Peace studies faculty, students discontent with cancelation of Model UN program

Model U.N. classes at institutions like Chapman aim to educate students in public speaking, speech writing and research compilation. Wiki Commons

When students enrolled in Chapman’s Model United Nations II class (PCST 357) opened their inboxes last week, they expected to be greeted by the course syllabus. Instead, they were informed by an email Jan. 27 from their professor that the class had been canceled for this semester. 

 Chapman Provost Norma Bouchard, who also functions as the university’s executive vice president and chief academic officer, alerted faculty of this decision earlier that day. She later told The Panther low enrollment was the primary reason for canceling the course, but emphasized the class will return in fall 2022.

“The Model U.N. classes are an important and pivotal part of Chapman,” Bouchard told The Panther in a Feb. 1 email. “Wilkinson College is committed to the courses being offered each fall and spring.”

In spite of Bouchard’s commitment to the class continuing next semester, many faculty members from Chapman’s peace studies department are expressing discontentment with the Provost’s decision.

“I am very unimpressed by anyone — whether they are a provost or a president or someone who cleans their offices — who gives me a technical answer; it’s very unimpressive,” said Nubar Hovsepian, Chapman’s chair and associate professor of political science. “(Bouchard) should be ashamed of herself. This needs a conversation rather than some stupid answer about technicalities.”

Hovsepian told The Panther he feels it’s his responsibility as a faculty member to call out things that need to be corrected. He plans on lobbying the issue with the Provost in hope she changes her mind.

The PCST 357 class was the second component of a two-course module in which students learn about the United Nations global organization and participate in competitions.

Traditionally, the class — which is offered in the Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences —  is taken in two separate sections (Model United Nations I and Model United Nations II) over the course of both the fall and spring semesters, in order to teach students about Model U.N. proceedings.  In these courses, the students learn public speaking and speech writing skills while compiling research on the country they’ll be representing.

During the fall semester, the students participate in a regional competition at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and for the spring semester, they visit New York to see how the United Nations works.

“We need more Model U.N., we need more global studies (and) we need more languages,” Hovsepian said. “We need more of this stuff to educate people (about) a complicated world.”

Rozell “Prexy” Nesbitt, a professor in Wilkinson College and Presidential Fellow in Peace Studies, was originally slated to teach the class this semester. However, he revealed that he, too, was given no prior warning from the university before the class’ cancellation Jan. 27. 

“It was a surprise to us all, honestly,” Bryan Molina, a sophomore peace studies major said. “There wasn’t much communication. We just suddenly got an email from Dr. Nesbitt about a week ago to let us know.”

The students who were planning on taking the course, meanwhile, were also shocked by this decision. They, too, were told about the cancellation on very short notice, which meant they had to rearrange their fall semester schedules.

“Luckily, I had a few (classes) I was enrolled in, just in case something happened, so I was okay,” Molina said. “But I know that if that wasn’t the case, it would have been really challenging, especially with such short notice.”

Some other students were not as lucky as Molina, though, and still have not found any classes that fit their schedules. Emily Veloz, a sophomore political science transfer student, still hasn’t been able to find a class.

“I really need to make up these credits that (Chapman’s administration) just took, so it’s really difficult,” Veloz said. “It’s going to become increasingly difficult when I try to graduate soon, and I’m missing three random credits that school canceled days before the semester (started).”

Veloz, who was also involved in Model U.N. back in high school, feels fortunate that she’s at least already been to the United Nations with her former team on previous occasions. However, she expressed sympathy for her classmates, who will miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of going to the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the competition.

“This course has been a wonderful way for a group of students, some of whom did Model U.N. in their high schools, to get introduced to this incredible institution and also something that they may want to pursue a career with.” Nesbitt said. “It’s a very important way (for) Chapman (to) keep up with the world and with the issues of the world”.