Article 1. Name, Purpose, and Affiliation

I. The name of this organization is Mount Holyoke College Model United Nations (MHCMUN).

II. The purpose of this organization is to:

a) simulate the United Nations (UN) System. Students assume the roles of delegates to the UN and debate current issues on the UN agenda. Through diplomacy and negotiation, Model UN participants seek out solutions to complex global concerns such as the environment, economic development, refugees, AIDS, conflict resolution, disarmament and human rights. The Model UN program is open to all interested students. It is a group activity that can be best achieved through a diverse range of backgrounds, skills and experiences;

b) represent Mount Holyoke College (MHC) at collegiate conferences; and

c) increase campus awareness of international issues and the working of international organizations affiliated to and interacting with the United Nations(UN).

Article 2. Adherence to College Policy

I. The organization shall adhere to the Mount Holyoke College honor code and all college policy specifications thereof.

II. The organization shall adhere to all local, state, and federal laws as specified in the Mount Holyoke College Student Handbook.

Article 3. Membership

I. Membership requirements are as follows:

a) the individual is a Mount Holyoke student (extensions to Five College Students shall be decided on a case by case basis with a quorum vote);

b) regular, punctual attendance and active participation at meetings, such that:

1. there may be no more than 2 absences for an individual to qualify to attend a collegiate MUN conference;
2. there may be no more than 4 absences the semester prior if an individual is to attend a collegiate MUN conference;

c) full participation at conferences, adherence to conference rules, and deferment to head-delegate;

II. Membership privileges are as follows:

a) All expenses for conferences are paid by the MHC Student Government Association (SGA);

b) Members receive training/guidance in the following areas, to mention a few:

1. understanding of the UN, and international affairs
2. researching skills
3. negotiating skills
4. public speaking
5. resolution writing.

III. MHCMUN does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.

Article 4. Officers

I. The titles, qualifications and duties of officers, members of the Executive board, are as follows (the number in parentheses serve as indications of the suggested number of ndividuals for each position):

a) Chair (1): The position of Chair of the Mount Holyoke College Model United Nations includes a range of responsibilities that ensure the smooth and successful running of the organizations, responsibilities that even if outlines they should not be considered exhaustive, as many unpredictable situations might arise. The Chair is requiered to attend all meetings, decide on the agenda of each meeting, run the biweekly meetings and make sure that the concerns of all the members are addressed. The Chair works closely with the training coordinator in setting up the training sessions, with the conference coordinator in organizing participation to conferences, and the treasurer in ensuring the viability of all endeavors. The Chair serves also as the facilitator of the Executive Board meetings, which are usually held once a week on a separate time to discuss the administrative necessities for the operation of the organization. The Chair is also expected to attend the monthly Board of Organization Chairs meeting.

Qualifications: One needs to be a dedicated and enthusiastic member, knowledgeable of the needs of a Model United Nations team. She should be willing to dedicate additional time for planning meetins, setting the agenda and addressing the needs of the organizations. The Chair should be able to take initiative, while including the opinions of others, be firm, considerate, and responsible.

b) Secretary-General (1): The Secretary-General is in charge of the Mount HolyokeCollege Model United Natoins Conference (MHCMUNC) held annually. In addition to overseeing every aspect of the conference, she must be extremely dedicated and organized. Additionally, she must be able to handle any unexpected situations pertaining to the conference. Furthermore, the Secretary-General will serve as second in command at MUN meetings, and in the event that the Chair can no longer fulfill her duties, the Secretary-General will take her place until a new chair is elected.

c) Training Coordinator (1): The trainer's position involves creating a schedule of activities and other means by which to educate and thereby train new Model United Nations members as to the knowledge and skills that they need to effectively participate in a conference. The training coordinator should be able to lead the activities on her own and with help from fellow Executive Board members. She should be well organized and extremely knowledgeable about Model United Nations conference rules and regulations.

d) Fundraising/ Publicity (1): Those who are interested in the Fundraising/Publicity position must be willing to take on a lot of responsibility during the beginning of the year and at the end of each semester. The primary obligation to Mount Holyoke College Model United Nations is to inform the campus when the group is recruiting and training. Additionally, she will be responsible for organizing and coordinating fund-raisers like Final Perk. Such a fund-raiser will require the holder of this position to work with the treasurer of Mount Holyoke College Model United Nations to allot funds for purchasing food (or whatever else is needed for the event), to work with the group to schedule members to work fund-raiser shifts, to train members to work the fund-raiser, to publicize the fund-raiser, and to be present until the end of the fund-raiser (i.e., until the last day of finals) to deposit money into the Mount Holyoke College Model United Nations account. For MHCMUNC she is responsible for coordinating the Delegate Fest. Furthermore, she is responsible for contacting other schools, and publicizing for the MHCMUNC. The SGA representative will work with her to fulfill all the above mentioned tasks, as well as any other ones that arise pertaining to this positon.

f) Conference Coordinator (1): The conference coordinator researches conferences: dates, cost, committees, etc. She arranges hotel accommodations including but not limited to: price negotiations, number of rooms, and parking. Throughout, she must work closely with the Treasurer to determine the most cost-effective housing and travel arrangements. She also works out directions to conferences. She must be able to communicate well, because this involves talking on the phone to hotel people and emailing conference staff if need be. The Conference Coordinator is also responsible for booking an opening speaker, and booking rooms for the conference.

g) SGA-Representative (1): The position involves attending and participating in the Student Government Association (SGA) meetings. The representative not only has a voice in the body but a vote as well. She has the responsibility of representing her constituents in the affairs of the SGA. This position requires thorough knowledge of parliamentary procedure and good negotiating and speaking skills. The representative should care about both the well being of the Model United Nations team and be involved in on campus issues. Additionally, she will aide the Fundraising/Publicity position. She is expected to use her SGA connections to publicize and fundraise, in addition to attending any SGA sponsored events for campus organizations. The SGA-Representative also takes the minutes during meetings.

f) Webmistress (1): The Webmistress should have a basic knowledge of working with Dreamweaver (or other HTML editors/web design software) or should plan to take the workshops offered by LITS before taking on the position. The responsibilities include keeping the mailing list current and functioning, adding to and updating the Model United Nations website and other tasks as assigned by the Executive Board members.

g) Treasurer (1): The position of treasurer is essential to the MHCMUN organization. It requires a strong understanding of balancing, calculating and acquiring funds. Responsibilities include: a) balancing and maintaining the financial ledger, b) planning and assessing the correct distribution and allotment of funds, c) liasing effectively with the SGA to acquire regular and emergency funds, d) meeting with the Ways & Means representative on a semesterly basis for fund auditing, and e) making applications and ensuring that deadlines are met. Proficiency with Excel and related software is mandatory in the balancing of organization credit and debit. Finally, in order to assume the responsibility of the treasurer, one has to be comfortable with handling (and adept at appropriating!) money.

Article 5. Advisor

I. MHCMUN is an entirely student-run organization. The selection of advisors for specific events (e.g. conferences sponsored by or held at MHC) is subject to the Executive Board's discretion.

Article 6. Election and Removal of Officers

I. Election time for each academic year, based on SGA deadlines, is the spring semester preceding it, unless extenuating circumstances prevail.

II. The MHCMUN Executive Board is appointed by the general body by a majority vote. Applications will be made available for each candidate and when completed will be posted at least a week before elections.

III. The removal of an Executive Board member from office is brought to the organization by board consensus (excluding the member in question). The member is asked to withdraw from the Executive Board if there is a 2/3-organization majority in favor thereof. The member has the opportunity to present her case to the organization at large prior to the vote. This qualifies as a special meeting (see Article 7.II).

Article 7. Meetings

I. Meetings are held twice a week and last 1 hour and 30 minutes each.

II. Special meeting times are held in to address specific issues pertaining to conferences, head delegate affairs, and/or Executive Board issues. The removal of officers will be held under the provision of special meetings.

Article 8. Quorum

I. 2/3 is defined as quorum for the MHCMUN team.

II. Quorum for special meetings is at the discretion of the Executive Board or the organizers of the meeting itself.

Article 9. Amendments and By-Laws

I. An amendment or by-law may be presented by any member of MHCMUN and requires a 2/3 majority in favor to be instituted. Alternately, an amendment or by-law may be brought forward by an Executive Board member and be voted on by the whole membership, requiring a 2/3 majority to take effect.

Article 10. Committees

I. If the organization decides to sponsor a conference or special event, the Executive Board shall establish a standing committee.

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