Call for Presenters: 2018 Faculty Sessions

Faculty Advisors often play a critical role in the AMUN country assignment lottery. Planning for next year begins before this year's conference is even over! Photo credit: Aaron Jorbin

The world is constantly changing, and we know that the MUN network is full of people with interesting and innovative approaches to teaching Model United Nations, International Relations, International Organizations and Comparative Politics. In leading a Model UN class or club, there are also a host of other considerations: logistics, funding, student selection, using social media, assessment and grading, preparation and research, and academic requirements, among others.

Each year, AMUN offers two special sessions specifically for faculty advisors to share best practices in these (or other) areas. We rely on you to set the agenda! Do you have an innovative approach or idea that you can share with your colleagues? Do you have a challenge that you would like to discuss with the group? Have you tried something new in the last year–did it work or fall flat?

These sessions usually involve two or three presenters on a common theme, followed by open discussion, but they are less formal than a typical academic conference. We have also held panel or roundtable discussions on a certain topic or theme. Some possible areas for discussion and presentations include the following:

Best practices for Model UN clubs
Best practices for teaching a Model UN class
Funding and fundraising
Grading and assessment in Model UN
Strategies for student preparation
Teaching the United Nations in an IR/political science context
Managing Model UN logistics
Teambuilding in your Model UN delegation
Managing student behavior and expectations
Model UN as experiential learning

AMUN is fully committed to providing the best educational experience in Model UN: our simulations are fact-based and designed with student learning in mind. We cannot, however, accomplish this on our own. Faculty advisors and permanent representatives are critical to our success in this area.

If you are interested in presenting a short talk at this year’s faculty session, or if you would be willing to serve as a member of a roundtable/panel on a given topic, please send an email to jackie@amun.org by 9 November 2018.