Outcome of December 21, 2020 Call for Electronic Vote of the AISES Membership & Announcement of Updated Mission Statement

Dear AISES Members:

From December 21, 2020 through January 5, 2021, AISES members were asked to vote on seven (7) Resolutions to modify the AISES Bylaws. AISES received 88 votes for each resolution in total. Resolutions A, B, C, D, F, G, H all passed by wide margins.

As a result of the passing votes, the Bylaws will be modified according to the changes outlined in the Resolutions. The updated Bylaws will be posted on the AISES website when completed. As presented, Resolution A modifies language in the Bylaws in several different sections and one of those sections is the definition of “American Indian.” The new language is: “American Indian” shall mean a person who is a member of any of the Indigenous peoples of North America and Pacific Islands. This change was made in the spirit of inclusivity.

We are highlighting this specific change because it will affect the AISES Mission Statement. Soon, you will see the change in the AISES mission reflected in the AISES website, the Winds of Change Magazine, and all AISES educational materials.

The updated AISES Mission Statement is as follows:

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers.

As a reminder, Resolution E regarding proposed changes to the structure of the Professional Chapters Council and the Professional Development Committee was tabled to allow for more time to talk to committee and council chairs and other involved members. Four roundtable discussions have been scheduled by AISES Board Director William Tiger, Chair of the Governance Committee. The outcome of these discussions and the revised Resolution will be brought to the AISES Board at their meeting of February 5, 2021 for a vote. Should Resolution E be passed by the Board, AISES will call for final review and an electronic vote on Resolution E from the membership.

Thank you for being a part of AISES and participating in the electronic vote. Your voice is critical to the development and growth of AISES and we want to hear from you! We hope you will vote in all AISES elections in order to gain full benefit of your membership.

Should you have any questions about the vote on the seven (7) Resolutions, or the vote coming up in the Spring for Resolution E, please contact Amy Weinstein at aweinstein@aises.org.