Each Fall, we look forward to welcoming a new group of students to our MPA family.  The program holds a full-day orientation session the Friday before classes begin. Some topics covered include an overview of the curriculum, cohort culture, systems and procedures, along with faculty and staff introductions. On Orientation day or sometime soon thereafter, a professional photographer will be on hand to take individual student head shots that will be used for our website, newsletter articles, and other marketing purposes. We hope the day will be informative as well as fun.

Each fall, we hold a re-orientation with our returning MPA second-year students. The retreat gives returning on-campus students a refresher on policies and procedures, an in depth analysis of the Applied Research Problem and oral exam process, as well as a review of the professional work experience. The retreat typically takes place on the Monday of the first week of fall classes.

The UNC One Card Office provides an interactive campus ID card that gives students access to a variety of benefits and services. The opportunities the card provides are detailed here.

Graduate and professional students may obtain their One Cards at the UNC One Card Office during the week prior to the beginning of the semester classes, after they have been registered for classes at the University.

Please see the OneCard website for details on how to obtain one. OneCard access to Knapp-Sanders will be granted to on-campus format students, so they are particularly helpful if accessing the building after hours or one weekends.

Tuition rates for the on-campus format are set by the North Carolina Legislature. Fees are set through an on-campus process and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Tuition and fees are assessed based on the student’s classification, which is determined by the program in which they are enrolled.

Information on current tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students and for student fees is available through the Cashier’s Office.

In addition to the campus tuition and university student fees, students will be required to pay a school-based tuition fee.

Returning MPA students are also required to pay two $200 field fees which are tied to enrollment in the Thesis Substitute courses (747/748). The fees are used solely for student support.

Uses of this Field Fee Include:

• • Professional Work Experience management
  • Thesis Substitute and Oral exam management
  • Programs:
    • Immersion
    • Graduation
  • Support for Professional Development including travel or registration stipends for conferences

Funding is a critical part of obtaining a graduate degree at Carolina. The MPA program is dedicated to helping students manage the cost of their graduate studies with the goal of providing financial assistance to all on-campus MPA students. The majority of financial packages, including research assistantships and scholarships, are awarded to incoming students during the annual admissions process. After these decisions are made, the MPA program provides funding opportunities to rising second year students during late spring and throughout the summer as they become available in the form of research assistantships, scholarships, and part-time employment.

Second year students also are encouraged to seek other opportunities for funding through existing UNC Organizations noted below:

• UNC Graduate School Funding Page
• Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Graduate Funding Information Center

Research and Graduate Assistantships are also opportunities for continued professional development during your time in the program.  More details on this can be found in the Career and Professional Development section of our site.

One of the main resources noted on this page is the Graduate Funding Information Center.  Like you, many graduate, professional, Ph.D. candidates and postdocs are searching for funding and this information center is a great resource.

A few resources noted on this site that are worth highlighting in further detail:

• Announcements & Listserv:
  • Current funding position announcements are listed on this site

• Funding Resources:
  • listing can be found here

• Email Consultation:
  • You can schedule a consultation with a staff person from the Graduate Funding Information Center to talk about your individual situation.
  • Information on how to do this can be found here.

• Funding and Fellowships Fridays Newsletter
  • This listserv is a place where departments across campus can submit their funded position opportunity and it will be distributed to whomever has signed up for the listserv.
  • Opportunities may include fellowships, graduate assistantships, and funding workshops.
  • Sign up for the newsletter here.

• Funding Information Portal:
  • The Funding Information Portal is a collection of databases and other resources selected to help UNC graduate students, faculty, and staff identify and apply for funding opportunities.

Many departments within the university offer RA and GA positions, however, they are not required to centrally post them on any of the resources above.

What we have learned from the Graduate Funding Information staff is that the best way to find RA and GA opportunities is like any good job search, to forge relationships and networks.

Students have the opportunity to establish in-state residency for tuition purposes. The Graduate School North Carolina Residency page provides information, resources, and support on this topic.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, along with all the other UNC system campuses, requires both residential graduate and undergraduate students to have health insurance coverage.  Eligible students are required to show evidence of an existing “creditable” health insurance policy or will be automatically enrolled in and billed for the UNC system-wide student health insurance plan administered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina.

Each semester the health insurance premium is added to all eligible students’ University accounts.  Eligible students must enroll to activate their insurance or complete the online waiver process with their own creditable insurance coverage before the deadline each semester. Once the waiver is verified and approved, the premium will be credited to the student’s account.

For more information and to view waiver deadlines click here.

Please see the Student Organization Resource Page for more details.

Learning Management Systems

The MPA Program utilizes Canvas as the Learning Management System (LMS).

• Student Canvas Resources
• IT Help Desk
• You may also send any questions you have regarding this platform to instructionalsupport@sog.unc.edu

IT Resources

The UNC IT Getting Started Guide for Students is a great resource to get connected to IT needs.

Carolina Print Hub (formerly CCI Printing)

The MPA program is home to a Carolina Print Hub station. The printer is located near the student mailboxes on the third floor of the Knapp-Sanders building.

All fee-paying students with no flags on their accounts receive a printing allotment issued from the ITS Print Plan account each semester. This allotment is applied to your One Card and used toward printing in supported locations.

The following are the number of pages you are allotted per semester:

• Fall – 400
• Spring – 400
• SSI – 175
• SSII – 175
• May – 175

Each black-and-white printed page costs $0.10 and color printed page costs $0.30.

You can use your personal computer to send print jobs to Carolina Print Hub stations. You can submit documents to print from anywhere and pick them up in any of the Carolina Print Hub stations across campus.

Please use the following link to find more information on installing the Carolina Print Hub Client on your personal laptop.

UNC Transportation and Parking is the best resource for students on all things parking and transportation at UNC.

Students are encouraged to use transit to get to campus. Chapel Hill Transit provides fare-free bus service.

Additional Parking and Transportation Resources:

• Town of Chapel Hill Routes and Schedules
• Chapel Hill Transit App- Provides real-time transit information to passengers.
• UNC Campus Transit Information
• UNC Student Permit Parking information – includes lottery signup dates
• UNC Parking and Transportation Maps

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) supports the University’s core mission of teaching, research, and public service by developing partnerships that encourage problem solving and communication to identify and address public safety needs with professionalism and integrity, while protecting North Carolina’s Future.

The Carolina Ready Safety App is designed to make your experience on campus as safe as possible. The app empowers you with the tools you need to be prepared, mitigate dangers and respond appropriately to situations that occur.

The app includes emergency alerts, tools for staying safe on campus, emergency response guides, campus maps and a variety of health and wellness resources.

• UNC Accessibility Resources and Services
• SOG Accessibility Resources
• UNC Student Health
• UNC Counseling & Psychological Services
• Degree Requirements and Academic Planning Worksheet
• GPSG Resource Guide
• Graduate School
• HeelMail
• MPA Student Leadership Opportunities
• Library Services
• Office of Scholarships and Student Aid
• Office of the University Registrar
• Safe at UNC
• Cashier’s Office (Student Billing Accounts)
• Student Support E-mail
• UNC Campus Recreation
• UNC IT
• UNC Transportation and Parking
• Print Shop at Student Stores

MPA Student Emergency Fund

The purpose of the fund is to assist MPA students with unexpected and unanticipated emergency expenses in which there is an immediate financial hardship.

This funding is not intended to replace or supplement existing financial aid, but is intended to help students in an emergency time of need.  Funds should be requested when all other resources have been exhausted.  Awards do not need to be repaid.

When appropriate, supporting documentation will be required.  For consideration, complete the Emergency Fund Application and email to Susan Lynch.

 Types of expenses covered include, but are not limited to:

• • Travel expenses related to a family emergency or death in the immediate family
  • Medications and other costs related to emergency medical, mental health, dental or vision care not covered by insurance
  • Replacement of essential personal belongings or temporary housing needs due to fire, theft or natural disaster
  • Safety related needs (i.e. changing locks, temporary support costs for a student in a dangerous situation due to threats or acts of violence)
  • Assistance with food and other essential household expenses
  • Technology costs necessary for coursework

 Expenses not covered include, but are not limited to:

• • Tuition and fees
  • Health Insurance
  • Books
  • Rent or other recurring housing expenses
  • Conferences
  • Non-emergency travel expenses
  • Entertainment or recreational expenses

The School of Government is locked from 5:30 pm to 7:30 am during the week, and also on weekends.  However, your ONE card will allow you access to the building when it is locked.  The ONE Card is your campus ID for libraries, sports, printing, etc.  Card readers are located near each door, and you just need to swipe your card for entry.  If you have any issues, contact Susan Lynch and she will inform our facilities manager who will be able to research and correct the situation.

The One Card may now be added as a mobile ID to compatible iPhone and Apple Watch devices.  More information may be found on the ONE Card website here.  Note that if you previously had a physical card, it will no longer work once you obtain a mobile card.

Client classes meeting in the School of Government frequently utilize catering services. In an effort to reduce food waste, the SOG has a listserv that notifies members of leftovers that are available to them. If you are interested in receiving leftover food notifications, click this link, enter your name and email address, and click “Subscribe”. The email address associated with the listserv is sogleftovers@listserv.unc.edu.

Please note that the leftover food opportunities are often outside of ongoing classes, so please be quiet when selecting food. Also, please always wait to be invited to take leftovers before approaching catering. SOG course participants have paid for this catering and need to be given ample opportunity to enjoy their meals and breaks.

We have lockers available for student use.  They are next to the elevator on the 3^rd floor near the MPA wing.  You will need to supply your own lock if you wish to secure your belongings.  Choose a locker number that does not already contain a lock, and either email or stop by Susan Lynch’s office and she will assign it to you.

Access to the Eduroam Wifi network is available to all UNC faculty, staff, and students that have an active ONYEN.  Connecting your device to this network allows you to gain free wi-fi access from a consortium of universities and education institutions around the world.

As part of your student fees, you are allotted 400 pages ($40) of printing per semester. They are automatically loaded onto our ONE Card, and are available the first day of the semester to the end of finals. Black and white printed pages cost $.10 each and colored pages $.30 each.  You cannot carry over unused pages into the next semester.  There are several printers on campus, including one in our MPA wing.  There is also one located at the Law School across from our back parking lot.   Instructions on installing Carolina Print Hub and also a list of printing locations may be found here.  Touchless printing is available, and you can visit the link for more information and to download the app.  These printers are part of UNC IT, and owned and maintained by them.

All students have a mailbox in the MPA lounge area near the PC work station. They are used by faculty to return assignments or other materials, and by staff for anything we might need to provide to you.  Please check it occasionally.

You may need to meet with other students or various groups for projects or study sessions throughout the year, and there is a conference room in the MPA wing and other meeting rooms available in the SOG that may be used for such instances.

MPA Conference Room:

This room can seat around 6 to 8 people, and has video conferencing capabilities.  Below are the guidelines for booking and utilizing the room:

• Priority given for program purposes
• Program staff have access to add meetings to the conference room calendar
• Students can reserve the room for the following reasons:
  • Student Organization Meetings
  • Group project meetings
  • Phone Interviews
  • Meetings with an outside client
• Whenever the room is not reserved, students can use the conference room for study and hangout space
• For most things Susan Lynch is the main point of contact for students to reserve the room, however, all student organization and student event-related room reservations should go through Elizabeth Langefeld
• Students can view the room schedule at any time using the directions provided below:
  • Login to unc.edu
  • Go to your calendar
  • Select “Add Calendar”
  • In the “From Directory” box, search for and select “MPA conference room”
  • Click “Open”
  • If you find a time that works for you, email Susan Lynch or stop by her office and she can add your reservation to the calendar. If she is not available, any other staff member will also be able to help you.

SOG Rooms:

There are also rooms in the SOG that may be reserved for MPA meetings, etc., and you can check with Susan Lynch for availability by stopping by her office or emailing her.  Again, Elizabeth will be your contact for events associated with student organizations that utilize a room in the SOG.  Priority is given to SOG classes/events.

All on-campus students (as well as online students attending MPA Immersion) are provided with a name tag that can be worn for MPA events.

If you are interested, business cards may be ordered through UNC printing.  The smallest quantity is 250 for $44.95.

Students have access to a PC workstation located in the MPA mailbox area, and there are also some located in the SOG library.  To sign in, you just need to use your ONYEN and password.

These areas are mainly used by students and therefore it is your responsibility to keep them clean. Some things that need to be done regularly are, wash and put away dishes (plastic gloves are available in the cabinet under the sink for this task), wipe off counters and tabletops, and wipe out microwaves and refrigerator.