Conduct and Behavior Policies
This is our list of Conduct and Behavior Policies - how we expect delegates, staff, and advisors to act for the duration of the conference. We will mention where we will enforce certain policies, however please note that we take everything on a case-by-case basis and try to ensure a fair system of rules for all delegates. If you wish to report a violation of these, we will have two QR codes available across the conference and in all committee rooms - one for DEI concerns (exclusion, harassment, bullying, inappropriate topics/language in committee) and another for cheating concerns (prewriting/plagiarism/AI use). This is predominantly for the former, please reference our Content Policies page for additional rules.
Definitions
Committee Staff: Any and all personnel who are aiding in running a specific committee, including:
Chairs and Vice Chairs - frontroom debate moderators
Crisis Directors (CD) and Assistant Crisis Directors (ACD) - backroom update and note response leaders
Crisis Analysts (CA) - note responding and update performing staff
Directorate: Any and all personnel dedicated to planning and executing the conference as a whole, which includes Executives:
Under-Secretary Generals (USG) - directing a specific aspect of the conference, incl. Delegate Affairs, Marketing, etc.
Assistant Under-Secretary Generals (AUSG) - assisting a USG in directing an aspect of the conference, working asynchronously due to their participation in the NYU Study Abroad program.
Executives: Leading members of the Directorate, who run the whole Content and/or Operations sides of the conference, including:
Director-General (DG) - leading either the Operations or Content side of the conference, as DG of Operations or DG of Content.
Secretary-General (SG) - leading the execution of the whole conference.
Delegations: All participating groups, schools, or individual delegates, defined by a student or group of students managed by a chaperone
Delegate - the student or child participating in debate, who is participating independently or under a delegation
Advisor or Chaperone - an adult supervisor for the delegates in a delegation, who will stay on-campus for the duration of the conference
EmpireMUNC’s Rules
EmpireMUNC XIII’s Directorate and Staff will handle violations of all rules listed below on an individual basis. Failure to abide by these may lead to a disqualification from awards or expulsion from the conference. These will be elaborated on below, feel free to contact us with any questions regarding our policies.
Delegates, for the duration of all committee sessions, must adhere to the dress code. Western Business Attire is required of all delegates while in committee rooms during committee sessions, however we do not hold a dress code for delegates outside of these times, even for conference-run events.
Delegates and Advisors will not harass or disrupt NYU students or staff nor will excessive noise be allowed.
All delegates must be in their assigned committee rooms throughout committee sessions. Delegates are expected to be on-time to all committee sessions.
Conference identification (IDs, Lanyards, Badges) must be worn visibly at all times while on the NYU Campus, and all should ensure that they are not lost or damaged for the duration of the conference.
Use or possession of alcohol, tobacco products, marijuana products or paraphernalia, and any illegal substances is strictly prohibited for all delegates for the entire duration of the conference.
Delegates are expected to be mindful and respectful of all cultures, both in and out of committee.
Delegates are not permitted to use phones in committee sessions. In emergency cases, please step outside to use your phone.
Delegates will act in accordance with New York City Law and NYU’s Campus Policies.
Delegates are prohibited from prewriting, plagiarism, or use of Artificial Intelligence for all written content throughout the conference.
Delegates are expected to comply with instructions of EmpireMUNC Staff and Directorate in all circumstances to enforce these rules and policies.
Treatment of a Minor Policy
We encourage every advisor to read NYU’s Minor Protection Policy to understand what safety measures and guidelines will be put in place on an institutional level. Every staffer is required to take mandatory Minor Protection training and we will not let a staffer enter a committee room or come in contact with a delegate without having done so.
Discrimination and Harassment Policy
EmpireMUNC will not tolerate any instances of discrimination based on race/color/sex/gender/gender identity/sexual identity/nationality/religion/age/ethnicity/socioeconomic status, and if any delegate or advisor believes they have encountered discrimination resulting in a hostile environment, they should bring it up to the attention of the Directorate, or relevant Committee Staff. We will involve the appropriate personnel, including advisors, and take any appropriate action. This may include disqualification from awards, temporary suspension from committee, or a removal from the conference.
Any instances of sexual harassment should be immediately brought to the attention of Directorate, and after involving the appropriate personnel and action, will result in an expulsion from the conference.
Social Media & Phone Use Policy
Delegates should not be using their phones in committee sessions at all. Conference staff reserve the right to temporarily confiscate phones for the remainder of that committee session upon multiple violations. Use of social media (incl Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or any other) during committee is also forbidden. Outside of committee sessions, delegates should practice appropriate behavior on these sites and apps towards other delegates. Inappropriate posts and/or bullying will not be tolerated, and any students found in violation of this may face appropriate disciplinary action.
Photo and Media Policy
All delegates and advisors, in attending this conference, may be documented either in photographic or video form, at all points throughout the conference by EmpireMUNC staff or other advisors. All photos and videos taken by EmpireMUNC staff will be shared to all delegations after the conference. All photos and videos may also be used by EmpireMUNC for marketing or social media purposes.
Advisor Requirements Policy
To ensure delegate safety, we require all delegations follow these advisor/chaperone policies
At least 1 advisor present per each delegation
An advisor/delegate ratio of no higher than 1 advisor per 25 delegates
Advisors do not have to be teachers, they can include other staff members from schools or parents/guardians, or simply any supervisor at age 18+
Dress Code Policy
For all committee sessions, delegates are to adhere to an appropriate and professional dress code. Western Business Attire is required of all participants in session. EmpireMUNC staffers reserve the right, at their discretion, to request delegates violating the dress code change their clothes.
WBA will not be required for Sunday, however note that if you win an award, you will be getting your photo taken with your award and your Chair/CD, so we encourage business casual attire, however this is up to your discretion. For our delegate dance and any out-of-committee events, delegates are encouraged to wear casual but appropriate attire - we will leave the specifics of your dress code in those events to your advisor, however you must, at minimum, abide by NYU’s Dress Code.
Advisor Misconduct Policy
If an Advisor or Chaperone has engaged in any form of behavioral misconduct, please inform either a member of committee staff or a member of Directorate. In cases involving suspected criminal conduct, threats to participant safety, abuse, or other serious misconduct by any participant or advisor, EmpireMUNC reserves the right to contact law enforcement, emergency services, child protection agencies, or other appropriate authorities, as deemed necessary by the Secretariat.
In cases where an Advisor has entered a committee room and has disrupted debate to an extent determined by Committee Staff and the Directorate, they will be asked to leave. If they do not comply, they will be asked to leave the NYU Campus.
Staff Misconduct Policy
If a member of Committee Staff has engaged in behavior violating NYU’s Minor Protection Policy, please immediately contact a member of Directorate. Violations will be brought to NYU, and the offending staffer will be banned from any further participation with NYU Model UN, alongside any institutional disciplinary measures NYU seeks to take. In cases involving suspected criminal conduct, threats to participant safety, abuse, or other serious misconduct by any participant or advisor, EmpireMUNC reserves the right to contact law enforcement, emergency services, child protection agencies, or other appropriate authorities, as deemed necessary by the Secretariat.
This includes verbal harassment or abuse, physical harassment or abuse, or an attempt to privately contact delegates via social media (as well as a myriad of others, which shall be looked at on a case-by-case basis).
Harassment of Staff Policy
Under no circumstances will an advisor or delegate verbally abuse or harass a staff member in any capacity. Personal attacks will not be tolerated and maintain your feedback to either our in-committee USG feedback sessions or advisor feedback. We will convey your feedback to those staffers and make sure that it is implemented. Verbal harassment or abuse from a delegate will result in a warning, and in severe cases can lead to disqualification or removal from the conference. Advisors harassing a staffer will not be tolerated in any capacity and we may enforce a whole-delegation removal and a report to their school if this is not immediately corrected.
Delegates may not contact staffers in any means outside of strictly NYU Email for questions about committee. Please do not try to find a staff member’s social media, professional or otherwise, nor try to communicate with them personally. This is a violation of our Protection of a Minor status and repeated instigation from a delegate will lead to a removal from the conference.
Any kind of physical harassment or attack on a staff member will immediately result in a removal from the conference and a ban for the instigating delegate. Physical harassment or attack from an advisor will result in us contacting law enforcement and the delegation banned from attending EmpireMUNC.
Enforcement Procedure Policy
Our consequences for policy violations are listed below. Please consult both Policy pages for what leads to each disciplinary action. We encourage referencing the laws of the City of New York and NYU conduct policy:
Confiscation - Committee staff will request the delegate to hand over an item they are using without permission (eg. Phone) to the Dais, where it will be kept in a safe and secure location for the remainder of the committee session. Committee staff will not be permitted to search this item nor tamper with it in any capacity.
Confiscation and Search - Offending items brought into committee (eg. printed papers for research) will be handed over to the Dais and will be searched, and in cases determined by the Executives, may be disposed of. This will never include personal electronic or medical devices.
General Verbal Warning - upon the occurrence of a minor offense, the entire committee will be told, by a member of Committee Staff or Directorate, to stray from such actions, not directed at the offending delegate.
Verbal Warning - A formal verbal warning issued by a member of Committee Staff or Directorate informing a participant that their conduct violates conference policy, done one-on-one, with accordance with NYU’s Minor Protection policy.
Advisor Notification - The participant’s advisor will be informed of the policy violation and any disciplinary actions taken, the advisor may also be requested to assist in resolving the situation.
Removal from Committee Session - The participant will be requested to temporarily leave the committee room for a duration determined by the conference Executives, in which they may not vote, caucus, or engage in debate or committee activities.
Individual Award Disqualification - The participant will no longer be eligible to receive any individual delegate awards, regardless of prior performance.
Whole-Delegation Award Disqualification - The entire delegation may be disqualified from receiving both individual delegate awards and whole delegate awards.
Individual Removal from Conference - A participant’s conference credentials will be revoked and they will be asked to leave the NYU Campus immediately with supervision from an advisor or chaperone, with no refund.
Whole Delegation Removal from Conference - The whole delegation’s conference credentials will be revoked and they will be asked to leave the NYU campus immediately, with no refund.
Conference Ban - a delegation will be asked to leave the NYU campus immediately, with no refund, and will not be permitted to register for future EmpireMUNCs, either permanently or for a temporary period designated by the Conference Executives.
Referral to Relevant Authorities - In cases involving suspected criminal conduct, threats to participant safety, abuse, or other serious misconduct by any participant or advisor, EmpireMUNC reserves the right to contact law enforcement, emergency services, child protection agencies, or other appropriate authorities, as deemed necessary by the Conference Executives.