The AAUW/California State University, Dominguez Hills Project
National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL)

NCCWSL is an annual conference to develop college women into future leaders and has been sponsored by AAUW for 39 years. Keynote speakers who are in leadership positions present at the conference, and individual workshops are held to develop various leadership skills.

The AAUW Palos Verdes Branch in partnership with California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) selects students to send to the conference. Candidates are chosen through a process of evaluating and scoring the applications submitted by students. Interviews are then held jointly by the AAUW/PVP Project Committee and CSUDH selected staff to determine the final candidates. These women are provided with paid conference registration fees, air travel and hotel accommodations.

The students who have attended the conference come back excited and motivated from their exposure to women leaders, the workshops they attended and the networking that occurred. As with all AAUW projects, NCCWSL depends on donations to continue its outstanding work and welcomes any contributions as well as any interest one may have in being part of this wonderful endeavor.

History

In 2012, AAUW member, Trish Dilligan, who was a Trustee at Marymount College (MCU) had been researching the AAUW Campus Outreach Initiatives and decided that AAUW could make a difference at MCU. It was agreed that the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) was a priority. Unfortunately, Trish Dilligan passed away in late 2014, but she left a memorial gift to the NCCWSL project which allowed the conferences to continue through 2019, and included a virtual conference for some students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The partnership with MCU was outstanding. However, in 2022 MCU closed. In our search for another partner, we were able to form a new partnership with CSUDH in 2024 when we sent our first students to the conference.