Job Descriptions

Introduction

A minimum staff of 14 students and one faculty adviser are required to ensure effective performance by the MOAS Communications Center. The staff shall be composed of:

• Faculty Adviser
• Chief Communications Officer
• Senior Communications Assistant
• Staff Writers
• Feature Writers
• Editorial Assistance
• Communications Assistants
• Photographer

The following description outlines the job requirements and duties associated with each position listed above.

Chief Communications Officer

The Chief Communication Officer (CCO) is responsible for the overall operation of the Communications Center and management of the development and distribution of reports, communiqués and announcements produced by the staff of the Communication Center. In addition to the following job requirements, the CCO must be completely familiar with the MOAS objectives and methods of operation, Rules of Procedure, agenda topics, schedule of events, documents, and overall philosophy of the Model. The Chief Communication Officer must possess the ability to:

Job Requirements

• Distinguish what is newsworthy from what is not.
• Maintain suitable supervision over others and ensure their proper and timely fulfillment of duties.
• Write clear expository prose in a professional manner and edit the writing of others.

Duties

• Advise the MOAS Coordinator on all matters in the communications area.
• Serve as spokesperson for the MOAS Coordinator in such cases as the latter may determine.
• Ensure that the Coordinator is kept fully up-to-date on all activities carried out by the Communications Center.
• Exercise supervision over all staff of the Communications Center.
• Determine what material is to be included in the Communications Center issuance, before typing in final form.
• Ensure that all issuances are approved by the Coordinator or by the designated substitute before the publication distribution or release.
• Maintain a file to be turned in to the Coordination Office at the close of the Model. This file will include the following materials, stapled together, for each Communications Center production (communiqués, announcements, feature stories, etc.)

1. the master copy
2. at least one other copy
3. staff writers' background notes

• Retain all undistributed materials to be turned in to the Coordination Office at the end of the Model.

Senior Communications Assistant

The Senior Communicaitons Assistant works closely with the Chief Communications Officer and should meet the requirements below to fulfill the duties of the position.

Job Requirements

1. Familiarity with MOAS objectives and methods of operation, Rules of Procedure, agenda topics, schedule of events, documents, and overall philosophy of the Model.
2. Ability to write clear commentary writing in a professional manner and to edit the writing of others.
3. Experience in layout of material for publication is highly desirable.
4. Familiarity with editorial reference material (thesauruses, dictionaries, word-dividers, etc.)

Duties

• Edit all copy for typing
• Determine layout of all communiques and feature stories.
• Submit all edited material to the Chief Communications Officer for approval, prior to publications.
• Assist and substitute for the Chief Communications Officer when necessary.

Staff Writers

There are two types of staff writers, Committee, and Feature writers. The writers are assigned events and committees to cover. Since the job requirements are same for these writers skills and abilities should match the requirements listed below to ensure successful coverage of events and committee meeting highlights.

Job Requirements:

1. Superior command of the English language, both verbal and written.
2. Ability to write clear, concise summaries of committee sessions, as well as other stories of special interest.
3. Complete familiarity with the topics, names of officers and delegates, and schedules of the committee covered.
4. Complete familiarity with the MOAS Communications Center's purpose, objectives, standards, duties, and staff obligations to ensure that all material is on time and meets the requirements for submittal in the daily communiques.
5. Ability to establish a pleasant working relationship with committee officers, delegates, and staff to ensure their vital cooperation.

Duties:

Committee Staff Writers

• Prepare a timely, objective, impartial summary of each committee session for publication in the day's communiques. (See example of communiques in the appendix.)
• Participate, when assigned, in MOAS mock press conferences.
• Present all material in typed form, double-spaced.
• Submit all material prepared to the Senior Communications Assistant for review, approval, and processing.
• Submit all background materials (notes, copies of speeches, etc.)
• Submit all background materials (notes, copies of speeches, etc.) to the Chief Communications Officer for inclusion in the Center's master file.

Feature Staff Writers

• Write up interviews with MOAS participants (students and staff) and feature stories as cleared with the Chief Communications Officer. It is suggested that Feature Staff Writers should find interesting participants or Model related topics worthy of special coverage. (See example of communiques in the appendix.)
• Prepare objective, well-researched reports of press conferences as assigned by Chief Communications Officer.
• Present all material in typed form, double-spaced.
• Submit all material prepared to the Senior Communications Assistant for review, approval, and processing.
• Submit all background materials to the Chief Communications Officer for inclusion in the Center's master file.

Editorial Assistants

Editorial Assistants are responsible for ensuring that the events and committee stories and reports meet the standards of style, format, and are clearly written and grammatically correct.

Job Requirements:

• Superior command of the English language, both verbal and written.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to establish work priorities and determine when additional editorial assistance is needed.
• Knowledge of word processing and ability to type accurately.
• Ability to proofread.
• Familiarity with editorial materials (dictionaries, stylebooks, thesauruses, word-dividers, etc.)
• Familiarity with customary office procedures.

Duties:

• Ensure high quality and clarity in all articles published by the Communications Center.
• Maintain an up-to-date running record of all Communications Center staff assignments to ensure efficient, well organized coverage of all MOAS events. This record should include staff member name, event covered, and the status of coverage.
• Type final drafts of all approved materials for daily communiques, special stories, and announcements.
• Ensure that all typed materials conform to the format established by the Coordination Office. (See )
• Run the spell check and grammar on each document if available and proofread all materials once typed, making sure that there no grammatical or typographical errors.
• Submit all finalized work to the Senior Communications Assistant for approval and processing.
• Maintain a reference library of all MOAS documents for consultation by Communications Center staff.

Communication Assistants

Communication Assistants support the operation of the Communications Center in a variety of ways. As coordinators they ensure that information flows between the staff writers and the senior officers of the staff and the Communication Center. Communications Assistants also provide administrative support to the Senior and Chief staff members of the Communication Center, e.g. record-keeping, maintaining the bulletin board.

Job Requirements:

• Familiarity with MOAS objectives, Rules of Procedure, agenda topics, schedule of events, documents, and overall philosophy of the Model.
• Ability to quickly grasp the mechanics of MOAS operations.
• Willingness to perform all assignments (motivation and enthusiasm required)
• Ability to maintain patience under pressure.

Duties:

• Deliver communiques and special stories to committee rapporteurs. (Rapporteurs are responsible for distribution of material within the committee.)
• Ensure the smooth flow of information among Communications Center staff members who may be unable to communicate directly with each other at a given time.
• Maintain a well-organized and supplied Communication Center office to facilitate the efficiency of operation.
• Assist the Senior Communications Assistant with recordkeeping, as requested.
• Assist the Senior Communications Officer with physical arrangements to schedule and conduct mock press conferences.
• Ensure that the bulletin board is properly organized and kept up-to-date.

Photographer

The photographer captures highlights of committees, plenary sessions, mock press conferences and significant moments of the delegations and delegates during the Model exercise. Additionally the photographer(s) is also responsible for recording and maintaining records on all photographs taken. More than one photographer can be assigned. The specific duties are listed below.

Job Requirements:

• Professional knowledge of photographic equipment and procedures.
• Experience in photographic press coverage
• Discretion in avoiding interference with activities covered
• Ability to distinguish situations that merit photographic coverage from those that do not, e.g. Choice of subjects, ceremonial versus human interest values.

Duties:

• Maintain complete familiarity with the MOAS schedule of events in order to ensure the best possible photographic coverage.
• Plan each photograph in order to minimize waste and ensure quality.
• Maintain a log of all photographs, to be turned in to the Coordination Office, along with the corresponding rolls of film. (Photos are usually developed after the Model and this log ensures that the pictures can be identifiable.)

Exception:

When it is possible to develop prints during the Model, photographer(s) should:

• Make certain all photographs are promptly developed and turned in to the Chief Communications Officer. The Chief Communications Officer will determine their use.
• Make certain the negative is filed promptly in the master file, along with the log description information.
• Exercise discretion in the use of photographic supplies to consider budgetary restrains and limited resources.
• Keep a log of all expenses and address any questions regarding photographic expenses to the Chief Communication Officer.
• Cooperate with the Staff Writers and other Communications Center staff members to ensure coordination between photographs and stories.

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