Edison State College Brings Model UN as Honors Program for Students
May 21, 2013
Students at Edison State College launched a Model UN club in August 2012. Now the club, Edison State College Model United Nations, will be listed as an academic offering for the Honors Program for the 2013-2014 school year. To graduate from Edison, students must fulfill International and Diversity requirements, and if they choose to participate in the Model UN Annual Conference, they can receive the six credits necessary.
The Edison State College Model UN is designed to engage students with their peers from colleges and universities worldwide. The program allows students to research the challenges facing the world today in fields ranging from international peace and security to economic and social progress and human rights. Once students have done the research, they make original, intellectual, and creative contributions through an emphasis on critical thinking, argument formation, cooperation and compromise.
“These students worked formally three hours a week for the year to prepare for the conference. This was without any incentive like academic credit,” said Dr. Laura Weir, Professor of Political Science and History at Edison State College. “My goal for them was to demonstrate they were just as capable as students from Harvard, Yale, or the University of Chicago. They were intimidated by the idea, especially the first night when all 3,000 plus students got together. But they quickly realized they knew what they were talking about and knew how to accomplish their objectives just as well as any other student there. This entire experience has allowed the students not only to build on their academic capabilities, but has boosted their self confidence in their leadership skills as well. One of Edison State’s goals is to open students minds academically, and enhance their abilities to become community leaders.”
One way students engage and discuss topics with their peers from other colleges and universities is to attend The Harvard University Model United Nations Conference. This year the conference was February 13-17, and six members of the Edison State College Model UN attended. The goal of the conference is to prepare students to be better global citizens through quality educational experiences that emphasize collaboration and cooperative resolution of conflict. The emphasis is on the vision of a world comprised of civically engaged people who strive for peaceful, multi-lateral conflict resolution and equitable, sustainable human development. The 2013 Harvard University conference included over 3,000 delegates from more than 40 countries.
The returning Edison State College members plan to participate in the Harvard University Conference again in February 2014, and hope to include additional new members. Students interested in participating are required to have a GPA of 3.0 and register for the following classes to participate: Fall 2013 INR 2910 - Undergraduate Research in Political Science/ Spring 2014 INR 2002- UN Honors. To learn more about this program, contact Dr. Laura Weir at lweir2@edison.edu.
Celebrating 50 years of excellence, Edison State College is Southwest Florida’s largest, most accessible and affordable institution of higher education. Proud to be tobacco-free, Edison State serves more than 24,000 students across five counties and through Edison Online.
Last Updated: May 21, 2013
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