Carolina MPA Student Digest 5/21/21:
Featured in this Digest:
  • Upcoming Calendar Dates
  • MPA News & Resource Highlights
  • Campus & Beyond Events
  • Professional Development & Volunteer Opportunities
Carolina MPA Calendar
  • June 1: Fall registration opens for on-campus classes
  • June 1: School of Government 21-Day Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Challenge Starts
  • June 28: September term registration opens for online classes
  • July 25: Online May term classes end
  • August 18: Fall On-campus classes start
  • September 6: September Term Online classes start
NOTE: The Registrar's Office has now announced the 2021-2022 on-campus Academic Calendar. Upcoming Online format dates are always on the MPA Intranet.
MPA News
You are Invited to the SOG 21-Day Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Challenge!
The School of Government will launch its 21-Day Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Challenge on June 1, 2021, as part of the work being done by the Committee for an Inclusive Workplace. The challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social-justice habits—particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership—by participating in daily activities, self-reflection, and weekly discussions around topics in this area. 
The 21-Day Challenge concept was conceived years ago by Eddie Moore, Jr. to advance deeper understandings of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity. We are grateful to him for publicly sharing it and for encouraging others to use this concept as a tool. We have expanded the scope beyond racism to include additional forms of bias. Participation in an activity like this helps us to discover how racial injustice and social injustice impact our community, to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. 
In this challenge, participants will spend 21 days furthering their understanding of racial equity, social justice, and discrimination. They will be presented with challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, or watching a video clip. A challenge tracker will be provided for those who want to reflect on their personal experiences or feelings after each day. Those who have a busy week will have the weekend to get caught up on daily challenges. At the beginning of each week, participants will have the option to spend 45 minutes discussing takeaways from the previous week in a small-group online setting. 
Each week of this five-week challenge will have a different theme. We will start with understanding the problem. Then we will learn what it is doing to us, explore race and the government (incorporating articles and work by School faculty and staff), find out what we can do about it, and finally reflect on our journey and celebrate. 

The Goal of the Challenge 
The goal of the DEI Challenge is to assist each of us in gaining a deeper understanding of topics around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our hope is that, by undergoing daily challenges and weekly discussions, participants will learn how inequity and injustice affect our communities, both personally and for those clients we serve, and that they will be able to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. We want each participant to become more aware, compassionate, constructive, and engaged in the quest for racial equity. 
 
How It Works 
Participation in this challenge is of course completely voluntary and should not be construed as agreement with every word of every activity. Participants are free to opt out of the challenge at any point. While the challenge is not intended to cause offense, it may cause discomfort at times. Some participants might take offense at some of the language used in the resources. 
Faculty, staff, and students who are interested in participating in the challenge can sign up via this link. They will then be added to the School of Government’s private DEI Challenge Sharepoint site. The site is only accessible to participants. There will be opportunities throughout the site, especially on daily posts, to comment and create conversation. It should be viewed as a safe place for all participants to share their thoughts. 
Starting on June 1, participants will receive daily emails every Tuesday through Friday, directing them to three or four curated activities such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, or watching a video. The duration of each activity will be marked and will range from 5 minutes to over 30 minutes. Participants can choose to complete one or all activities each day. Each resource is designed to foster greater understanding and awareness of topics related to racial equity and social justice. On Mondays at 12:00 p.m., participants can also choose to join a Zoom conversation with members of the DEI committee to discuss the resources for the previous week or other current events. We know that these discussions can be difficult and can bring up powerful emotions, but your commitment to increasing your awareness is what will help create change. 
In addition to the daily emails, activities will also be posted on the website so participants can go back to reference articles, podcasts, and videos from previous days. The website also includes a challenge tracker for those who want to track the activities they complete. The tracker includes space for personal reflection for each day. 
We hope that you will go into this program with an open mind, ready to learn, be challenged, and be pushed out of your comfort zone. This is an opportunity to explore topics around racial equity and social justice, whether you just want to dip your toe in or take a deep dive into the conversation. You get to choose your path, with a little guidance from the committee. 
If you would like to participate, please REGISTER HERE. The challenge will begin on June 1. If you join after that date, you will begin receiving daily emails shortly after registration and will have access to past days’ activities via the website. 
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MPA Professor Dr. Obed Pasha had the unique experience of moving to Chapel Hill and starting his career at the School of Government during the Pandemic. He is among the faculty and staff highlighted in an article on the virtual workplace. Read more about his experience connecting with colleagues and even working while visiting family in Pakistan!
Update on Weekend Intensive Courses
The university is hoping to have as much be in-person as possible this next academic year, so we've been able to re-start some of our weekend classes that are open to both formats of MPA students. The MPA Immersion (PUBA 744) will be in the spring term to hopefully allow a greater number of online students to travel to it.

This fall, we'll be offering Mediation Skills (PUBA 768) for the first time in two years. Dr. John Stephens will be leading this 1.5 credit hour class. While pre- and post-work will be required, the class meetings will be August 27-28, 2021 at the School of Government. This coruse is open to all except those who have taken the PUBA 772 version of Mediation. Registration for in-person coursework opens on Tuesday June 1. Seats are limited, and some seats are reserved for students in particular programs, so register soon if you are interested! Check out the sample syllabus here as well.
University & Beyond Events
  • Professional Development Opportunities
  • Due June 3: NCLGBA Summer Conference Scholarship Available
  • ICMA Form of Government Graduate Student Symposium Call for Proposals
  • Due May 24: PAFR Fellowship Program Applications Available
  • John M. Belk Impact Fellowship Applications Open
  • Schwarzman Scholars Applications are Open
  • July 12-23: Government Finance Officer's Association Virtual Conference
  • Local Opportunities:
  • June 3: 33rd Annual Carolina Blood Drive
NCLGBA Summer Conference Scholarship Available
The Scholarship application is LIVE! All first-time conference attendees, including MPA students, interns, and professionals, are eligible to apply. Applications are due by 11:59PM EST on Thursday, June 3, 2021. Eligible applicants should submit their application via e-mail to scholarship@nclgba.org with the subject line #NCLGBA Scholarship Program. Scholarship recipient(s) will receive a paid registration and two-night hotel stay for the 2021 Summer Conference in Wilmington from July 21-23, 2021. Also, as an option, the recipient can opt to attend the conference virtually and receive up-to $250 for a NCLGBA Board approved professional development opportunity.
 
The 2021 Summer Conference Scholarship Application is attached and available on our website. If you or someone you know is interested in attending the NCLGBA 2021 Summer Conference as a scholarship winner, we encourage you to apply or pass along this announcement. For any questions, feel free to email scholarship@nclgba.org. 
ICMA is proud to announce a call for proposals for a planned “Form of Government Graduate Student Symposium” to be held during the 2021 ICMA Annual Conference in Portland, OR. This event will enable graduate students to submit papers or presentations that will help guide our understanding of the council-manager form of government.
Any content that shapes our understanding of the council-manager/county manager form of government is welcome, and we are particularly interested in comparisons between the council-manager/county manager form of government and other form(s) of local government (mayor-council/county executive, commission, town meeting, etc.). Group projects, seminar papers, and original research may be submitted for consideration.
Suggested research questions include:
 
  • What is the nature and role of politics and administration in local government? How does this speak to the politics-administration dichotomy?
  • How might we measure and compare accountability across various forms of government? Which forms of government provide the greatest level of accountability?
  • Does form of government contribute to the success of government in developing and achieving long term goals/outcomes?
  • Do demographics, geographic location, population, political party affiliation, or other factors correlate to an affinity for one form of government over another?
  • How might form of government shape responsiveness of the local government to the needs of the public?
Proposals are due by July 30, 2021 and should be no more than 250 words in length (excluding bibliography) to rdesantis@icma.org.
  • Address how the paper/presentation hopes to extend our understanding form of government.
  • Clearly articulate the methodology and any hypotheses/findings to be addressed in the paper/presentation.
  • Provide a 60-word abstract that engages attendees and demonstrates how the work will address the current condition of local government.
This is a great opportunity for graduate students to engage with practitioners, academics, and other graduate students as we collaborate to find ways to improve the quality of life of communities through effective government administration.
Selected proposals will be notified by September 1, 2021.
  • Accepted papers and presentations will be published online at icma.org
  • Authors/presenters will have the opportunity to present their research to ICMA members during the ICMA Annual Conference in October 2021 (ICMA will provide travel and lodging scholarships to accepted authors/presenters)
  • Papers will be considered for publication in ICMA’s PM print magazine.
Learn more about this competition and form of government in this recording of our Student Leadership Network Series.
Question can be sent to rdesantis@icma.org. 
ELGL and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) created the PAFR Fellowship Program to connect graduate students with local governments looking to create a Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for submission to the GFOA award program.
COVID-19 makes it difficult for graduate students to find meaningful professional work experiences (internships)—either due to hiring freezes or the inability to provide work projects that can be successfully completed while working remotely with limited supervision.
This program connects graduate students with local governments that wish to develop a PAFR for submission to the GFOA award program.
ELGL and GFOA will work together to match up graduate students with local governments, and then support the students as they create a PAFR document. Local governments and students will complete an application to be considered for a match. Considerations like geographic location, organization size, and graduate student skills and abilities will be used to determine matches.
Students will be provided with weekly training sessions (available live and on-demand) as well as optional co-working time beginning the week of June 7 and running through the week of August 2.
Applications from both students and local governments are due by the end of the day Monday, May 24.
If the application below does not load, you can access the form directly at this link: https://bit.ly/33wXkkM


Have questions? MPA Student Syrena Travis is a current fellow!
The Schwarzman Scholars Application Is Open

I’m thrilled to announce that the application for the seventh cohort of Schwarzman Scholars is officially open. As the world’s focus on China continues to grow, our Scholars have a front-row seat to the importance that collaboration and mutual understanding play in tackling global challenges. The complex geopolitical developments of the last year serve as further proof that the world needs Schwarzman Scholars – and more quickly than we could have predicted.
I would like to ask for your help in sharing the news of our application launch with compelling candidates for our program: exceptional leaders with integrity, creativity and a drive to succeed. With your support, we can continue to fulfill our mission of bringing together the best young minds to better understand the economic, political and cultural factors that contribute to China’s growing importance as a global power.
As you know, we are currently hosting our fifth cohort, who have demonstrated enormous resilience, flexibility and willingness to learn in the face of the global pandemic. Though they have not yet been able to come together in Beijing, I have watched them engage in classes virtually, get to know one another and participate in many collaborative activities.
Our incoming sixth cohort, announced this past December, features 154 remarkable Scholars chosen from more than 3,600 applicants and includes students from 39 countries and 99 universities. We have quickly become one of the most prestigious graduate fellowships globally, with admission rates consistently below 5%.
We were also thrilled to announce a new addition to our team this year, Executive Director Lara Tiedens. Lara will join us in May from Scripps College, where she currently serves as President. Amy Stursberg will become the new CEO of Schwarzman Scholars and deserves our greatest thanks and recognition. Amy has been with us since the very beginning, and Schwarzman Scholars would not exist without her tireless efforts.
To access the application and learn more about requirements, candidates can visit our website at The Schwarzman Scholars. The deadline for U.S. and other non-China candidates is September 21, 2021. Interviews will be held virtually in late October and early November, and candidates selected for admission will be notified in mid-November 2021.
Thank you for your continued support of the program. I look forward to keeping you updated.
Stephen A. Schwarzman
Founding Trustee, Schwarzman Scholars
We continue to live through unprecedented times: the crisis of COVID-19, economic uncertainty, social and racial unrest, and weather catastrophes.  How do we lead during these turbulent times? How do we lead beyond them? Join GFOA for our 2021 Virtual Conference, July 12‒23, to hear from leading practitioners, recognized industry experts, researchers, and your peers how to effectively prioritize the current needs of your community and prepare for any future challenges.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Employee Forum and the American Red Cross encourage the campus community to help save lives by making appointments to donate blood at the 33rd annual Carolina Blood Drive from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 8, in the Dean E. Smith Center. Donors of all blood types are needed to roll up a sleeve and donate blood to ensure a readily available supply for patients who rely on transfusions.
The Carolina Blood Drive is the largest blood drive held in the United States since the pandemic started in 2020 and we need more than 1,000 blood donors to make appointments to help continue to ensure a stable blood supply. Since 1989, the Carolina community has rallied together selflessly to donate blood for those in need. Thanks to our campus community, the Carolina Blood Drive has potentially impacted more than 100,000 patients who require lifesaving blood transfusions, including trauma victims and those who need surgery or cancer treatments. Though the need for blood does not let up, donations often decline at this time of year as donors become busy with outdoor activities, schools dismiss for summer and vacations are planned. The Carolina Blood Drive is a critical drive as we kick off the summer and individuals who are healthy and feeling well are encouraged to schedule and keep donation appointments at the Carolina Blood Drive.
Presenting donors will receive a commemorative Carolina Blood Drive T-shirt and free food. There will be plenty of free parking at the Smith Center, or ride with Chapel Hill Transit. For UNC-Chapel Hill employees, time spent donating or volunteering is considered work time, with permission from a supervisor.
Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols to reduce the spread of infection, as outlined by the FDA. The Red Cross has also implemented CDC-recommended sanitary measures to ensure the health of staff, volunteers and donors.
Make your appointment to be part of the Carolina Blood Drive; download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) sponsor code UNC. Walk-ins will be accepted the day of the drive, but appointments are encouraged.
To volunteer, or for more details, visit carolinablooddrive.unc.edu. During this unprecedented time, your generous donation and time volunteering makes all the difference.
Carolina MPA | UNC School of Government | carolinampa.sog.unc.edu | Website | Intranet