Our Commitment
The UNC MPA program recognizes the importance of preparing the next generation of public service leaders with skills and knowledge to lead in varied contexts with varied audiences.
We believe it is crucial for leaders to represent the diversity of the communities they serve and to seek to understand the varying needs and cultural expressions of the individuals within those communities.
Diversity means the ways in which individuals vary, including but not limited to, backgrounds, beliefs, viewpoints, abilities, cultures, and traditions that distinguish one individual from another. We seek to incorporate these principles within the Master of Public Administration curriculum for the benefit of our students, faculty, and staff.
The UNC MPA program ensures that diverse persons of any background are invited, included, and treated equally. Diversity of experience among MPA classmates enriches the academic environment of the program and the personal development of each student. UNC MPA maintains the proud tradition of pursuing and embracing the most vigorous, open, and thoughtful exchange of ideas. It reaffirms that academic freedom is a prerequisite to maintaining and strengthening a world-class university.
One way the MPA program strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all students is through Affinity Groups. Affinity Groups, which are open to all, provide a space for support, learning, and the exchange of ideas for students with similar backgrounds, experiences, or interests. Affinity Groups encourage student success and wellbeing through programming and networking opportunities.
The MPA program uses a competency-based curriculum to ensure that students are obtaining necessary knowledge, skills, and other characteristics to help them become public service leaders. All of the curricular content, including any related to diversity and inclusion, is rooted in academic scholarship and contemporary practice and delivered in a classroom that encourages vigorous, open, and thoughtful exchange of ideas. Students are exposed to the program’s public service values of accountability and transparency; respect and equity; efficiency and effectiveness; and professionalism and ethical behavior within this competency framework.
The UNC MPA program is accredited by NASPAA or the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration—the global standard in public service education. Our program is assessed against NASPAA’s guidelines, including: “By prioritizing diversity and inclusion across the curriculum, faculty, staff, and student body, programs will prepare graduates to succeed in an intercultural and globalized era, where the global and local contexts are inextricably linked.” Our faculty are committed to student success and work hard to “ensure students can apply their knowledge, understanding, and problem solving abilities in new or unfamiliar environments, and within broader or multidisciplinary contexts related to public service.
As part of its ongoing commitment to creating a respectful work environment for faculty and staff, the School of Government has created a Committee for an Inclusive Workplace, which includes MPA faculty and staff members. Members of the committee are passionate about creating a work environment in which all employees feel respected, valued, and heard, regardless of who they are or where they work in the organization. Initial committee actions have focused on three key areas for assessment and improvement: community building and training, climate, and human resources policies and procedures.