FA C U LT Y P R E PA R AT I O N G U I D E

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NMUNlast updated September 2014

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© 2014 National Model United Nations

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NMUN Faculty Preparation Guide

Tips and Information Guide for Faculty Attending NMUN by Professor Karen Vogel, Hamline University

This document was developed in 2014, in response to requests from NMUN faculty, by Prof. Karen Vogel of Hamline University, a member of the NMUN●NY Advisory Group. NMUN hopes this and other resources will help faculty and students make the most of their experience at NMUN. The document will continue to evolve with future contributions. Please feel free to send suggestions to info@nmun.org.

© 2014 National Model UN/NCCA.

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Overview

You and your team have decided to participate in a NMUN conference. Now what? This guide is designed specifically to help new colleagues survive, thrive, and gain as much as possible from this dynamic program. Written by faculty for faculty, the guide provides advice and information about planning prior to the conference, what to expect, getting the most out of the conference while there, and engaging in post-conference activities to help expand and improve your program.

Additional details on preparations, and responses to frequently asked questions about registration, conference hotel, costs, committees, and other basic conference information are linked to on the left side of each conference page on the NMUN website (see also, FAQs: www.nmun.org/nmun_faqs.html and Policies: www.nmun.org/policies_codes.html). Faculty who have further questions are always welcome to contact NMUN at: info@nmun.org or faculty members of the NMUN Advisory Group.

Before You Go

Give Yourself Time. One of the important aspects of this whole process involves time and pacing yourself. Many details go into the preparation, whether you are doing Model UN as a club, a class, or as a hybrid. Do not assume that you can do things at the last minute. Plan ahead as much as possible; take into account time to gain information, to problem-solve, or to readjust activities when necessary. Know that you are embarking on a great learning experience for you and your students, and that it is worth the work in the end. However, be aware that serving as a faculty advisor is a demanding endeavor and will involve several months or maybe a year’s commitment to prepare and to attend. Try not to underestimate the time and energy involved.

Faculty Compensation or Course Release. Every institution, either in the U.S. or abroad, has different ways to view faculty advising duties for student programs. Some institutions compensate faculty with extra salary or honorariums for their work. Others provide a course release to allow faculty time to do Model UN work. Still other institutions treat Model UN as an academic program with faculty members teaching Model UN and travelling with students as part of their regular academic duties. Some schools do not provide any compensation at all for their faculty, and Model UN is purely a volunteer activity. Check with your institution to see if policies exist for compensation or time release.

Junior Faculty and Tenure Expectations. If you are a junior faculty member who is tenure-track, you may wish to get a sense from your department, university administration, or Faculty Tenure Committee about how Model UN will be evaluated as part of your work. For example, does it fulfill service requirements? Or, would advising Model UN students be viewed as outside normal university activities? You might be able to count Model UN as part of your faculty development. Many opportunities exist at the conference for meeting international experts, attending faculty programs, and gaining inspiration for writing projects on your own or with colleagues. If you need ideas about how to contextualize your Model UN work in preparation for tenure, you can also seek out advice from other faculty at the conference.

Determine Your Budget. At least a couple of months prior (or even up to a year ahead) to registration for NMUN, determine your budget and money sources for yourself and your students. For example, as a faculty member, will your institution pay for all your individual travel expenses or a portion? Will that money come from a faculty development fund, special fund for student off campus travel, department or administrative budgets, or some other source? Will the costs of student travel be fully paid by the institution, partially covered, or not financially supported at all? Depending on the policies and procedures of your institution, you may be able to piece together monies from different offices to cover your costs.

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Fundraising Tips. Some teams are fortunate to be fully supported by their universities or colleges. However, many teams must fundraise in order to meet conference and travel expenses. Start early, plan carefully, and use multiple strategies. Many excellent ideas can be found on the NMUN website (see www.nmun.org/fundraising.html).

Institutional Travel Policies. Check on whether your institution has specific travel policies and procedures for academic student groups. These policies may be different from those for athletes or members of a musical group. You may need to file special forms, acquire emergency contact information for all the students, and give detailed itineraries to institutional officials. Be sure to take into account any time needed for approvals for student and faculty travel if required. Provide a list of team members and a travel schedule to the Dean or appropriate administrative office in addition to your home department.

Medical Releases and Emergency Contact Information. If you are traveling with students under the age of 21, you should consider having a guardian (parent or responsible adult) sign a medical release that would allow you to obtain emergency medical treatment for the student if necessary. You should also ask for information about any special medical conditions students may have. Keep a list of emergency contact information (parents or responsible adult) for students with you in case a family member needs to be called right away. Your Study Abroad or Off-Campus Study office may have tips for other courses with embedded learning experiences. Consider asking them for their best practices and sample forms for medical releases and behavior contracts (see below).

Student Behavior Contracts. NMUN has explicit codes of conduct and polices for students and faculty (see www.nmun.org/policies_codes.html). Hotels will also have policies regarding excessive noise, property damage, and so forth. Review these policies carefully ahead of time with your delegates and consider having them sign a contract which states they have read and understood the codes. In addition, you might consider establishing your own team rules of behavior or set of expectations (policies on responsible use of alcohol, safety, team conduct, etc.) and have students sign a behavior contract regarding those. Such contracts make clear what is appropriate behavior and what the consequences are (such as dismissal from the team, being sent home, no course credit or getting a failing grade, liability, etc.) if students do not follow the rules.

Mission Briefings and Visits with Organizations. Mission (NY) and embassy (DC) briefings are encouraged and can enrich the student learning experience (see www.nmun.org/briefings.html). In addition, many NGOs and other UN agencies are based in New York and often are willing to host students for an informational discussion or one hour briefings. Remember that such briefings cannot be set up at the last minute, and you or your team members are responsible for setting up and confirming appointments. You should start making contacts approximately two months ahead of when you will be in New York or Washington, D.C. Patience and persistence will yield results. Begin with an initial email inquiry, follow-up with a fax of a formal letter of request, and then another email or phone call. Sometimes an initial phone call seeking the name of the appropriate individual at the mission or agency to contact (such as a deputy ambassador, special administrative assistant, or representative to a particular committee) can be helpful.

Academic Preparation. By far, the most important part of work with your delegates is the academic preparation for the conference. The better the training that students receive, the more successful their conference experience will be. To get started, check out the preparation tips on the NMUN website (see www.nmun.org/ny_preparations.html). Be sure to review the NMUN Delegate Preparation Guide and the Committee Background Guides as soon as they are available. Begin your country research as soon as you know your assignment. Try to downplay awards and not teach “to win”. Instead, focus on acquiring information and skills, fostering conflict resolution and problem-solving, learning the rules of procedure---and having fun! If you are doing a class, grade on practice exercises, research, and position papers prior to the conference (see sections below on Faculty Roles, Grading and Awards).

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Connect with Other Faculty. If this is your first time attending NMUN, you can very quickly feel overwhelmed, lonely, or just uncertain about what is happening around you. Before you go, check to see if other NMUN teams are at schools in your region or city. See if other faculty advisers are going and if they would be willing to connect for a coffee and an informal conversation about conference preparations. Seek out mentors or ask NMUN staff or the Faculty Advisory Group to connect you with someone. You can share information, experience, and later network at the conference as well.

At the Conference

Come to the Conference Site Early if Possible. If your time and budget allow, consider coming to the site a day or two before NMUN begins. NMUN conferences are held in incredible cities and countries around the world. If students have a chance to get out and enjoy the area ahead of time, they are not so tempted to skip out on committees or to miss activities during the conference. Students tend to focus on NMUN work much better if some of the tourism has already occurred. Coming early also allows all of you to become familiar with the hotel, restaurants, and other services close by before the conference begins.

Emergency Meeting Place. Be sure to talk to your students about a designated meeting place outside of the hotel in case of an emergency at the conference itself. For example, you might pick the lobby of another nearby hotel a couple of blocks away. Also determine who, in addition to yourself, should be a contact person for phone calls in case of an emergency.

Security at the Hotel. Delegations are encouraged to stay at the conference hotel, both for convenience and the added security of being near their lodging when arriving to and leaving sessions. The conference hotels are not student housing and often have other guests nearby who are paying much more than the NMUN discounted rate. Out of respect for other guests, NMUN requires noise in the hallways and sleeping rooms be kept to a minimum. Offending delegations may be removed or fined. Non-NMUN guests disturbing our participants should be reported to the hotel. To maintain good long-term relations with our hotel partners, NMUN asks that you report minor problems with other delegations to NMUN internally before contacting the hotel. Inquire at on-site registration. If faculty members feel comfortable, please remind other delegations as well as your own about courtesy to all guests in the hallways and in regards to noise at night. At the New York conference, NMUN hires outside security to help remind delegates. The enthusiasm of participants leaving sessions is admirable, but doors closing loudly and noise carrying through hallways, though unintentional, may be disruptive. Again, please emphasize courtesy and cooperation with any NMUN staff or security officers.

Elevator Advice. Especially in New York, attendance at NMUN is huge. Hotel elevators get packed and slow down. Crowds waiting in the lobby for elevators in between committee meetings or conference events can be extensive. Best advice is to plan ahead and leave for your event in the hotel at least twenty or thirty minutes prior to when you need to arrive. Be patient and do not overcrowd elevators. Wait for the next one. If you are on a lower floor in the hotel, take the stairs. Warn delegates about being careful about having enough time to go back and forth to their rooms between sessions, etc.

Early Rather than Late. Leave for all events early (note elevator advice above). This is especially true for Opening and Closing Ceremonies, even if these events are at the hotel. You can always bring something to read while you wait. If you arrive just a few minutes before an event starts, or even five minutes late, your delegation may not get a seat or may end up in an overflow room.

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Faculty Roles. One of the first questions a new faculty advisor often asks is: What is my role at the conference? What is expected of me? NMUN has established some general guidelines which can be found in NMUN Conference Programs and on the website (see Faculty Role and Code of Conduct www.nmun.org/policies_codes.html). However, a few reminders and additional notes on roles are useful to highlight here:

Faculty should model professional behavior and encourage their students to maintain the highest level of professionalism toward all conference participants and staff. Like their delegates, faculty members should also dress appropriately and be attentive to professional attire.

If delegates have a chance to attend a mission briefing or to visit with another international organization while at NMUN, again professional behavior is important. Faculty can help prepare students for visits and give them guidelines on appropriate questions and topics for discussion. After visits, faculty can encourage students to write formal thank you notes to people who may have helped facilitate a meeting or who provided information and briefings.

During the conference, faculty can serve as resources and help students to understand their country’s policies, questions of international law, problem-solving strategies, diplomatic styles, and operations of UN agencies and committees. However, this should be done at times outside of committee or caucus work. It is not the faculty member’s role to participate in writing or drafting resolutions, reports, or to engage in committee or caucus activities with their students.

Refrain from texting students during caucus or committees unless there’s an emergency. Let your students demonstrate their research skills, preparation, and abilities to work in groups on their own. If they are well prepared, they will be very effective and successful.

Do check in to see if your students are attending committees and remind them about the importance of the educational purpose of the simulation. One way to encourage students to attend is to instill in them that they have a responsibility to their state and to represent their country well; if they do not show up to committee, their country has no voice. They also have a responsibility to their team and their school. If you are doing Model UN as part of a class, you might consider awarding points for daily attendance only.

Consider meeting with your team during a break or in the evening after sessions are over to check in with them, to see how things are going, and to answer any questions they might have. Think of yourself as their coach and cheerleader. You do not need to be with them every minute of the conference, but you do want to let them know you are available.

Faculty can observe from the back of the room at the conferences, but the committee and caucus process should move forward without interference. Faculty should refrain from telling committee chairs what to do or directing delegates how to engage. If you see a problem, you can consult NMUN staff or a member of the NMUN Board of Directors.

Think about having a special team celebration dinner at the end of the conference. This is a great way to reward student success and allow students to talk about what the week has meant to them.

Grading and Awards. As NMUN notes, awards and grades are not the main focus of a delegation’s work at the conference. Faculty should not use academic credit or grading policies that force participation beyond a country’s normal role in the UN. For example, students should not be graded on how many speeches they give, how often they appear on the Speakers’ List or make a motion, or how many working papers they write. Grades should also not be based on whether delegates receive committee or conference awards. NMUN encourages that grading be done on preparation prior to coming to the conference (see section above on Academic Preparation) or points given for attendance. Perhaps operate with the philosophy of “train and trust”---in other words, excellent academic preparation and practice will give students the tools they need to be great delegates.

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Faculty Programs. A faculty program or list of activities is available at most NMUN conferences. These activities may include receptions, roundtable discussions on pedagogy or preparation, mentoring for first time faculty, panels on international topics, and other events. These programs are a great way to network with other faculty, experts in the field, and NMUN staff, and are worth your time.

Meet with Alumni. You might consider arranging for your delegates to meet with alumni from your school who are working in the area. These meetings can provide students with a great opportunity to learn about potential careers in the city and how to best use their Model UN skills. Alumni also often enjoy a chance to connect back to your school and the Model UN program.

Take Time for Yourself and Breathe. As exciting as NMUN can be for you and your students, the whole experience can be exhausting. You will have moments where you just need to stop and breathe. If at all possible, try to have your own room at the hotel; do not share with a colleague or students. Your own space and moments of privacy will be invaluable. Also, take time for a nice meal or a short coffee break when you can. Go for a walk outside. Just as your students need to pace themselves, you do too.

Post-Conference

Re-Entry and Recovery Time. Depending on which conferences you attend, you and your students may still need to return to your home campus to finish out a semester. Shifting from an exciting and exhausting week at NMUN to the routines of your university may require adjustment and recovery time. If possible, try to plan to return a day before you have to be back in classes. Remind students that they should try to save some energy for the work that they may still need to complete in other classes back home. Also, organize a session with your team to debrief, to process the whole Model UN experience, and to discuss how to share what was learned with your campus. Part of maximizing the experience may include guided reflection as a group or as a written assignment to help students recognize the learning and skills development.

Assessment. Learning outcomes and assessment have become important aspects of higher education. Most institutions now have broad university learning outcomes and assessment processes. Check to see if your institution or department has an assessment plan and how Model UN might fit with learning outcomes. The assignments that students complete as part of preparation might be useful artifacts for assessing writing, critical thinking, oral communication skills, and cross-cultural competency.

Publicity and Social Media. Publicity, such as an article in the student newspaper, a video feature on your school’s Facebook page, or the use of Twitter can get the word out about your program. You can use publicity and social media to recruit future interested students and to educate your university community about the activities of Model UN.

Creating a Model UN Alumni Network. Participation in NMUN is a great opportunity to meet new people and to build lasting friendships. At the same time, students often view Model UN as one of the best experiences of their college lives and worth sharing. As your program grows and students graduate, consider creating a Model UN Alumni Network through LinkedIn, Facebook, or other platforms. A network can allow alumni to stay in touch and to engage with current Model UN team members. As alumni gain careers in international affairs, business, or other fields they can also provide advice to undergraduates about job searches, professional development, and graduate or law school.

Grant Writing. If you are thinking about expanding your program, transitioning from a club to a class, or building partnerships with other organizations, consider looking for grant support through local, regional, or national foundations, NGOs, nonprofit organizations, corporations, or financial institutions. Even small grants might be able to help with bringing in guest speakers, providing faculty release time for development of curriculum, supporting travel to conferences, etc.

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Making the Case for Your Program and Annual Reports. Sustaining your school’s Model UN program and making the case for its financial and academic support is an ongoing process. Consider inviting a university administrator such as a Dean, Provost, or President to attend a NMUN conference with you. Think about writing an annual report summarizing Model UN activities which can be presented to your department and to key university officials. Talk about how it contributes to internationalizing the curriculum and training students to become global citizens. Draw a connection to university strategic plans or learning outcome goals. Use student quotes from self-assessments or debriefing sessions; include pictures and charts. Add other evidence to illustrate how students were affected by NMUN and how that impact continues long after graduation such as a list of program alumni who went to graduate school in international affairs or established related internships or careers. More than short term awards, show that recognition and visibility for an institution, even donations and financial support, can come long term through alumni who experienced NMUN. Particularly from those that used it as a springboard to a career and now wish to give back to the school which nurtured them in their pursuits.