SciMUN Team Charter

What is SciMUN?

SciMUN, or the Bronx Science Model United Nations, is a student-run organization that promotes critical thinking, diplomacy, and leadership skills through simulations of real-world United Nations debates. The SciMUN team is a nationally recognized top Model UN competitor, excelling at collegiate conferences throughout the Northeast.

We also hold our own annual Model UN conference, SciMUNC. SciMUNC is a day-long conference and will be held on Saturday, December 16th, 2023.

What are the rules for being on the SciMUN team?

The Bronx Science Model UN team has a no-cuts, no-tryouts policy: if you sign up, you’re on the team. That said, we have high expectations for our members and there is a zero tolerance policy for bullying, discrimination, or harassment. 

Model UN is complex. Representing nations with views different from one’s own can be uncomfortable. We expect every member of SciMUN to operate with decorum, care, and respect for the difficult issues that often arise in committee. 

The SciMUN team deals with infractions on a restorative justice basis. If an incident is brought to the attention of leadership, the Secretary-General, Director-General and advisor will hold separate meetings with all parties involved before coming together for a discussion. Next steps will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

What is required for members of the team?

We meet once a week on Tuesdays at 3:55pm. Two unexcused absences will result in a warning. Three unexcused absences will result in removal from the team. Valid excuses for absences include illness/injury, family emergency, doctor’s appointment, religious obligation, or an away/PSAL sports game. You must fill out this form by 10am on the Tuesday you will be absent.

We additionally operate on a probation system: for example, if your parent/guardian doesn’t attend the mandatory Zoom meeting at the beginning of the year, or if you fail to fill out an important form on time, you will be on probation. Two probationable offenses also result in removal from the team. 

Every member of SciMUN is required to attend our practice conference, PseudoSciMUNC, in addition to SciMUNC. PseudoSciMUNC will be held on Saturday, October 28, 2023. We understand that this coincides with the date of the ACT. Valid excused absences for Pseudo are illness, the ACT, or an emergency. Those who do not attend either Pseudo or SciMUNC without a valid excuse will be removed from the team. The only allowed absences for SciMUNC, on December 16th, 2023 are illnesses or emergencies.

How is SciMUN leadership determined?

The Executive Board (Secretary-General, Director-General, Under Secretary-General, Deputy Under Secretary-General) is decided through elections, held each year in April.

The Extended Board (Varsity Directors and Assists, Novice Directors and Assists) is decided through an application and interview process, also in April. 

How are conference rosters determined?

We aim for every member of the SciMUN team to attend two conferences each year. At the beginning of the year, a conference signup form is sent to all members of the team. This form will also account for waitlists for conferences. Rosters are determined based on multiple factors, including seniority and individual preference. If you are able to bring a parent chaperone to the conference (they will not have to pay), then you will receive first priority for the conference of your choice. 

Financial Aid

All conferences that the SciMUN team attends are subsidized by the Bronx Science Alumni Foundation. However, each conference still requires delegates to pay a fee. Local conferences usually range from 20-30 dollars per person, whereas multi-day travel conferences are $300 per person. We send out a financial aid form to the entire team at the beginning of the year. Each individual who signs up for aid is provided with a certain amount of financial assistance, which they can budget according to which conferences they would like to attend.