SciMUN Team Charter
What is SciMUN?
Since its inception in 1969, the Bronx Science Model United Nations Team has a long tradition of excellence. The team strikes the right balance between inclusivity and competition. All students are welcome to join the team as the team has a long-standing practice of no tryouts and no cuts at the start of the year. The Bronx Science Model United Nations Team encourages all students willing to put in the work to join the team and to develop their critical research, writing, diplomacy and persuasive speaking skills. Delegates learn to work in teams, to collaborate and to teach new members the same skills they developed. Students can only develop these skills through hard work, consistent participation and dedication. The skills from Model United Nations provide students with an outstanding foundation for college, professional life and beyond. Being a member of the Bronx Science Model United Nations Team is a privilege and we ask all students to fulfill the following obligations in their capacity as a team member. All students who are members of the 2024-2025 Bronx Science Model United Nations Team must meet the outlined expectations to maintain their position on the Team. We also hold our own annual Model UN conference, SciMUNC. SciMUNC is a day-long conference and will be held on Saturday, December 14th, 2024.
Academic Requriments
● Students must be in good academic standing in order to attend meetings and conferences
● Students who are failing any subjects or doing poorly in their classes will be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine their team membership.
● Team members must not have suspended privileges. Students with suspended privileges may not compete at conferences nor attend meetings.
● Any team member with privileges suspended as of the end of the 6th marking period will not be allowed to rejoin the team.
Team Requirements
● The entire Model United Nations Team will meet once a week from September to June. All students are expected to attend the team wide meetings.
● Students are permitted three unexcused absences per year from meetings. More than three unexcused absences will result in removal from the team barring extenuating circumstances.
● All absence excusal requests must be communicated directly to the entire executive board and advisor on the google form in advance and excused absences only include the following: If the student is absent from school that day, or is participating in a PSAL event or an away game where an OB pass is provided, or a major school event (IE. Concert, Play). Practices or recitals of any kind are not excused. Doctor appointments will be excused where a note will be provided
● Please note that family commitments will be excused on a provisional basis. Religious observances will be excused.
● While excused absences do not directly impact a student’s position on the team, multiple absences, even if excused, may lead to the student having a discussion with the executive board regarding their commitment to the team.
● If you leave meetings early or arrive late for any reason barring extenuating circumstances, this will result in you being marked absent for that meeting. Remaining the entire duration of the meetings is expected of all team members.
● Students are permitted three Strikes per year. More than three Strikes will result in immediate removal from the team barring extenuating circumstances. Strikes will be assigned based on failure to meet team requirements.
● Students are expected to come to meetings prepared and ready to work. Being physically present at meetings is not enough. You must be prepared and ready to participate every day.
● Meetings are the most important part of preparation for Model United Nations. Students will conduct themselves accordingly. Students will pay attention and refrain from talking, using their cell phones or disrupting meetings. Students will treat their fellow students with respect at all times. Violating these agreements will result in disciplinary action.
● Team members are expected to complete assignments. If you attend meetings without preparing materials assigned by leadership or advisors, you will receive a strike. Quality of work may be used as a determining factor for conference roster spots or other opportunities.
● Plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to citing non-existing sources, entire paper or research is fraudulent, invented by the delegate or taken wholesale from the Internet, another delegate, or any other source OR giving your work to another delegate.
Conference Requirements
● All conferences will be in-person as of the creation of this expectations document.
● To remain a team member in good standing, students are expected to attend two conferences a year plus Pseudo-SciMUNC and SciMUNC over the course of the year
● The Pseudo-SciMUNC and SciMUNC local conferences are mandatory competitions for all members of the team.
● Students will be invited to attend conferences at the start of the year by Leadership.
● Canceling your spot on a roster within 4 weeks for highschool hosted conferences or 6 weeks for collegiate conferences prior to the conference, unless validated by an approved excuse, will result in a strike. Not being prepared to compete or not informing parents is not a valid excuse.
● Canceling your spot on any roster within 2 weeks prior to the conference, unless validated by an approved excuse, will result in removal from the team. Not being prepared to compete or not informing parents is not a valid excuse.
● Payment is expected one month ahead of the conference, unless the student was added after the one month deadline. Not paying may result in disciplinary action and removal from the trip.
● To be invited to represent Bronx Science at a Model United Nations Conference, a student must have completed the following in advance according to all the deadlines established:
● Have a signed team expectation form and complete notarized consent form on file
● Paid any necessary fees for that Conference
● Attended school the day of departure if on a school day
● Fulfill all academic requirements
● Not have privileges suspended
● Have completed all preparatory work and research ahead of the conference set by leadership
● Students must attend school the day following a Conference, no matter how late they arrive home following the conclusion of a Conference.
● The student is expected to be aware of all DOE regulations regarding trips as well as all conference rules. Breaking these rules will lead to disciplinary action.
● The student is expected to be present and punctual for the entire conference. This includes time of arrival (If the conference is within the city on a weekend) and headcount/check in times with the chaperones/advisors.
Travel Conference Expectations
Please make sure to understand and follow the expectations set forth below regarding in-person travel conferences:
● Expectation 1: Students are expected to behave in an appropriate manner on local and travel conference trips at all times. As such, students may only enter their assigned hotel room on overnight conferences. Students may not enter the hotel room of another student not assigned to their room. If a student wishes to prepare with others not assigned to their hotel room, students must use common spaces like the lobby. Students must remain respectful of other hotel guests and adjust their noise level accordingly. A single violation of this expectation can result in being disallowed from attending further overnight conference trips and a strike.
● Expectation 2: Students are not permitted to leave the hotel for any reason unless accompanied by a Bronx Science or parent chaperone. Additionally, students are not permitted to leave the hotel to get food without being under the direct supervision of a school or parent chaperone. A single violation of this expectation can result in being disallowed from attending further overnight conference trips and a strike.
● Expectation 3: Students will stay for the entire duration of the conference unless prior arrangements have been communicated with Mr Shibley.
Pseudo-SciMUNC and SciMUNC Requirements
● All team members are expected to participate in both Pseudo-SciMUNC and SciMUNC by working for the duration of the Conferences.
● All team members and families are required to prepare a tray of food for our guests. This is a Bronx Science SciMUNC tradition!
● Any delegate that isn’t present without an excuse for the entirety of the conferences will be removed from the team.
● Any delegate that is unexcusedly late in the morning or leaves after lunch will receive a strike
● Requests for approval to miss ANY part of this Conference shall be submitted no later than three weeks in advance to the Secretary General.
Board Requirements
Board members are expected to show an elevated level of commitment to the team. Board members are responsible for taking attendance at the beginning of each meeting, to conduct meetings in a productive and organized fashion and ensure that assignments are being assigned fairly and completed in a reasonable time as well as completing other tasks assigned. As executive board, we expect all board members of the Team to complete all of the above as well as the following:
● Communicate regularly with executive board; be responsive to emails and requests
● Be role models and leaders
● Complete their tasks in a timely manner
School Regulations
The Bronx High School of Science Model United Nations Team requires a commitment from the Team member to be a positive citizen in and out of the classroom. Students are expected to fulfill all of the expectations outlined by the Team but also to fulfill the following guidelines as representatives of The Bronx High School of Science.
1. Team members must be positive role models to other students at The Bronx High School of Science or at visiting schools.
2. Team members must abide by all rules established by the Model United Nations host schools at each individual conference as well as team rules and hotel rules (if applicable). Students are to listen and follow the rules established by teachers, chaperones, and coaches present at individual Conferences.
3. Team members must be on time for all classes, cannot cut classes, and must be in good academic standing. Suspended privileges will be monitored.
4. Team members are to report to meetings and conferences on time and stay the entire duration.
5. Team members must be present in school and must attend all assigned classes in order to participate in any team meeting, conference, or team celebration. Students are also expected to attend school the day after Conferences regardless of how late students come home the night before.
6. Team members must cooperate with teammates, other schools’ delegates, advisors, chaperones, and conference staff at all times.
7. Team members must be passing at least their five major subjects as well as physical education in order to miss class to attend any Conference. Students who are failing other classes or doing poorly will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Academics comes first.
8. Team members are expected to fulfill all the meeting and conference attendance expectations as well as complete any assignments as outlined by Team leadership.
9. Team members will not contact advisors by cell phone or social media except in the case of an emergency or official team business. Email communication is preferable.
10. Team members are not to engage in any behavior inside or outside of school that is illegal or an embarrassment to the Team/school. Failure to comply with any established rule (stated above or any rules established by the New York City Department of Education) or the expectations established by the team are grounds for suspension or dismissal from the Team.
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.