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Bylaws

Association of Northwestern University Women Bylaws

Approved by the Bylaws Committee
Approved by the Steering Committee – September 1989
Amended & Approved – October 1990, October 1991, July 1994, July 2012, November 2017, August 2021

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the Association of Northwestern University Women (ANUW) (Amended 1991).

Article II – Mission Statement and Goals

Section 1. Mission Statement
ANUW is committed to encouraging and supporting the professional development of all staff who identify as women at Northwestern University.

Section 2. Goals
Our goals are to help advance women’s careers to foster community among women and facilitate networking and mentorship between women. We seek to ensure diversity within our membership and leadership while advocating for diversity and equity within Northwestern’s administration.

Article III – Membership

Section 1. Eligibility
All women employees of Northwestern University who hold exempt, non-exempt, or temporary employee status are eligible to be active members of ANUW.

Section 2. Process
To become an active member, the application form and payment of dues should be sent to the Treasurer. Dues amount and payment schedule shall be determined at the August Meeting. Active membership status shall last for one fiscal year, from September 1 through August 31. Any eligible woman can join at any time during the year.

Section 3. Active Members’ Rights
Active members are entitled to: be eligible for elected or appointed positions, and receive all ANUW communications. Active members are encouraged to contact the Board with feedback or questions for the organization.

Article IV – Executive Officers

Section 1. Composition
The Executive Officers of ANUW shall be a Past President, President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Section 2. Election Process
By the end of the spring quarter, a Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Board. The Nominating Committee is comprised of the President, Vice President, three active Board members, and two active committee members. It shall be the duty of this committee to nominate a single candidate for each office to be filled at the last Board meeting of the fiscal year. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a report of its nominations to be sent to the membership in advance of that meeting.

Before the end of the fiscal year, ANUW will share a list of available positions for the next fiscal year with all ANUW members. Any active ANUW member is eligible to apply for any vacant position, with the exception of the Vice President role. Applicants for the Vice President position must be current or recent past Board or committee members. The Nominating Committee shall review applications and conduct interviews with applicants. At least two Nominating Committee members will participate in each interview. The Vice President will interview applicants for the incoming Vice President position.

The slate of candidates shall be shared and approved at the August Meeting. Approved incoming Board members shall be notified after the August meeting vote and invited to the annual Board Retreat. The Board will notify all active members of the incoming elected Board via email.

Section 3. Term of Office
Incoming Board members shall be elected at the August meeting to serve for one-year terms or until their successors are elected. The term of office shall begin at the start of the new fiscal year beginning in September.

Section 4. Holding Office
No member shall hold more than one office at one time.

Section 5. Duties
The following are the duties of the officers:

  • Past President shall: preside or complete the President’s term should they be absent, or the office is vacant prior to the August Board meeting; and serve as a member of the Board.
  • President shall: preside at all meetings; present an annual report to the membership at the end of their term; represent ANUW on appropriate occasions and serve as an ANUW spokesperson; serve as chair of the Board; appoint such other committees, standing or ad hoc, as the active membership shall deem necessary to carry on the work of ANUW; perform all duties commonly incident to the office of President; shall complete and submit the annual report; and such other duties as may be designated by the general membership and the Board; and serve as Past President at the end of their presidency.
  • Vice President shall: assist the President in the performance of their duties; perform such duties as the President may designate; become the President at the end of the one-year term as Vice President; and serve as a member of the Board.
  • Treasurer shall: present a financial report at the regular meetings; bill the membership for the dues and receive the payment of them, and maintain a ledger of each member’s account; keep an accurate and up-to-date list of all active members; and serve as chair of the finance committee.
  • Secretary shall: keep a record of all proceedings of the organization and keep a file of those records; keep a file of all reports of officers and committees; and serve as a member of the Board.

Section 6. Resignations
Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board. The resignation need not be accepted to be effective unless required by its terms.

Section 7. Vacancies
Vacancy of an office shall be filled in the following manner:

  • In the case of vacancy of the Secretary or Treasurer role, the President shall appoint an interim officer;
  • In the case of vacancy of the office of the Past President, the vacancy shall be filled by the previous year’s Past President or shall not be filled, to be determined by a vote from the Board;
  • In the case of vacancy of the office of the President, the Past President shall complete their term; and
  • In the case of vacancy of the Vice President, the majority of the Board shall vote from the nomination(s) from the Nominating Committee.
Article V – The Board

Section 1. Composition
The Board shall consist of the Executive Officers and the Chairs of each standing committee.

Section 2. Duties
The Board shall:

  • Perform such duties as are specified in these Bylaws and as are usually assumed by such a governing body;
  • Report to the membership on substantive issues;
  • Be empowered to act on behalf of the membership between membership meetings, submitting such action to the membership for review at each regular meeting; and
  • Support and endorse ANUW programs and activities.

Section 3. Special/Emergency Meetings
Special/emergency meetings of the Board shall be called upon at the request of three members of the Board. The date, time, place, and exact purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call, which should be delivered to all Board members a minimum of one week in advance. If it becomes necessary to take action in a special emergency meeting without full Board ratification, that action must be ratified at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.

Section 4. Quorum
Half of the active Board members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5. August Board Meeting
For the purpose of electing officers and approving bylaw updates, the August Board meeting is open to all active ANUW members. The annual member dues amount is also discussed at this meeting.

Section 6. Board Meetings
The Board shall meet once each month. The Board will vote on the recurring time/date.

Section 7. Committee Meetings
Each committee shall meet as it deems necessary. Each committee shall be responsible for setting its agenda and goals.

Section 8. Attendance
It is expected that Board members make every effort to attend Board and Committee meetings. To remain in good standing, Board members can miss no more than two Board meetings per year. If a Board member finds they are unable to participate to the extent necessary during the fiscal year, they should consider resigning from the Board. The President will consult with individual Board members as needed.

In all cases, Board members are expected to notify the President and Secretary of meetings they know they will miss. Board members on leave and with excused absences are exempt from this requirement.

Article VI- Standing Committees

Section 1. Reporting
Standing committees shall report to the Board at each scheduled meeting. Standing committees shall be evaluated on an annual basis by the committee itself and presented to the Board. The evaluation shall include recommendations for further work or dissolution of the committee. Such recommendations may also be made by the Board. A standing committee may be created by the majority vote of the Board, and it may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Board for good cause upon the recommendation of the committee, Board, or the membership.

Section 2. Titles
There shall be the following standing committees and Board positions:

  • The Finance Committee has the responsibility to manage all ANUW financial matters and is chaired by the Treasurer.
  • The Leadership Development Committee has the responsibility to carry out the objectives identified by the Mission Statement, which relate to leadership skills and professional development of women at Northwestern.
  • The Membership Committee has the responsibility to communicate with and maintain appropriate records of membership, encourage representation from the broad university-wide base, as well as develop and implement programming that connects and celebrates ANUW members.
  • The Mentoring Committee has the responsibility to carry out those objectives identified by the Mission Statement, which relate to career mentoring.
  • The Programming Committee has the responsibility to develop, plan, and present programming for the membership of ANUW and to work with committees in planning recommended programs.
  • The Publicity Committee has the responsibility to manage, design, and develop marketing for public relations use by all of the ANUW committees, including general communications, including print and digital communications.
  • The Board Member-at-Large has the responsibility to act as an advisor to the Board by supporting standing committees or special projects.
  • The Affinity Group Liaison has the responsibility of coordinating with employee resource groups to identify areas of opportunity for affinity group collaboration that would collectively benefit membership which includes meeting with other affinity group leaders on a regular basis throughout the year, reporting opportunities to the Board, creating and promoting collaboration events, and representing ANUW at those events.
  • The Women’s Center Liaison has the responsibility to coordinate with the Women’s Center and ANUW committees regarding events, volunteers, and potential partnerships.
Article VII – Ad Hoc Committees

Section 1. Creation and Duration
Ad hoc committees may be created, as the need arises, to carry out specified tasks. A majority vote of the current Board is necessary to create an ad hoc committee. Ad hoc committees must report at each Board meeting and at each regular membership meeting. An ad hoc committee continues until it gives its final report.

Article VIII – Amendments

Section 1. Bylaws
The President and Vice President shall review the bylaws annually. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the active membership present at the August Board meeting. The proposed amendments must be distributed in advance of the meeting to the full membership.

You can view the ANUW bylaws here.