Carolina creates a capital classroom in DC

This piece was originally published on unc.edu.

Learn how the Carolina in the Capital office strengthens learning opportunities for Tar Heels.

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UNC-Chapel Hill opened the Carolina in the Capital office in Washington, D.C., in April, creating exciting opportunities for faculty, staff, alumni — and students.

The 10,861-square-foot space supports a variety of functions, including educational programming for undergraduate and graduate students.

Before the spring semester concluded, Carolina students and professors were able to use the space, a sign of things to come as future classes will fill learning spaces at the office throughout the year.

“We have students in Washington all the time, and we’re going to be able to bring more students here as a result of this wonderful space and give them the kind of experience they want and need and deserve,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts.

One example of an academic program benefiting from the space is the Honors Carolina Seminar on Public Policy and Global Affairs, in which students intern at Washington nonprofits and public policy organizations while taking public policy and/or journalism and media seminars.

“Having a space where we can have classes and we can have alums in — it makes all those connections just stronger,” said Shannon McGregor, associate professor at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and a faculty director of the Honors Carolina seminar.

Before the opening of the Carolina in the Capital office, the University’s Washington-based academic programs relied on temporary or borrowed spaces, but they now have a permanent home.

“I think having a piece of Chapel Hill is really important for students, no matter where they are,” said junior Nicholas Swisher, a public policy and political science double major in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. “Being able to have it in D.C. now is an incredible experience.”