WAGE Project.

AAUW Start Smart is designed for college students who are about to enter the job market, and AAUW members have been putting on these workshops for years. AAUW Work Smart is for women who are already working, and it’s now available for AAUW members to get involved in presenting. Both workshops have been completely redesigned using the latest research and negotiation strategies so that participants will leave with the skills and confidence to successfully navigate the complexities of job offers and promotions. To organize a Start Smart or Work Smart salary negotiation program, email AAUW Senior Program Manager Jesse Rauch at rauchj@aauw.org or Maria Ellis at mellis@fsacap.com

AAUW’S ADVOCACY IMPACT IN NEW YORK STATE

AAUW’S ADVOCACY IMPACT
IN NEW YORK STATE

This is how AAUW was involved in educating our New Yorkers, citizens and lawmakers, about the policies needed to advance our mission in fiscal 2014. These efforts were supported by your generous donations.

AAUW Action Fund Lobby Corps made 43 visits to members of Congress from NYS.
AAUW public policy staff provided materials for 36 events in NYS, including 26 Equal Pay Day events.
AAUW staff, NYS members & members of Congress held a Women’s Economic Agenda event with Leader Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney
New Yorkers sent 20,744 messages to Congress and the president through the Two-Minute Activist.
AAUW Action Network provided free access in NY for alerts on NYS issues and events.
An AAUW Impact Grant of $1,000 plus Public Policy staff resources was awarded to NYS for action on behalf of safer campus climates and paid sick days in NYS.

Use your voice, your hand and your heart; utilize your phone, your computer and your money to Make a Difference.

Nancy Mion AAUW ESVB Public Policy Chair

A Tribute to Heide and Her Good Works

HEIDE PARREÑO
A Filipino nurse with a vision for a multicultural country

AVANELL BROCK

a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Photography, did this short documentary on Heide and her good works.
MARCH 9^TH, 2015
Complete article at https://avanell.exposure.co/heide-parreño

They sometimes call her the flower lady, after the signature fake tropical flowers which she always has in her hair. Her voice is quiet, with a distinctive Filipino accent even after living here in the States for 54 years. She listens with the care and discernment of a nurse, totally attentive to those she is interacting with, no matter if they’re 3 or 103.

Heide Parreño is an inspiring member of the Rochester community. Originally from the Phillipines, she immigrated to Seattle in 1961 to become a nun and a nurse. As a young woman, she ran away from home to join the order because her parents didn’t want her to become a nun. She later left the order but is still passionate about her faith and is interested in holistic nursing – healing the mind and body. She is around 70 years old but still passionate and active in the community, desiring to help the underserved in her area. Refugees, the elderly and the poor are all people that she helps on a regular basis.

REFUGEE JUSTICE

Heide is especially involved in the advocating for immigrants, refugees and undocumented workers here in the United States. As a member of the board on the Greater Rochester Coalition for Immigrant Justice she is helping to work for rights of immigrants. An immigrant herself, she helped her parents and siblings move from the Philippines to America.

Multiculturalism is a constant in Heide’s work here in Rochester. When she first moved from Seattle to Rochester she started working for a progressive Catholic church doing outreach, evangelisation and multiculturalism. She has tried to engage the refugees in the city to make them feel welcome and to help her city and the United States to become more diverse. She says, “…[The] mutual enriching process its not to make people into a melting pot. The more people can maintain who they are, the more they can contribute to the United States because the United States will be informed about what is happening globally, politically, socially, economically…”

During the summer of 2014 some young blacks committed acts of violence against Nepalese/Bhutanese refugees, committing theft and in once case a refugee was beaten. This created a public outcry and police action. Involved in the world of refugees, Heide was inspired by this to start a group to support refugees and reconcile differences between them and their oppressors. They meet once a month to celebrate their cultural differences and work towards mutual understanding of each other. One of the families involved are Heide’s neighbors.

Refugees from Bhutan via Nepal, Tek and Devi along with their 2 year old son have only been in the United States for 8 months. Heide and her husband Duane met them by chance on a warm summer day when they ran into each other at a nearby park. Since then, Heide and Duane took them to see the Fourth of July celebration and over the winter have been supported and blessed them by bringing warm clothes for the baby, fixing their television and in other ways shown them how to live an American life here in Rochester.

The Wild Women are Coming!

“Embracing Eleanor in the 21^st Century”

The NY/NJ AAUW “WILD” Women Project
(Women In Leadership Development)

Members from the NY/NJ WILD Project (Women in Leadership Development) are attending the AAUW National Convention in San Diego come June. They will be promoting Phase 3 of the Eleanor Roosevelt Leadership Read. State board members connected at our last national convention in New Orleans and strong bonds of friendship developed, as they often do in AAUW. Robin Gerber, keynote speaker there inspired these women to focus on leadership through her book “Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way.” There are monthly conference calls, convention workshops and program planning. You too can become “WILD” and join in Phase 3 that starts this July. Members connect on the third Tuesday of each month to review and discuss the current chapter with a focus on the leadership virtues Eleanor exemplified.

Eleanor was named as the most influential first lady of all times by a Siena Poll in 2014. Ken Burns made her an integral part of his new series, “The Roosevelts” last fall. The UN has designated her birthday as the date to celebrate International Day of the Girl. The time is right for you to establish a relationship with Eleanor or renew an old friendship. Robin’s book connects you to Eleanor in a very personal way.

National will be hosting round table discussions at the convention. We think this New York/New Jersey collaboration is something to talk about. There will also be opportunities in both New York and New Jersey to learn more about this project at their spring gatherings. If you have a personal or family story related to Eleanor be sure to share it with us.

Eleanor believes that we were all ‘born to be WILD.’ To join the fun, contact

Joan Monk – ftmaven@gmail.com.

A New Mentoring Program for Middle and H.S. Girls!

We are pleased to announce a new Empire State Virtual Branch Leadership program for middle and high school girls as part of the New York State Project, Leadership: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Leadership, character development, feminism, advocacy and philanthropy are all essential parts of this project. We are calling this piece of the project, “Standing Tall with Eleanor and Michelle.” This project is being funded by the Empire State Virtual Branch and a $500 grant for AAUW NYS.

Three on site visits of 90 minutes are planned with our coalition partners – Kechie’s Project Outreach Schools Bronx NY, YWCA of Yonkers and Mary J Blige Center in Yonkers. Varied formats are being developed to accommodate school and vacation schedules as well ages of our participants. This project come out of Phase 3 of the NY/NJ AAUW WILD Project this summer.

Here are the topics we are planning to develop through this program:

Discover your favorite Eleanor quote?
Find a favorite quote from Michelle Obama that speaks to you.
What leadership characteristics (virtues) do they share?
Explore their pet projects
Discuss First Lady “Firsts”
Compare/Contrast these first ladies
Just the Facts – biographical information
Focus on feminism – was ER a feminist? Michelle?
How did each first lady support women and girls?
Eleanor’s crowning achievement was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Why was this so important for her?
What do you think Michelle Obama’s greatest achievement is so far? What might she do in the future?
Investigate “Let Girls Learn” Why is this initiative so important?
In 2012, the United Nations created two new celebrations – International Day of the Girl (October 11^th) and International Day of Happiness (March 20^th). How do these new celebrations connect to these two first ladies?
How did each first lady advocate for? What is an advocate? How does one advocate?
Where they philanthropists? What is the classic definition of a philanthropist? What is the new meaning of this word?
What has/had heart and meaning for these two extraordinary women? What has heart and meaning for you?
Do you consider Eleanor and/or Michelle a role model?
Reflect on all the individuals you do consider role models. List them.
What has surprised you in this study? What has inspired you?
What has challenged you? What has touched your heart?

Rationale:
“Girls on the Go” is a great way to introduce young women and girls to AAUW as well as for the Empire State Virtual Branch to work with new coalition partners. Public transportation plus entry fees will be covered for girls and their teachers for events held in the NY metropolitan area. Here are the events we will encourage these girls to attend:

AAUW NYS District V Conference in NYC on October 3^rd, 2015 at New York Institute of Technology, “Focus on Feminism: Near & Far, Past & Present”
CTAUN Conference at the United Nations on January 22^nd, 2016. This year’s theme is : Stewardship for a Sustainable World: Education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
United Nations Annual Report on Happiness in celebration of International Day of Happiness on March 20^th
Attendance at parallel events for Committee on the Status of Women during the first two weeks in March
Explore Your Opportunities Conference hosted by Westchester American Association of University Women and Empire State Virtual Branch at College of Mt. St. Vincent on April 16^th, 2016

Participants would be asked to share their learning with their classmates or write an article for the our newsletter, The ESVB Times. A suggested format for both the discussion and article could be: What surprised you at this event? What inspired you? What challenged you? What touched your heart?

If you would like to join the Girls on the Go Committee, please email Joan Monk at ftmaven@gmail.com.