Student Organizations
Model Illinois Government
Model Illinois Government (MIG) is a student-organized, intercollegiate simulation of state government that takes place each spring at the capitol complex in Springfield, Illinois. Student participants choose from a wide range of roles including legislators, attorneys, budget analysts, lobbyists and journalists.
The centerpiece of MIG is a legislative simulation that takes place in the actual House and Senate chambers of the State Capitol. Prospective bills are considered and amended in committee and then debated and brought to a final vote on the floor of each chamber. Each student legislator is given a specific district to represent, a political party assignment and a committee assignment. Experienced students may also participate as committee chairs or party leaders, and all students have the option of submitting their own original legislation if they wish to do so.
The MIG simulation also includes a Moot Court competition which is held in chambers that were once the home of the Illinois Supreme Court. Teams of attorneys argue a selected case before a panel of student justices and legal professionals, and are scored on the quality of their presentation and on their mastery of the legal issues involved.
A third component of MIG, The Office of Management and Budget, simulates the Illinois state budget process. Students serve as budget analysts under the direction of the State Treasurer and the Director of the OMB, and are tasked with balancing the budget in the face of conflicting demands by the legislature, individual departments and agencies, and the Governor of Illinois.
For additional information go to http://www.modelillinoisgovernment.org/.
Model United Nations
The Model United Nations is a series of programs run throughout the country and the world with the aim of furthering an understanding of the United Nations, educating participants about world issues, and promoting peace. Students develop many personal skills by participation in Model UN conferences, including teamwork, persuasive writing, oratory skills, and negotiation and compromise, all of which are important for personal development and future success. The NIU MUN organization attends two Midwest Model UN conferences a year. For more information on the club, contact the advisor, Andrew Foss.
Pi Sigma Alpha
On graduation day, the Political Science Department honors graduates and their families in a special, more personal ceremony in addition to the one held by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Qualified graduates are also initiated in Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honorary.
POLS-SAC
The Political Science Student Advisory Committee (POLS-SAC) is a group of student leaders that acts as a liaison between the department’s faculty and undergraduate students. The committee serves as a mechanism for program evaluation and improvement. It solicits and provides student input on proposed policy changes within the department’s undergraduate program, and may initiate proposed changes for consideration by the appropriate faculty committees. POLS-SAC may independently, or in conjunction with other department groups, organize and administer special events and activities related to the study and practice of political science.
Pre-Law Society
A student founded organization, the NIU Pre-Law Society was designed to aid potential law students and those interested in the legal field. We are dedicated to bringing together members of the NIU community who share a common interest in the law, and work closely with the pre-professional advising at the NIU Law School. We organize a variety of events that allow students to prepare for the difficult law school admissions and entry process, as well as familiarizing them with what “life” is like both during and after law school. For more information on the NIU Pre-Law Society, contact Dr. Brendon Swedlow, look up the group on facebook.com, or send an e-mail to niuprelaw@hotmail.com.