Infusing Race and Equity into the Evans School MPA Curriculum

Abstract

In January 2021, the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance will welcome incoming Dean Jodi Sandfort to our school. The activism of recent student cohorts at the Evans School, the momentum of changes within the school over the last few years, the transformational moment that the COVID-19 pandemic presents, and the renewed national focus on police violence against Black people in America all create a policy window for the incoming Dean to think bigger than ever before about this opportunity for transformative policy change. Current Evans School students see an opportunity for our school to emerge as a national leader on matters of race and equity in public policy. As a recent contingent of student activists, the Curriculum Advocacy Team presents this report as a tool by which to address the barriers and needs that Evans School faculty, staff, and administration have reported to our group over the past two years. We provide recommendations for how to address these barriers and fill these needs with the ultimate goal of taking full advantage of this moment to create transformational change.