Montana Model United Nations Constitution

Adopted April 23, 2006

Amended December 2007, August 2008, December 2010, and December 2015

Charter

We, the members of the Montana Model United Nations, determined to stimulate a deeper knowledge of the United Nations; to develop and establish a working understanding of the political, military, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems of the world; and to provide a free and open forum for the study and discussion of these problems, have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.

Chapter I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Montana Model United Nations Club, hereinafter referred to as MMUN.

Chapter II: Associations

MMUN shall be affiliated with the Associated Students of the University of Montana, the College of Humanities and Sciences, and the Department of Political Science.

Chapter III: Purpose, Subsidiary Organizations, and Course

The foremost purpose of MMUN shall be to further knowledge of the United Nations’ mission and activities by informing and engaging high school students, UM students, and the Montana community.

MMUN shall consist of two subsidiary organizations: the Montana Model United Nations High School Conference (MMUN Conference), and the Montana Model United Nations Collegiate Team (MMUN Team). Each subsidiary shall have separate operating budgets that are for the purposes and uses of those subsidiaries. The infringement of this policy, if it is required, needs the approval of both the MMUN Club President and the MMUN Faculty Advisor.

The MMUN High School Conference shall be held annually for the benefit of high school students in the state of Montana and the Western region. This event shall be held at the University of Montana on the Monday and Tuesday preceding Thanksgiving.

The MMUN Collegiate Team shall travel to compete with other collegiate Model UN teams.

These organizations shall work together to further the educational mission of the MMUN Club.

For a detailed organization chart, see Appendix I.

This educational mission shall be realized through two Model United Nations courses taught by a UM faculty member selected by the Department of Political Science and the College of Humanities and Sciences and approved by the MMUN Executive Committee. The instructor of these courses shall serve as the MMUN Faculty Advisor. Students in the fall course shall plan and carry out the high school conference. Students in the spring course shall travel to collegiate Model UN conferences.

Chapter IV: MMUN Club

Article I: Activities

The MMUN Club shall coordinate the activities of the MMUN Team and assist with the MMUN Conference. In addition, it shall plan MMUN activities.

Article II: Membership and Voting

Any student may participate in MMUN, and all interested students are encouraged to enroll in the Model UN Course, apply to travel with the MMUN Collegiate Team, and attend Club meetings.

Each academic year, voting rights in the Club shall accrue to any student who enrolls in the Model United Nations Course for at least 1 credit, travels with the Team, and/or is a member of the Executive Committee.

Each member shall have one vote.

Article III: Officers

The chief officer of the MMUN Club shall be a President who will carry out a variety of duties and responsibilities, including raising funds and arranging publicity for the MMUN Team. The President shall also write the MMUN Collegiate Team course syllabus, lead the Spring Course and prepare the MMUN Collegiate Team for Nationals.

The Vice President shall assist the President in leading the Spring Course.

For a detailed description of the President’s responsibilities, see Appendix II.

Article IV: Elections

The Vice President shall be elected to a three-month term by a majority of members of the Club. This election shall occur at the end of fall semester.

After the Team has traveled in the Spring, the Vice President shall become the President.

The President shall serve until the end of the following fall semester.

Nominations for Vice President are due one week after the MUN high school conference.

Except in exceptional circumstances approved by the Executive Committee and Faculty Advisor, candidates for Vice President must have been enrolled in that Fall’s Model UN Course for at least 1 credit. They must also be enrolled in the course during the Fall semester of their term of office as President.

Individuals may nominate themselves or accept the nominations of others. Either way, candidates must submit an application with the following information:

Name
Academic credentials (year in school, major, GPA, languages, etc)
Extracurricular credentials (clubs, jobs, internships, international experience, travel)
MUN Experience (high school and college), including teams on which the applicant has competed, country and committee assignments, and conferences attended. Also, the applicant should detail his/her work with the MMUN.
Leadership position desired
Summary of plans for the leadership year
Other information of interest

Following the submission of nominations and applications for Vice President, the current President will schedule an Election Meeting to take place no later than one week after all nominations and applications are due.

At this meeting, candidate’s applications will be circulated, and candidates will make a verbal statement of their intentions.

The Vice President will be elected by a majority of the Club members voting at the meeting.

If a tie arises, the President shall break the tie.

Article V: Meetings

The MMUN Club shall meet at least three times per academic year. With permission of the faculty advisor, these meeting may happen during the meeting of the fall MUN course.

The first meeting shall occur early in fall semester and will address MMUN fundraising plans, and other business matters.

The second Club meeting will take place at the end of fall semester. At this meeting, members shall review and revise the Constitution if deemed necessary by the President and Faculty Advisor. The Vice-Presidential nominees shall address the MMUN Collegiate Team expressing their intent to run for Vice-President and state why they should be a nominee. If at any time the President has reason to disagree with a potential nominee they can veto the nomination.

The third Club meeting will take place after the MMUN Collegiate Team travels in spring semester. At this meeting, the team will report on their experience and suggest needed improvements if necessary to the President and Vice President and the Club will address miscellaneous business matters.

Article VI: Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the MMUN Club shall consist of the MMUN Club President and Vice President, as well as the Secretaries General, Assistant Secretaries-General, High School Liaison, and the Director of Operations of the MMUN Conference.

The Executive Committee shall meet at least once per month during the academic year to plan the MMUN Conference, oversee the MMUN Collegiate Team, conduct fundraising activities and other MMUN business.

At the end of each academic year, the Executive Committee shall issue an annual report summarizing the activities as well as recommendations for improvements of the MMUN Club, Conference, and MMUN Collegiate Team to the President, Faculty Advisor and Vice President for consideration for the next academic year.

Chapter V: MMUN Team

Article I: Activities

The MMUN Collegiate Team shall represent The University of Montana at collegiate Model UN conferences.

Article II: Team Selection

MMUN Collegiate Team Membership is determined by annual selection.

To be eligible, students must have enrolled in the Fall Model UN course for at least one credit, must have served at the MMUN Conference, and must be a fee-paying student during the semester they will travel. They must also complete an application.

Team members will be selected by the President and Faculty Advisor at the end of fall semester.

Four pools of applicants will be created:

Students in the class who are currently seniors and were involved in MMUN before this year.
Seniors who participated in MMUN for the first time this fall.
Non-seniors who participated in MMUN before this year.
Non-seniors who participated in MUN for the first time this fall.

Applicants within each pool will compete for a certain number of slots on the team.

Within categories 3 and 4, students who apply for and receive MMUN leadership positions will receive priority.

Members of the traveling team must be knowledgeable about and interested in the United Nations and international affairs, be comfortable with parliamentary procedure, and have good research, writing, presentation, and negotiation skills.

Except in exceptional circumstances approved by the Faculty Advisor and a majority of the Executive Committee, students who resign from leadership positions or fail to submit position papers shall not travel with the team.

Article III: Officers

The chief officers of the MMUN Team are the MMUN Club President and Vice President.

They will serve as head delegates at Model UN collegiate conferences.

The President and Vice President will work with the Faculty Advisor and MMUN Collegiate Team to raise funds for team travel, make travel and other arrangements, and train the team. In addition, the President and Vice President shall attend Head Delegate meetings and fulfill other leadership responsibilities at the conference.

Article IV: Meetings

The MMUN Team will meet once before the close of fall semester to elect the Vice President and weekly during spring semester to prepare for collegiate conferences.

The fall meeting will be led by the Club President. Spring semester meetings will be led by the Club President and Vice President.

Article V: Fundraising and Use of Funds

All funds for the MMUN Team come from voluntary contributions. Model UN Alumni, ASUM, the College of Humanities and Sciences, and various other schools, administrators, deans, and groups are typically the main contributors.

Each fall, the Faculty Advisor and MMUN President shall prepare a detailed plan and budget for all anticipated conference travel and fundraising. This plan must be approved by the Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences before the Team approaches any other funding sources or commits to any conferences.

Funds will not be disbursed until all funds needed for a conference have been raised.

All requests to disburse funds for travel must be on proper UM forms and must be approved by the MMUN Club President. The faculty advisor only needs to approve funds disbursed from the traveling team or conference budget, not the club budget kept by ASUM.

Chapter VI: MMUN High School Conference

Article I: Activities

The MMUN High School Conference provides a forum for regional high school students to gather and simulate the United Nations, in an effort to raise awareness about international issues, teach negotiation skills, practice public speaking, and gain greater knowledge about the United Nations.

Article II: Executive Staff

The chief officers of the MMUN Conference are the Secretary General-Internal (SG-I) and Secretary General – External (SG-E).

The SG-I works with the Faculty Advisor to oversee all internal aspects of the MMUN High School Conference, including staff training, rules, Security Council Crisis, Monday night events, conference administration and determining conference awards. The SG-I is assisted by the Assistant Secretary General – Internal (ASG-I) and Director of Operations (OS).

The SG-E works with the Faculty Advisor to oversee all external aspects of the Conference, including advisor relations, teacher and student materials, recruiting new schools, and determining conference awards. The SG-E is assisted by the Assistant Secretary General – External (ASG-E) and High School Liaison (HSL).

Collectively, these officers are known as the Executive Staff. The Executive Staff is responsible for planning and executing all aspects of the conference. Their particular duties are outlined in Appendix II.

Article III: Selection of Executive Staff and Term of Office

Officers for the following year shall be selected by the MMUN Club President, Faculty Advisor and MMUN Executive Committee for the current year. The process for selection is ultimately decided by the MMUN Club President, Vice President and Faculty Advisor with input from the MMUN Executive Committee.

Except in exceptional circumstances approved by the MMUN Club President, Executive Committee and Faculty Advisor, candidates must have been enrolled in the previous fall’s Model UN Course for at least 1 credit. They must also be enrolled in the course during the fall semester of their term of office.

Executive Staff nominations are due at the first class meeting following the MMUN conference. Individuals may nominate themselves or accept the nominations of others. Either way, candidates must submit an application with the following information:

Name
Academic credentials (year in school, major, GPA, languages, etc)
Extracurricular credentials (clubs, jobs, internships, international experience, travel)
MUN Experience (high school and college), including teams on which the applicant has competed, country and committee assignments, and conferences attended. Also, the applicant should detail his/her work with the MMUN.
Leadership position desired
Summary of plans for the leadership year
Other information of interest

Decisions will be announced as soon as possible after the submission of nominations and applications.

Each of these officers shall serve one-year terms.

Article IV: Committees and Topics

The number and identity of committees simulated at the Conference will vary from one year to the next. In general, however, at least the General Assembly Plenary and the Security Council will be convened.

Each spring, the Faculty Advisor and Executive Committee will determine which committees will be simulated the following fall and what topics they will address.

Article V: Committee Staff

Each committee is comprised of four positions: Chair, Vice-Chair, Rapporteur, and Expert/Runner, all of whom cooperate to run the committee and determine committee awards.

The Chair uses parliamentary procedure to lead the committee.

The Vice Chair assists the chair, keeps a record of committee proceedings, and approves draft resolutions.

The Rapporteur maintains the speaker’s list and assists the Vice Chair with the written record.

The Expert/Runner assists with committee procedures and types and copies resolutions.

Article VI: Committee Staff Qualifications and Selection

Except in exceptional circumstances approved by the Executive Committee and Faculty Advisor, all Committee Staff members must be enrolled in the Model UN Course for at least 1 credit.

Staff will be appointed by the Executive Committee and Faculty Advisor.

Article VII: Funding

Funding for the MMUN conference comes from registration fees paid by participating high schools, as well as contributions from the College of Humanities and Sciences , the Office of the President, the Department of Political Science, and various other schools, administrators, deans, and groups.

No funds shall be used from the MMUN Collegiate Team Budget to fund the MMUN Conference unless approved by both the MMUN Club President and Faculty Advisor.

Chapter VII: Faculty Advisor

The Faculty Advisor is nominated by the Department of Political Science and approved by the Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences.

The Faculty Advisor teaches the Model UN Course, oversees the MMUN Conference, and ensures that the MMUN Club, Team, and Conference are in compliance with this Constitution and with University guidelines and acts as a source of information, assistance, and guidance.

For the MMUN Conference, the Faculty Advisor assists the Secretaries General with their duties. In addition, the Faculty Advisor has primary responsibility for selecting committees and topics to simulate, preparing committee and topic background guides, determining country assignments, inviting faculty and keynote speakers, determining conference awards, budgeting, fundraising, making room and catering reservations, maintaining the MMUN website, preparing press releases, and carrying out conference evaluations.

For the MMUN Team, the Faculty Advisor assists the Team President and Vice President with their duties in preparing the team to travel to collegiate conferences. In addition, the Faculty Advisor has primary responsibility for fundraising from UM administrative units, conference registration, and hotel and travel arrangements. The Faculty Advisor is also responsible for debriefing the Team when it returns from conferences.

For the MMUN Club, the Faculty Advisor assists the Team President and Vice President with planning and publicity and other events. In addition, the Faculty Advisor has primary responsibility for alumni relations.

Chapter VIII: Ratification

The MMUN Constitution shall be ratified by a 2/3 majority of Club members in attendance at the Constitutional Convention.

Chapter IX: Amendments

The Constitution will be reviewed at the Club meeting each fall and may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of all members in attendance at the meeting.

Appendix I: MMUN Organization Chart

Appendix II: Summary of Leadership Duties

The MMUN Club President serves as the head of the MMUN organization. He/She performs the following tasks:

Apply each fall for ASUM recognition of the Club
Select, with assistance and approval from the Executive Committee and the Faculty Advisor, the conference/s the MMUN Team will attend
Assist the Faculty Advisor in developing the MMUN Team conference plan and budget for submission to the Dean
Coordinate the Team’s fundraising application at ASUM
Coordinate the team’s annual effort to raise at least $1000.00.
Coordinate all travel logistics with the Faculty Advisor and Team
Prepare the Team for conferences through parliamentary procedure training, position paper editing, strategy sessions, conference overviews and general training
At the conference, attend head delegate meetings and arrange for a daily Team meeting to ensure that each Team member is having a positive experience
Take photos at the conference to post on the MMUN website
Write a post-conference press release
Coordinate and organize a MMUN Speakers Series, which shall endeavor to sponsor at least one talk per year, for example on UN Day (October 24)
Schedule, plan, and chair the Spring and Fall Club meetings as well as update the syllabus for the MMUN Spring Course.
Oversee development of the Annual Report by the Executive Committee
Coordinate recruitment efforts for the course, conference, and team
Help the Faculty Advisor develop and maintain an Alumni Network for support, fundraising, and events
Act as a liaison between the MMUN Club, MMUN Team, MMUN Conference, MMUN Course and the UM administration and international organizations on campus, such as the Mansfield Center and the Office for International Programs
Act as the liaison between the MMUN Club, MMUN Team, MMUN Conference, MMUN Course and local groups interested in international politics, such as the Montana Chapters of the United Nations Association of the United States of America and the World Affairs Council

The MMUN Conference Secretaries General (SGs) are the chief organizers for the MMUN Conference and perform the following tasks:

The Secretary General – External (SG-E) oversees all external aspects of the Conference, including advisor relations, teacher and student materials, recruiting new schools, and determining conference awards:

Advisor Relations

Compose (with the SG-I) the advisor and delegate welcome letters.
Coordinate high school registration with Dani McLaughlin, Assistant to the Dean
Assign countries to schools (in collaboration with the Faculty Advisor)
Send registration reminders and email updates
Answer advisor questions (with the ASG-E and HSL)
Recruit new schools (with ASG-E and HSL)
Travel as needed to help schools prepare
Send thank-you letter and award list to schools

Teacher and Student Materials

Review and update the Delegate Handbook and other student materials (with ASG-E and HSL)
Decide (with the Faculty Advisor and Executive Staff) which committees the conference will simulate and which topics they will discuss
Assist the Faculty Advisor with background guides

Other Conference Preparations

Supervise the ASG-E and HSL
Serve as Executive Liaison to a committee
Collaborate with the SG-I to teach conference skills and parliamentary procedure to the MMUN class, for example by presenting an in-class workshop and parliamentary procedure game
Collaborate with the SG-I to run all staff meetings prior to the conference
Oversee production of memorabilia
Assist the SG-I in planning Monday night events

At the Conference

Co-chair with the SG-I the opening and closing sessions
Collaborate with the Faculty Advisor, SGI, ASG-E and HSL to determine position paper, committee, and other conference awards.
Serve with the SG-I as a public relations representative for the conference, including writing press releases, taking conference photos, maintaining the Conference portion of the web site, and answering press questions at the conference.
Assist the SG-I as needed with conference administration.
Collaborate with the SG-I to run the advisor meeting and all staff meetings at the conference.

Other Responsibilities

Assist the Club President with recruitment and Annual Report
Attend Executive Committee meetings

The Secretary General – Internal (SG-I) oversees all internal aspects of the MMUN High School Conference, including staff training, interpreting rules of procedure, running the Security Council Crisis, internal operations, Monday night events, and conference administration.

Staff Training and Rules

Lead the Executive Staff in teaching conference skills and parliamentary procedure to the MMUN class, for example by presenting an in-class workshop and parliamentary procedure game
Create and revise the Chair, Vice-Chair, Rapporteur, and Expert/Runner training sessions and packets (with ASG-I and DO)
Serve as the main interpreter of parliamentary procedure
Annually review and update the rules of procedure
Maintain regular communication with all MMUN Executive and Committee staff, and assist them with their duties

Security Council Crisis and Operations

Oversee development of Security Council Crisis/developments from initial plans to grading and conference presentations (with ASG-I and DO)
Assist the ASG-E with Office of Delegate Services (War Room) plans and procedures.
Assist the DO with Conference Operations plans and procedures

Monday Night Events

Develop a plan for Monday night and lead the Executive Staff in implementing it

Other Conference Preparations

Supervise the ASG-I and DO
Compose (with the SG-E) the advisor and delegate welcome letters
Decide (with the Faculty Advisor and Executive Staff) which committees the conference will simulate and which topics they will discuss
Assist the Faculty Advisor with background guides
Review and update the Delegate Handbook (with SG-E)
Collaborate with the SG-E to run all staff meetings prior to the conference

At the Conference

Co-chair with the SG-E the opening and closing sessions
Serve as the main interpreter of parliamentary procedure
Manage all conference logistics, including setting up and taking down the War Room, helping the ASG-I run the War Room, helping the HGC staff the welcome table, and helping chairs run their committees.
Serve with the SG-E as a public relations representative for the conference, including writing press releases, taking photos, maintaining the Conference portion of the web site, and answering press questions at the conference.
Assist the SG-E as needed with conference awards.
Collaborate with the SG-E to run the advisor meeting and all staff meetings at the conference.

Other Responsibilities

Assist the Club President with recruitment and Annual Report
Attend Executive Committee meetings

The Assistant Secretary General – Internal (ASG-I) works with the SG-I to oversee all internal aspects of the MMUN High School Conference, including staff training, rules, crises, home government, Monday night events, and conference administration. In particular, the ASG-I:

Assists with training sessions and materials for committee staff
Assists with crisis/development plans in each committee
Develops and implements a system for managing the War Room
Oversees resolution typing, printing, copying, and running
Helps recruit staff for the War Room
Helps the SG-I interpret parliamentary procedure
Serves as Executive Liaison to a committee
Assists with Monday night events
Attends Executive Committee meetings

The Assistant Secretary General – External (ASG-E) works with the SG-E to oversee all external aspects of the Conference, including advisor relations, teacher and student materials, recruiting new schools, and determining conference awards. In particular, the ASG-E:

Assists in answering advisor questions and recruiting new schools
Travels as needed to help schools prepare
Assists in updating student materials
Assists in determining position paper, committee, and other awards
Assists with training of committee staff
Assists in the War Room
Assists with production of memorabilia to sell at the conference
Serves as Executive Liaison to a committee
Assists with Monday night events
Attends Executive Committee meetings

The High School Liaison (HSL) works with the SG-E to oversee all external aspects of the Conference, including advisor relations, teacher and student materials, recruiting new schools, and determining conference awards. In particular, the HSL:

Assists in answering advisor questions and recruiting new schools
Travels as needed to help schools prepare
Assists in updating student materials
Assists in determining position paper, committee, and other awards
Assists with training of committee staff
Assists in the War Room
Assists with production of memorabilia to sell at the conference
Serves as Executive Liaison to a committee
Assists with Monday night events
Attends Executive Committee meetings

The Director of Operations (DO) works with the SG-I to oversee all internal aspects of the MMUN High School Conference, including staff training, rules, Security Council Crisis, Monday night events, and conference administration. In particular, the DO:

Assists with training sessions and materials for committee staff
Assists with Security Council Crisis/development plans
Develops and implements a system for the Runner/Experts to work effectively.
Directs all Monday night events
Recruits international students and representatives from campus organizations and departments for Monday night activities.
Helps Security Council coordinate crisis/developments at the conference
Assists in the War Room and completes other conference tasks at the request of the SG-I
Helps the SG-I interpret parliamentary procedure
Serves as Executive Liaison to a committee
Attends Executive Committee meetings

Appendix III: MMUN Calendars

Conference Calendar

Fall

Before school starts: SGs collaborate to develop and submit leadership plan to Faculty Advisor
SGs and Faculty Advisor discuss leadership plans and revise syllabus
Last week of Aug: MMUN Class begins
Faculty Advisor updates website and posts committee and topic list
Faculty Advisor updates and posts committee history guides
First week of Sept: SGs write advisor and delegate welcome letters announcing committees and topics, as well as registration deadlines
Faculty Advisor determines country assignments and SG-E begins to send them out as advisors indicate whether they are coming and about how many students they will bring
Faculty Advisor raises funds for the conference
Third week of Sept: Faculty Advisor posts first set of topic guides
First week in Oct: Deadline for advisors to indicate whether they will attend
Faculty Advisor posts second set of topic guides
Third week in Oct: Faculty Advisor posts final set of topic guides
First week in Nov: Deadline for advisors to request additional countries and pay school and student fees
Second week in Nov: Deadline for advisors to submit credentials sheets listing students assigned to each country and committee
Fri before Conference: Executive Staff set up chair packs, transport flags for ceremonies, pick up computers, etc
Sun before Conference:Executive Staff set up War Room
Mon & Tues before: MMUN High School Conference
Thanksgiving
Immediately after SG-E posts awards list and sends thank-you to advisors
Conference
Week after Conference: Nominations for and decisions about new Executive Staff

Spring

By first week in Feb: Determine committees and topics for next year
Faculty Advisor and TA start writing and updating background guides
March: Faculty Advisor submits budget for next year to Dean

Club & Team Calendar

Fall

Second wk in Sept: Club President coordinates paperwork for ASUM recognition
Third wk in Sept: Club President holds Executive Committee meeting to determine what conference the Team will attend and what country it will request
Early Oct: Register for NMUN (or other collegiate conference)
October 24: UN Day – sponsor event
Late Nov: Team applications are due the week after the MMUN Conference; decisions announced by the end of the week
Early Dec: Team holds first meeting; Vice President elected
Mid Dec: Faculty Advisor raises funds from administrative units
Dec 31: Deadline for Team members to confirm attendance with Faculty Advisor so s/he can make airfare, hotel, and other arrangements

Spring

Jan: Club President and Vice President find out ASUM schedule for funding decisions and begin Team fundraising effort
Jan - April: Team holds weekly meetings before conference
March or April: Team attend NMUN or other collegiate conference
March: Faculty Advisor submits budget for next year to Dean
After Conference: Debriefing with Faculty Advisor; thank you letters written to funders; President submits press release.
First MUN Class: Vice President becomes President