Carolina MPA Digest 1/15/21
Carolina MPA Student Digest:
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Carolina MPA Calendar

  • January 15, 11:55 pm EST: NASPAA-Batten Student Simulation Applications due
  • January 19: Spring residential classes begin
  • February 3-5: NCCCMA Virtual Winter Seminar
  • February 28, 11:55 PM EST: Spring Portfolios Due
  • March 11-12: Regional ICMA Virtual Conference
  • April 8: Deil S. Wright Lecture, 3:30 pm EDT - Details below
  • May 15-16: Tentative Commencement Ceremonies
MPA Resources: Start off this Semester Well!
The Carolina MPA Intranet is your hub for all information needed in the program. Once you sign in with your ONYEN and password, you'll be able to find:
  • Start/End dates for future terms
  • Program policies and procedures such as:
  • drop deadlines
  • transfer credit guidelines
  • UNC Honor Code guidelines
  • sample syllabi for all classes
  • introductions to your Student Leadership Council representatives
  • Career Services resources
Please check it out today and bookmark it for later as well!

Note: A few students have reported the tabs of information are missing when they log in. If this happens to you, please email Elizabeth Langefeld for trouble-shooting.
The UNC Learning Center has a wide range of resources. You can find tutors, receive academic coaching, and see study tips to make a plan for the term. All appointments are currently being held over Zoom.
Did you know you could submit drafts of your work electronically to have guidance along the way? The UNC Writing Center offers this service and more. So, if you need help learning to cite in Chicago Style, feel that you're having trouble outlining a paper, or could use to brush up on your grammar, check them out!
Through ARS, UNC seeks to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities and medical conditions as they relate to academics, residences, dining, and co and extra-curricular campus activities. ARS coordinates and implements appropriate reasonable accommodations including academic adjustments and provides appropriate resources and services in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504). Even if you do not plan to seek accommodations, if you qualify for ARS's services, you are encouraged to reach out and start the approval process. All information will be handled in confidence.
Student Kudos: Tiffany Turner
Congratulations to current MPA student Tiffany Turner on her recent recognition on the Triad's 20 in their 20's. Tiffany serves as the Food Resilience Project Manager for the City of Winston-Salem.
January 27: Webinar Series Finale
Keys to Economic Recovery from COVID-19
What strategies will help local economies recover more quickly from the COVID-19 pandemic?


What strategies will help local economies recover more quickly from the COVID-19 pandemic? The ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of Government and NCGrowth at the Kenan Institute for Private Enterprise are collaborating on a project to identify strategies that will help local economies recover more quickly. Through robust data analysis, case studies, webinars, and peer learning sessions, NC local governments have access to some of the best economic recovery resources in the nation.
January 27 at 2pm: Making Data Informed Decisions for Economic Recovery
We will share tools including Carolina Tracker, Consumer Confidence, and the COVID Composite. Learn performance management strategies from professor Obed Pasha and engage in robust discussion with local governments across the state. We will also share results of the fall survey of local governments about implications of the pandemic.
This project is supported by the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with funding from the North Carolina Coronavirus Relief Fund established and appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly.
 
Register free of charge: https://go.unc.edu/s2N4T
Save the Date: The Deil S. Wright Lecture is April 8, 2021
In 2002, the MPA Alumni Association honored Professor Deil Wright for his 34 years of teaching MPA students by creating the Deil S. Wright Lecture in Public Administration. Each year, a distinguished professional from the field of public administration enriches the educational experience of students, alumni, faculty, and interested members of the community.

The 2021 Deil S. Wright Lecturer is Norma M. Riccucci, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration. She will deliver a lecture entitled, “Preparing People of Color for 21st Century Jobs: Unfulfilled Promises and Lost Opportunities.”

Riccucci’s talk will examine the predictions demographers and economists made in the 1980s about how the social makeup of the American workforce will change by the 21st century. It was predicted that by the year 2000 greater job opportunities for Blacks and Latinx would be created, particularly in the tech industry. Riccucci examines whether these forecasts have been realized and achieved. She asks, for example, “have investments been made in the human capital of Blacks and Latinx?"

Dr. Riccucci is the author of numerous publications and books including most recently, Policy Drift: Shared Powers and the Making of U.S. Law and Policy (New York University Press, 2018). Riccucci’s research interests lie in the broad area of public management, with specific interests in social equity policies and representative bureaucracy.

All students are invited to this event, which will run 3:30-5 pm EDT. Login information will be sent at a later date!
The School of Government Diversity Gazette
University & Beyond Events

  • Virtual Opportunities to Connect
  • January 21: Responding to Student Mental Health and Well-Being during COVID-19
  • January 17-26: MLK Celebration Events Announced
  • February 18-19: Equal Protection’s Grand Promise and Betrayals: Reconstruction, Plessy to Bakke and Beyond: Is there a Way Forward?
  • Volunteer & Professional Development Opportunities
  • PAFR Fellowship Program Applications due January 28
  • Orange County Seeks Applicants for Planning Board
  • Applicants Needed for the Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Commission 
  • Orange County Seeks Applicants for Board of Equalization and Review
  • Apply for the Pauli Murray Award by February 12
  • Apply for the University Diversity Awards by February 28
Thursday, January 21,
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Student mental health in higher education is an increasing concern, but Carolina experts are leading the way with innovative resources to help. Join us for an inside view on how UNC-Chapel Hill is responding to student mental health needs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Allen O’Barr and Dean Blackburn, leading Carolina practitioners in mental well-being and counseling services, will share current challenges, what they’ve learned during this time and innovative approaches they hope to implement in the future.

MLK Celebration Events Announced
UNC-Chapel Hill’s 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week, which honors the bridge-building legacy of Dr. King, Jr., kicks off on Jan. 17 and includes events that highlight the intersectionality of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. The annual MLK University/Community Banquet will provide the traditional start to the week of activities highlighted by the MLK Keynote Lecture and Awards Ceremony, a student service effort and other opportunities for cross-cultural and intergroup dialogue. All events—held virtually this year—are designed to celebrate and educate the UNC-Chapel Hill community about the legacy of Dr. King, Jr., using the theme “Presence of Justice.”
The MLK week of events at Carolina is co-led by the MLK Student Planning Committee, comprised of representatives from Black Student Movement; Carolina Indian Circle; Carolina Union Activity Board (CUAB); Carolina Women’s Center; Diversity and Inclusion’s Student Access and Success Committee; Fraternity and Sorority Life’s Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council; Graduate and Professional Student Federation; LGBTQ Center; Mi Pueblo; MADO (Student Government’s Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Outreach Committee); Student Life and Leadership and the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
MLK University/Community Banquet – Sunday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. Now in its 36th year, the Banquet is hosted by the MLK, Jr. Corporation, in partnership with the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion. North Carolina Superior Court Judge Carl Fox will deliver the keynote. In 2005, the Honorable Judge Fox became the first Black judge in his Orange-Chatham County district. Judge Fox will be joined at this event by several other prominent community leaders. In addition, the MLK High School Senior scholarships, Citizenship and Bridge Builders awards will be presented. Tickets are $20. To purchase tickets, please go to mlkpc-ch.org. For additional information, please contact the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion at 919-843-6086 or diversity@unc.edu.
The MLK Lecture and Awards Ceremony – Tuesday, Jan. 26, 6-7:15 p.m. The event, celebrating its 40th year, will include the presentation of the MLK UNC Scholarship for UNC juniors and MLK Unsung Hero awards. Announcement of the keynote speaker, as well as registration information, will be available at diversity.unc.edu/mlk in mid-December.
For additional information about the full roster of events, visit diversity.unc.edu/mlk.
This message is sponsored by: University Office for Diversity and Inclusion
February 18 and 19, 2021

Hosted by UNC School of Law

Three months following the November 2020 elections and a last-minute appointment to the Supreme Court, the UNC Center for Civil Rights will meet to explore the origins, present status, and future promise of the Equal Protection Clause in these times. The symposium’s premise is that the Supreme Court may well have lost its jurisprudential way, with far-reaching and adverse consequences, especially for people of color, in areas including school desegregation, housing and employment law, access to governmental services, the criminal justice system, voting rights, and higher education. The symposium will give special attention to the 1978 Bakke opinions and the continuing battle over affirmative action policies in higher education. During this two-day journey on February 18-19, 2021, attendees will hear and learn from some of the nation’s foremost legal scholars, attorneys, and advocates, including keynote addresses from Dean Erwin Chemerinsky of Berkeley, Professor Eric Foner of Columbia, former United States Attorney General Eric Holder, and Professor Ted Shaw of UNC School of Law.
GFOA, in partnership with ELGL, are excited to announce that applications are open for the second round of the PAFR Fellowship Program. This program connects graduate students with local governments looking to create a Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for submission to the GFOA award program.
 
This program is "free" for local governments. Governments pay the regular $250 GFOA application fee for the PAFR program. GFOA then provides 100 percent of the fee to the graduate student as a stipend to produce the PAFR for the government.
Applicants Needed for the Orange County 
Planning Board – Cheeks Township

ORANGE COUNTY, NC (January 13, 2021) – One major way citizens can have a positive impact on the future of Orange County is to volunteer to serve on the various County advisory boards and commissions.
 
The Orange County Board of Commissioners is currently recruiting residents who live in Cheeks Township for the Orange County Planning Board. The board studies Orange County and surrounding areas to determine objectives in the development of the County. It prepares and recommends plans to achieve that development, including the suggesting of policies, ordinances, and procedures. 
 
As of March 31, 2021, a vacancy will exist for Cheeks Township representation. If interested, please apply at www.orangecountync.gov/boards.
Orange County strives for diversity on volunteer advisory boards. Minorities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must reside in Orange County. Volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners have an opportunity to influence the way of life in Orange County.
For additional information call Thom Freeman-Stuart 919-245-2125.
Orange County Board of Commissioners Seeks
Applicants for the Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Commission 

ORANGE COUNTY, NC (January 8, 2021) – One major way citizens can have a positive impact on the future of Orange County is to volunteer to serve on the various County advisory boards and commissions.
 
The Orange County Board of Commissioners is currently recruiting for the Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee.  The commission reviews zoning amendment requests, special / conditional use permit applications for developments within the Northern Transition Area of Carrboro. The commission makes recommendations to the Carrboro Board of Adjustment or Carrboro Town Council. The commission inventories areas of cultural, archaeological, and historic significance. The commission researches areas of open space, rural character, scenic qualities, biological values, areas of agricultural uses, and make recommendations based on the above studies for additional policies, goals, etc., that will preserve and enhance the special character of this area and relate to its growth. The commission consists of five members, three appointed by the County Commissioners.
 
Applicants must live in the Carrboro Northern Transition Area to qualify.
If interested, apply at www.orangecountync.gov/boards.
Orange County strives for diversity on volunteer advisory boards. Minorities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must reside in Orange County. Volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners have an opportunity to influence the way of life in Orange County.
Orange County Seeks Applicants for
Board of Equalization and Review

ORANGE COUNTY, NC (January 8, 2021) – One major way citizens can have a positive impact on the future of Orange County is to volunteer to serve on the various County advisory boards and commissions.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners is currently recruiting for the Orange County Board of Equalization and Review. The board hears appeals from citizens concerning various property tax issues, including valuation and exemption appeals. The Board of Equalization and Review is charged with ensuring that all taxable property is appraised and assessed according to the standards required by the North Carolina General Statutes.
The Orange County Board of Equalization and Review will meet up to three days per week, for approximately three to four hours per meeting, for up to three consecutive months (April – June). Additional meetings may occur as needed during the year. Members will be paid for all meetings attended.
Interested Orange County residents with knowledge of real estate are encouraged to apply. Other interested citizens will also be given consideration.
 
If interested, apply at www.orangecountync.gov/boards.
Orange County strives for diversity on volunteer advisory boards. Minorities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must reside in Orange County. Volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners have an opportunity to influence the way of life in Orange County.
For additional information call Thom Freeman-Stuart 919-245-2125.

The Orange County Human Relations Commission is accepting nominations for the 31st Annual Pauli Murray Awards, which are presented annually to an Orange County youth, adult, and business that have served the community with distinction in the pursuit of equality, justice, and human rights for all citizens.
The Pauli Murray Awards are presented to those who embody the attributes and spirit of Pauli Murray by encouraging diversity in the workforce, promoting and participating in community activities related to social justice issues, or demonstrating positive roles in human relations.
Nominations may be made online: www.orangecountync.gov/ThePauliMurrayAward
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. Individual (over 18) and Youth (full-time student in grades 6-12 or a college student 18 or younger) nominees must reside in Orange County. Business nominees must operate or conduct business within Orange County. For additional information, contact the Human Relations Commission at (919) 245-2487 or Human_Relations@orangecountync.gov.
Dear Carolina Community,
It is that time of year again where we recognize people and groups that have given their time and effort to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at Carolina and in our surrounding community. As has always been the case, this work is vital as we build our community together, and we ask you to consider nominating individuals and group collaborations for the 13th Annual Diversity Awards.
The Diversity Awards Committee will be accepting nominations for the awards beginning Tuesday, January 12, 2021. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, February 28, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Two awards will be given in each of the following six categories:
  • Undergraduate Student
  • Graduate/Professional Student/Postdoc
  • Staff
  • Faculty
  • Alumni
  • Intergroup Collaboration (an effort by units/groups/programs to bring together multiple perspectives to address a critical issue of diversity, equity and/or inclusion at Carolina or in the community)
Nominations should reflect the ways a nominee has met at least one of the following criteria:
  • Served as an outstanding advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion at the interpersonal, unit and/or institutional level;
  • Demonstrated a sustained commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion at UNC-Chapel Hill and/or in the community through research, teaching, service and/or collaborative partnerships;
  • Demonstrated a commitment to creating a culture of inclusion within their areas of influence and modeled respect or inclusive treatment when interacting with others; and/or
  • Implemented an initiative, project and/or program that cultivates/advances/models diversity, equity and inclusion at Carolina or in the community.
Nominations should be submitted electronically to UNC 2021 Diversity Awards Nomination.
Further details about the award and the nomination process are available at diversity.unc.edu/programs/awards/. For further information, please contact the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@unc.edu.
Sincerely,
Sibby Anderson Thompkins, PhD
Special Advisor to the Provost and Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion/
Interim Chief Diversity Officer
Gretchen C. Bellamy, JD, LLM
Senior Director for Education, Operations and Initiatives
The University Office for Diversity & Inclusion
Carolina MPA | UNC School of Government | carolinampa.sog.unc.edu | Website | Intranet
The Carolina MPA Intranet houses information and resources for students during the program.