THE 64Th MSC STUDENT CONFERENCE on NATIONAL AFFAIRS

THE 64th MSC STUDENT CONFERENCE ON NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MEMORIAL STUDENT CENTER TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

WHAT IS MSC SCONA?

The MSC Student Conference on National Affairs (SCONA) has three components:

(1) the February Conference,

(2) the Fall and Spring programs, and

(3) the Committee that brings all of these events to Texas A&M and the rest of the country.

Since 1955, MSC SCONA has discussed issues of national and international significance, and has brought in world-renowned speakers; it is truly one of A&M’s oldest and proudest traditions. Making MSC SCONA a success has been possible through the dedication, enthusiasm, and leadership of Aggies, like yourself, who have served on the MSC SCONA Committee. MSC SCONA has provided undergraduates from across the country with the opportunity to meet leaders of today, and grow into leaders of tomorrow.

WHY JOIN THE COMMITTEE?

The MSC SCONA Committee, which makes all preparations for the annual conference and other programs, provides a diverse array of experiences that benefit those pursuing a broad range of careers. For those interested in a career in politics or public service, there are countless opportunities to interact with leaders in these fields who speak at MSC SCONA events, and biweekly debates provide a forum for sharing ideas with other students. For those interested in a career in business, the various subcommittees allow for experience in the areas of fundraising, marketing, accounting, information systems, human relations, and event planning. For those interested in a career in agriculture, engineering, medicine, education, or law, MSC SCONA serves as a venue for exploring the international and domestic impact of public policy in these important fields.

MSC SCONA provides unparalleled hands-on experience that will prepare every member to succeed as a former student. You will be challenged when you find yourself surrounded by other students as ambitious, if not more, than yourself. An extensive leadership and student development program integrated into the weekly general committee meetings will provide resources for developing leadership skills, such as time management, delegation, prioritization, planning, conflict resolution, and more. Most importantly, MSC SCONA dares its members to dream big and believes that those dreams can be realized. As a result, MSC SCONA has a legacy of producing some of the finest graduates Texas A&M has to offer. All three Aggies in the United States Congress were involved with MSC SCONA as students, and other alumni are among the ranks of ambassadors, military officers, corporate executives, newspaper editors, and the Presidential Cabinet.

WHAT IS THE CONFERENCE LIKE?

Simply put, the conference is a three day event consisting of roundtable debates and speeches given by world-renowned political leaders. Delegates to the conference are divided into roundtable discussion groups with approximately ten other students and one to two facilitators hailing from government, academic, military, or corporate backgrounds. Each of these groups is charged with authoring a United States policy relating to the conference topic, and then presenting this policy to all conference delegates on the final day.

The true value of the conference, however, lies in the opportunity to interact with other students, facilitators, and speakers whom share a passion and concern for the future welfare of the United States and the world at large. Through these interactions, those involved become more aware of the world in which they, and others, live; gain firsthand experience with negotiation techniques; develop new friendships; depart with a resurrected energy and belief that on person really can make a difference; and learn what is meant by the MSC SCONA experience.

MSC SCONA COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTIONS
VICE CHAIR
The Vice Chair role exists as a leadership intermediary between the Board of Directors and the MSC SCONA Chair. The Vice Chairs are intimately involved in making decisions that shape both their individual directors groups (see above graphic) as well as the organization as a whole. The Vice Chair is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operation of MSC SCONA through their direct leadership of the Board, and is expected to communicate closely with the Chair and Advisor to provide on critical decisions throughout the year.
COMMITTEE RELATIONS
The Committee Relations director will help develop and create retreats and social functions for the MSC SCONA Committee throughout the academic year. He or she will lead weekly committee meetings and develop opportunities for the committee to learn and discuss relevant topics to the MSC SCONA year. They will be responsible for facilitating personal development activities throughout the semester. The director will also work for the unity of communication and success within all other committees. Additionally, he or she will serve as the SCONA representative to the MSC Unity Team.
DEVELOPMENT
The Development director leads the major fundraising and resource securing wing of MSC SCONA. Through foundation grants, corporate gifts, and individual contributions, MSC SCONA must find the resources and funding to finance a world class conference. This director is given the tools and avenues through which to pursue funds and resources, as well as the opportunity to foster leadership development. A few of the responsibilities that this Development is in charge of include: Development Letters, corporation letters, office visits, and grant writing.
INTERNAL MARKETING
The Internal Marketing director is given the opportunity to interact with Texas A&M-affiliated individuals from various organizations, colleges, and institutions all over campus. The director and members of the Internal Marketing committee will market the conference to register the A&M delegation to the conference and increase scholarship opportunity for A&M students from their respective colleges.
EXTERNAL MARKETING
The External Marketing director has the opportunity to represent MSC SCONA on a statewide, national, and global scale. The Director contacts and develops relationships with numerous academic institutions and potential delegates to promote awareness of and participation in the MSC SCONA conference.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The Public Relations director markets all MSC SCONA programs, opportunities, speakers, and fundraising events to the general public, perspective delegates, and the A&M community. The director in conjuction with his or her team, maintain frequent social media posts and execute an extensive advertising campaign. Additionally, this director is the point of contact for all media and publicity involved with marketing MSC SCONA events.
OPERATIONS
The Operations Director is in charge of the logistics for the conference. He or she organizes and leads the execution of the conference master schedule. The duties of this position includes everything from catering selection to transportation, room reservations to headquarters coordination. Every detail of the conference is laid out by the Operation’s Director. Additionally, it is the duty of director to find and procure roundtable, speaker, and delegate gifts.
RESEARCH
The Research director lays out the foundation for the conference by developing that year’s topic description. This director also creates the digital resource booklet which is the compilation of research and information given to delegates to better facilitate conference information. The director writes well and enjoys researching and discussing topics of national importance.
TECHNOLOGY
The Technology director manages and updates the MSC SCONA website, manages communication with facility administrators, and oversees recording projects (video and photography). This position provides the director with a great deal of flexibility and chance for ingenuity in representing MSC SCONA. The director utilizes his or her various technological skills (Photoshop, Publisher, html, etc.) to put an innovative face on this phenomenal organization.
PROGRAMMING
The Programming director is responsible for finding speakers and facilitators to speak at the various MSC SCONA programs. Not only does the director find speakers, but also directs a team to conduct mail outs, phone calls, and office visits to meet with individuals, inviting them to MSC SCONA.
DELEGATES
The Delegates director is the point of contact between our committee and the delegates who have registered to attend the conference. The director also arranges quad housing for external cadets. He or she is responsible for preparing roundtable hosts for the conference, doing so by conducting several training sessions throughout the year.
LEGACY
The Legacy Director is the point of contact for all past MSC SCONA members. They are in charge of developing and continuing communication with them about the the current activities that SCONA is planning. They will also be in charge of researching old SCONA topics and pictures through Cushings Library and through old SCONA members. A few of the activities they will be planning include: SCONA Alumni Tailgate, Bi-Annual Newsletters, and History projects. Legacy will also oversee the recruiting of the SCONA 100 Club members, a group of donors who have committed to giving over a 3-year period that remain highly involved with MSC SCONA.
USAWC LIAISON
The USAWC Liaison oversees all operations regarding the International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise, in addition to working with the U.S. Army War College. This role involves working with the the Army War College Fellows at the Bush School, aiding in hosting the ISCNE, and working with the other directors on the board in performing tasks related to the planning, marketing, and performance of the exercise.

MSC SCONA BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPLICATION INFORMATION

The following items need to be completed and/or understood before an applicant is considered:

I.  MSC COVER PAGE

Go to apply.msc.tamu.edu

Click on Step 2: “Enter your personal contact information online”

Log in with your Net ID and Password

Submit contact information

Select the organization you are seeking a position with and then press “Apply”

Choose the position for which you are applying “MSC SCONA – Exec” (For both Exec and Director applications and then press “Submit”

Sign and print the corresponding sheet (should be first page of entire application)

II.  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION AND PREFERENCES

On the attached sheet, please fill in the appropriate personal information.

III.  RESUME

Please attach your most current resume to this application.

IV.  ESSAY QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions on an attached, typed document. There is no length requirement for these responses, but please put due effort into fully and thoughtfully answering the questions.

1.  Propose 3 specific ideas for your first executive/director role preference. Please include a plan of action to execute these goals.

2.  Describe what your ideal SCONA team looks like? Outline how you would select them. Ex. Qualities, personalities, goals, potential questions to gauge the above. (For Exec applicants, describe the Board. For Director applicants, describe your subcommittee.)

3.  What are you looking to gain from this experience as a member of the Board? What can committee members, fellow directors, the execs, and the organization as a whole gain from you?

4.  What do you think your biggest challenges will be for the year ahead? What will you do to overcome those challenges?

V.  MEETING TIMES

By accepting a position within the MSC SCONA Board of Directors, you agree to attend every Board of Director meeting every Monday from 7:30-9:30 PM, and every Thursday Committee Meeting at 5:30 PM. Two unexcused absences can result in the revocation of your MSC SCONA membership. You also agree to attend the following essential MSC SCONA events:

·  MAY WORKDAY: May 9, 2018

·  AUGUST WORKDAY: August 24, 2018

·  FALL RETREAT: September 21, 2018

·  FALL PROGRAM: October 2018 TBD

·  DECEMBER WORKDAY: December 13, 2018

·  JANUARY WORKDAY: January 11-12, 2019

·  SPRING RETREAT: January 18-19, 2019

·  SCONA CONFERENCE: February 14-16, 2019

·  SPRING PROGRAM: April 2019 TBD

VI.  MEMBERSHIP DUES

$70/YEAR and is applied toward the purchase of items used at the weekly meetings, including food, beverages, paper, and other supplies. They also include the cost of one MSC SCONA t-shirt per member and all retreats.

VII.  GENERAL INFORMATION

VICE CHAIR APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY MARCH 21, 2018 AT 5PM.

DIRECTOR APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY MARCH 23, 2018 AT 5PM.

Board of Directors:

Applicants will register for an interview slot when they submit their application. If you are not available during the posted times, please contact Ben Hall at

All applications should be submitted to the front desk of the Student Programs Office in the MSC. via email to

ANY QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO BEN HALL AT

THE 64th MSC STUDENT CONFERENCE ON NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MEMORIAL STUDENT CENTER TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPLICATION

CHECKLIST

Include only the following documents in your application:

✓  MSC Cover Page

✓  Application

✓  Resume

✓  Essay Questions

1.  General Information

Name:______

Email:______Phone:______

Major:______Class Year:______

Cumulative GPR:______Fall 2017 GPR:______

2.  Leadership Position Preferences

Please Rank your top 4 leadership preferences (1=highest, 4=lowest)

Please place an “x” in your 2 least preferred positions.

____VC of Dev DIRECTORS

____VC of Comm ____Committee Relations

____VC of Log ____Development

____Internal Marketing

____External Marketing

____Public Relations

____Operations

____Research

____Technology

____Programming

____Delegates

____Legacy

____USAWC Liaison

I , ______authorize the MSC SCONA advisor and MSC SCONA chair in their capacity as staff and student leader, to view my grades for the purpose of discussion and possible acceptance of me to an executive position. I understand that University Policy states that I must sustain a 2.0 GPR current semester and CUM while maintaining this position.

Signature: ______Date: ______

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