Presidential Task Forces : Call for Volunteers
As many of you know, I remain committed to listening carefully to your concerns regarding the Association and the field as a whole. While it is impossible for me to adequately address them all during my two-year term, I remain enthusiastic about supporting you and your tremendous work. On that note, my next set of collaborative initiatives entails developing task forces to study two critical issues pertinent to the Association—our name and the composition of our Governing Council. As always, thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Sincerely,
President Heidi R. Lewis
Association Name Task Force
Why the name? Why now?
We’ve been called the National Women’s Studies Association for nearly 50 years. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like referring to ourselves as anything other than NWSA. However, our name is exclusionary in ways that run counter to who we are and what we do. As I note in “Multivocal and Multidirectional: The Rich Legacy of Women’s Studies,” while the field and Association have “aimed to be as multivocal and multidirectional as the subjugation and oppression women, nonbinary, and LGBTQ folks face,” we have “routinely contended with critiques of [our] theories and politics.” One righteous critique is that our name does not account for gender nonbinary and nonconforming folks. Another is that it doesn’t amplify our commitments to intersectional and transnational analyses. While we can be certain no name will ever encompass the vastness of our positionalities and our work, we can at least carefully (re)consider it as we approach our 50th anniversary.
What next?
This three-year task force, led by 10-12 volunteer members, will develop a comprehensive plan during the first year; conduct a study and compose a report in collaboration with the President and Interim Executive Director in the second; then present the report and recommendations to the membership in the third. The membership will vote on the recommendations during our Membership Assembly meeting in 2027. The task force will have an initial meeting with the President and Interim Executive Director this October. Subsequently, the task force will determine its own meeting and work schedule. More information will be provided once the composition of the task force has been determined by the President and Interim Executive Director. If you are interested in serving on this task force, please complete our interest form by Friday, August 16.
Complete the Interest Form
Governing Council Composition Task Force
Why Governing Council composition? Why now?
As I note in “A Brief and Incomplete History of the Governing Council,” the composition of our Governing Council (or Board) has changed numerous times, in numerous ways, and for many justifiable reasons since its inception in the early 1990s. As of 2016, the Board has been comprised of the Executive Committee (President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary), a number of Members-at-Large, and the Lesbian and Women of Color Caucus Co-Chairs, who have seats on the Board protected by Association bylaws. In the past, however, myriad existing and defunct committees were represented, such as Communications, Continuing Education, Development, Conflict Resolution, Elections, Educational Outreach, Student Interests, and Women’s Centers. Geographical regions were also represented for a number of years, with their seats eventually replaced by a consolidated Regional Representative that was eventually eliminated. Of note, existing constituency group representatives, such as the Program Administration and Development and Women’s Centers Committee, have expressed interest in (re)joining the Board. Members have also inquired about the possibility of reducing or adding the number of Governing Council members. While we can be certain no configuration of the Board will adequately satisfy every group and every need, we can at least carefully (re)consider its composition during this time of enthusiasm for historically-situated and future-oriented thoughtfulness and change.
What next?
This one-year task force, led by 6-8 volunteer members, will develop a comprehensive plan (2-3 months); conduct a study and compose a report in collaboration with the President and Interim Executive Director (6-8 months); then present the report and recommendations to the membership (2-3 months). The membership will vote on the recommendations during our Membership Assembly meeting in 2025. The task force will have an initial meeting with the President and Interim Executive Director this October. Subsequently, the task force will determine its own meeting and work schedule. More information will be provided once the composition of the task force has been determined by the President and Interim Executive Director. If you are interested in serving on this task force, please complete our interest form by Friday, August 16.
Complete the Interest Form