Preparation and Public Policy

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Icy roads and snowfall in Durham have offered an unexpected pause—a chance to think about what it means to be prepared. Preparation can be as simple as stocking up on batteries or throwing an ice scraper in the trunk. Unexpected weather reminds us of the choice to prepare - assembling supplies and checking in on loved ones. It reminds us that preparation has value even when outcomes remain uncertain.

The discipline of public policy is a way of thinking about what is coming that you cannot yet see. One of the strengths of a Sanford education is its interdisciplinary approach, which prepares students for a wide range of careers in policy and public service. Through coursework in civil discourse, economics, ethics, statistics, leadership, writing, technology, and policy design, students build a robust toolbox of analytic and management skills. Just as importantly, they develop a framework for decision-making—one that seeks new data, understands legal foundations, evaluates evidence, and values collaboration. This kind of preparation allows leaders to act thoughtfully, even when information is imperfect, and conditions are changing.

Preparedness by our Sanford-trained leaders and policy-making institutions is especially critical now.  I’d like to highlight some examples of how Sanford faculty is preparing students:

• Standing at the podium for a mock press conference: In Tim Nichol’s Public Policy 505 course this fall, students received a crisis scenario, a policy task, and strategic communication guidelines, including parameters set by an imagined White House.  Then, at the end of the semester, teams delivered a live press briefing and took questions from an audience that included trained journalists and Sanford policy experts.  It was intense!
• Being involved citizens and advocating for fair elections: Professor Gunther Peck runs a Student Voting Rights Lab, and he reports that students are “super energized.” Begun as a Bass Connections project, the lab is connected to an undergraduate course PPS 307 Democracy: Crisis and Opportunity. Students conduct research projects investigating barriers to youth voting as well as solutions to those challenges. Their research is stunning, showing that in Durham County alone, youth voters are nearly seven times more likely than older voters to have ballots challenged.  Their work has resulted in op-eds, a ProPublica article, and even a public mural to illustrate the scope of the issue.
• Making policy recommendations to improve public education: MPP students worked with the NC Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) throughout the fall on a visionary mission: to make North Carolina public schools the nation’s best by 2030.  Professor Jenni Owen’s students worked to advance the NC DPI’s Achieving Educational Excellence strategic plan by soliciting input, conducting policy analysis, and generating recommendations.  NC Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green, a double Duke grad, and his team attended the final team presentations at Sanford.
• Learning by reporting:  Student reporters at The 9^th Street Journal, an award-winning project of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy at Sanford, cover city council meetings, public schools, local elections, housing issues, and community life in Durham.  Reporting on local issues, and guided by Bill Adair and Alison Jones, has prepared students not only for careers in journalism but also for life-long engagement in local policy issues.
• Meeting with elected leaders:  Durham Mayor Leo Williams joined Duke MPA students, led by Asher Hildebrand, during the hybrid Master of Public Affairs spring residency.  The residency was focused on leadership in local government. Mayor Williams shared his path to public service leadership and engaged students in thoughtful discussion on the policy challenges and opportunities facing today’s mayors.

It is this blend of academics and real-world experience that is the heart of preparing Sanford students. Our graduates have been prepared to adapt, analyze, and lead through uncertainty. 

In uncertain conditions—whether on icy roads or in complex policy environments—preparation doesn’t guarantee outcomes. But it does give us the capacity to respond with clarity, resilience, and purpose.

Best wishes, 

Manoj Mohanan, Interim Dean