Rihad made this website!
Resources → Chair Resources
Chair Resources
If you have registered to be a guest chair for a UDMUN conference, please wait to receive an email from our Secretary General about the next steps. Once you have been assigned to a specific committee, it is recommended that you view the information listed on this page, as well as view your committee brief. While it is not important for you to be an expert on the topic, you should have a basic understanding of what is being debated.
Contacts
Logistics Team
If you have any questions about the procedure or conference, you will speak directly to the logistics team. You will receive their contact information on the day of the conference.
Reasons to contact the logistics team:
To pick up extra position paper rubrics.
To work out a time to go out for lunch.
To send in your picks for awards.
Technical difficulties.
Crisis Team
Crisis scenarios are drafted by our crisis team. All committees will have at least one crisis event assigned to them. If a Chair would like to have another crisis event, they may contact the crisis team.
Reasons to contact the crisis team:
Questions about a particular crisis.
To create another crisis event.
Procedure
When arriving to UDHS
When you first arrive, let the registration team know that you will be chairing a committee. They will hand you:
A committee brief
A conference packet
A chair guide (in addition to the online one)
You will have breakfast with your delegation. After breakfast, you will then be directed to sit with the rest of the chairs. There will be a brief meeting with the Secretariat and the chairs to discuss the procedure for the day.
Starting the Day
You will be directed to your room. Ensure that all required equipment is ready and available. If something is missing, contact the logistics team immediately.
Supplies needed for the day:
Placards
Gavel
ClearTouch Board
Stapler
Rubrics for position papers
Paper attendance sheet
A Chromebook
After your delegates arrive, have them complete attendance through our website. There will be a QR code available. They can also visit the conference resources tab on our website. If a delegate does not have their own device to complete attendance, have them complete attendance through the provided Chromebook.
Collect position papers and pass out placards. If a delegate requires their position paper to be printed, direct them to the instructions included in your chair kit.
Mark which delegates are present on the physical paper attendance sheet.
Begin roll call immediately after attendance and position papers have been accounted for.
Lunch
The logistics team will contact you when your committee is ready to head down for lunch. Keep in mind that lunch is to be scheduled from around 11:30-12:30.
Once at lunch, your committee is not expected to sit together. Keep tabs on all your delegates if possible.
You will then be told when to return to your rooms.
Ending the Day
You will be contacted when award nominations are due.
Snack Break is to be scheduled from around 2:30-3:00. Keep in mind when in committee.
By the end of Committee Session III, your committee should be complete with the voting procedure. Encourage your delegates to participate in FunMUN!
Once all committees are adjourned, you will be ushered to the closing ceremonies, where you will be seated with the other chairs. Chairs will present the awards for their respective committees.
Facilitating Debate
Timing for Lists: Individual/Total Method
UDMUN uses a timing structure modeled after the United Nations, where both the individual speaker and the overall speaking time are timed together.
Process
When a delegate motions for a speaker's list or moderated debate, they specify the time allotted to each speaker and the total time for the list, formatted as "Individual Time : Total Time." Once the motion passes, the chair sets a timer for both the individual and total times. Delegates who wish to speak are then chosen one by one by the chairs. Both timers run as the delegate speaks and pause when the speaker pauses. When the individual's time ends, the speaker's time is absorbed by the chair, and the process continues with new speakers until the total list time is fully used.
Yielding Time
When yielding to another delegate, both timers are paused until the next delegate speaks. They then use the remainder of the individual's speaking time.
When yielding to questions, both timers are paused when questions are asked. Both timers run when the speaker answers the question. The chair decides the final number of questions that can be asked based on the time available to the speaker.
When yielding to the chair, the rest of the time is absorbed by the chair.
This form of timing was adapted from the Camden County Technical Model United Nations Conference (TechMUN), with credit given to its respective collaborators.
Moderated Caucus
Moderated debate motions are voted on from most to least destructive, or from most to least distracting/time-consuming.
Follow the Individual/Total Method.
Ensure that each delegate has a moment to speak. If there is chatter amongst delegates, make sure to end it. Also, highly encourage delegates to pass notes instead of talking to each other. And make sure to keep track of who is participating in motions and in debate.
Unmoderated Caucus
Keep track of which blocs there are.
Speak with delegates to see which solutions are being discussed.
Take notes of which delegates are rising to the occasion.
Crisis & Non-debate Time
Ensure that delegates remain in order (not rowdy!) when a crisis is in effect.
The chair always maintains order.
Grading Performance
During moderated discussions, keep track of the delegates presenting the most motions as well as speaking more often. However, it is better to value quality over quantity.
During unmoderated discussions, see if every delegate is participating in conversations. If a delegate is not participating, encourage them to try! Make sure everyone is making a good effort at presenting their country's position.
Remember, when you are grading the performance of delegates, you are grading how well they are participating and how well they are representing their role.
Awarding Honorable Mention & Best Delegate
The Secretariat will contact you for when award nominations are due. Fill out the form as soon as possible and ensure that no delegate knows who you are nominating.
Reasons for selecting Best Delegate:
The delegate actively participates in discussions.
The delegate accurately represents their country's stance.
The delegate's public speaking skills are outstanding.
The delegate's position paper is good (optional).
Reasons for selecting Honorable Mention:
The delegate possesses all the qualities fit for a Best Delegate, but falls short in some aspects.
Gen-AI & Use-of-Tech Policies
If a delegate is caught using Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) during committee sessions, they are automatically disqualified from earning awards at the chair's discretion.
If a delegate is caught using technology outside unmoderated discussions for the purpose of resolution papers, they will be told to put their devices away. If they continue to use their device despite repeated warnings, they will be disqualified from earning awards at the chair's discretion.
Grading Position Papers
When all position papers have been collected, split the stack evenly between the two chairs. Each chair should participate in the grading process. Chairs are not expected to grade papers during lunch or snack break.
Remember to grade the papers in an unbiased way and based on how accurately they represent the history and stance of the issue. If a chair encounters a paper written by a member of their delegation, they are to have their co-chair grade it for them. In the event that a paper is written by a delegation that both chairs are a part of, try to minimize bias as much as possible.
Use the provided rubric to grade. Simply score each item and circle the corresponding check-level. Then, using the rubric as a guide, decide on which check-level is appropriate for the final score.
Awarding Best Position Paper
The Secretariat will contact you for when award nominations are due. Fill out the form as soon as possible and ensure that no delegate knows who you are nominating.
The easiest way to award Best Position Paper is to award it to the highest-scoring paper. In the event that there are multiple high-scoring papers, chairs make the final judgement.
Gen-AI & Plagiarism Policies
If you suspect a delegate has generated substantial parts of their essay using Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI), check with your co-chair and decide on appropriate action. If there is strong evidence to suggest Gen-AI usage, the delegate's paper is automatically graded a check-minus (✓-) and is disqualified from earning awards.
Common signs of Gen-AI usage:
Clear copy-and-pasted text from another source.
Generic arguments and overly neutral tone.
Heavy use of em-dashes (—), semicolons (;), and colons (:).
If you suspect a delegate has plagiarized their position paper, check with your co-chair and decide on appropriate action. If there is strong evidence to suggest plagiarism, the delegate's paper is automatically graded a check-minus (✓-) and is disqualified from earning awards.
Things to Note
Basic Structure
Roll Call
Setting the Agenda
Speaker's List
Moderated Caucus
Unmoderated Caucus
Voting Procedure
Common Sayings
When beginning roll call, say, "The chair will now begin roll call. When I say your name, please state your voting preference."
After debate has ended, say, "Are there any points or motions on the floor?" If there are no other motions or points, add, "…seeing none, we will move on to voting for…" and vote on the available motions.
If you want to suggest a certain action, say, "The chair would look favorably upon…"
If the room is rowdy and you need everyone to pay attention, say, "Decorum!"
If a delegate wants an amendment, ask the delegate whose motion is being amended, "Is this a friendly amendment?" If yes, continue with the procedure. If not, place the amendment to a vote with the rest of the committee.
Additional Resources
In addition to this guide and the chair kit, you can visit MUNPrep or Best Delegate for additional ways to prepare to chair a conference. The best way to prepare yourself for chairing is to go out and attend a conference!
Copyright ©
2026
Upper Darby Model United Nations
UPPER DARBY MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE