MPA: Documentation

Expand an accordion question or click on a tab below for information.



  • Logging In and Out of the website

    You need to log in to the Master of Public Administration website to add or edit content. You do not need to remember a separate password: The website works with single sign-on and uses your ONYEN for logging in. You can find the log in link in the footer or directly at https://mpa.unc.edu/saml_login.

    To logout of the website you can find the logout button in the left hand sidebar. Otherwise you can find a logout button at the top right of your screen.

  • How can I add images?

    You can add images to the Master of Public Administration website on all pages. The easiest way is to use the designated ‘Image’ field that is included in many content types. This way, your image will be automatically aligned, optimized for mobile display, featured on overview pages and make your content stand out in search results. You can also add and edit images with the WYSIWIG editor. This option is a more elaborate process and recommended for users with advanced skills.

  • How can I add video content?

    You can add video elements to any page you want by using a specific field setting in the WYSIWIG and entering the ‘embed code’ from a social media video sharing site such as Youtube or Vimeo.

  • How can I add a new link or fix broken hyperlinks?

    Most hyperlinks are added and edited in the WYSIWIG editor. You can add a hyperlink to any text or image by clicking on the ‘chain’ symbol. In addition, many content types have a field for external URLs.

  • How can I add/ upload files?

    Please read the following documentation: MPA - Uploading files and adding it to a page.

  • How can I edit my profile?

    You cannot edit your own profile - and neither can IT. All requests have to go through Marketing at marketing@sog.unc.edu. However, you can create profiles for external authors, presenters or instructors if you want to display their names (and bios) on your course pages or associate them with publications or course materials.

  • I just created content, and now I can’t find it – where did it go?

    Do not panic – your content is there and easily accessible. Simply click on one of the following three links All Content, Content You've Recently Updated, Content You've Recently Created. You can search these lists by title.

  • Oh no! My page looks messed up, the font types and sizes are different. How can I fix this?

    Typically, this happens after you copied content from another web page or MS Word. You can get rid off extraneous, inconsistent formatting by selecting your text and clicking on the ‘rubber’ icon. Ideally, choose the option ‘paste from Word’ when adding next content by copy and paste.

  • I am still having problems with formatting, the editor simply does not work for me. What can I do?

    The most frequent issues are inconsistent spacing in list or tables. Often, this can only be fixed in the HTML source code, which is not recommended for the average user. If your page contains a list or table that you frequently need to update and the layout simply does not work for you, please get in touch. Instead of spending hours manually trying to fix spacing issues, come talk to us: We can likely help you by creating a customized content type, that we can then display consistently on your microsite.

  • How can I revise edits and go back to a prior version of my page?

    Did you just accidentally delete important information? Or did you update a page you did not mean to or should not have edited? No worries, the website logs a revision history for each web page. You can see who edited the page, the date and time the edit happened and, most importantly, you can go back to a previous version.

  • I have a question that is not on this list, where can I get help?

    Please submit a ticket to helpdesk-sog.unc.edu. You can also schedule a training with Lindsay Hoyt or Stefanie Panke, to talk about your content and specific requirements for your work. One other way to submit a ticket is to go to your User Navigation menu that shows up on the left-hand side of the screen. In that menu, there is the option to "Contact ITD," and you can submit a ticket there.

  • How can I create a webform to collect data through the School of Government website?

    Webforms are a great way to collect information, send out email notifications to clients and School employees whenever a form is submitted, and download the results in an Excel sheet. Webforms are frequently used for course that require pre-registration applications. The webforms are connected to the course offering.

  • How do I edit my user information?

    Click on the “My Account” link in your User Navigation menu. It will open up a page where you can edit your username, email, password, name, onyen, user photo, and time zone. After making changes, be sure to click “Save” at the bottom of the page.

  • How do I find content that I've recently created or updated?

    To find this content, you need to find the User Navigation menu, which will come up if you click on any page on the MPA website. Once this comes up on the left-hand side of the page, you can find content you’ve recently updated or created under “All Content.” Clicking either of those options will allow you to see your content.

  • What does the clear cache option do and when should I use it?

    The "Clear Cache" button can be found in the User Navigation bar. You should clear your cache if you are having any issues with a webpage loading on the site, whether it be missing images, formatting issues, etc. Clearing the cache may help fix this issues.

  • How do I get my content promoted on the homepage?

    To get your content promoted on the homepage, go to the piece of content you want promoted. If you click "edit," you simply have to scroll all the way down to the last tab called "publishing options" and click on it. There, it gives you the option to "promote on front page." Then all you have to do is click the box and hit save.

  • How do I unpublish a piece of my content?

    First, you need to find the piece of content that you wish to unpublish. To find your content, go to the User Navigation menu and click on one of the content options (All Content, Content You've Recently Updated, or Content You've Recently Created). Then, you can search for a specific piece of content or scroll through. Once you find it, click "edit" and scroll down to the bottom menu "Publishing Options." Once you click this, it will show the box for the "published" option as checked. Simply uncheck this box and hit save to unpublish this content.

  • How can I log in if I forgot my Onyen password?

    You will have to go to the Onyen ITS website. On the homepage, click "Change or Reset Password." This will take you to a welcome page where you can reset your lost or forgotten password by entering your Onyen and other requested information.

  • How to create Application Deadline content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Application Deadline." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Application Deadline). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create News content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Article/News." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Article/News). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create Basic Page content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Basic Page." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Basic Page). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create Blog Post content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Blog Post." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Blog Post). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create Career content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Career." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Career). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create Courses content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Courses." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Courses). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create Differentiator content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Differentiator." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Differentiator). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create Event content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type.
    1. The first way to do this is by going to the:
      1. "Content" tab in the admin menu at the top of the page.
      2. Next click on "Add Content".
      3. Now click on the "Event" content type.
      4. Fill out the fields that you need for your event.
        • Please know that if this is for an Alumni event you may want to click on the Alumni accordion and enter in the fields for hotel, etc.
      5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click save.
    2. The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen.
      1. Click on "Add Content" in this menu.
      2. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Event).
      3. Then fill in any necessary fields.
        • Please know that if this is for an Alumni event you may want to click on the Alumni accordion and enter in the fields for hotel, etc.
      4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click save.
  • How to create Internship Placement Map content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Internship Placement Map." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Internship Placement Map). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create Media content?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Media." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Media). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create a Profile?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Profile." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Profile). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create a Slideshow?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Slideshow." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Slideshow). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to create a Webform?
    There are a few ways to create this content type. The first way to do this is by going to the "Content" tab in the menu at the top of the page and going to "Add Content" then "Webform." The second way would be to go to the "About" page to access the "User Navigation" menu on the right side of the screen. Click on "Add Content" in this menu. A page will come up with different content types, so you will just have to click on the type you are looking for (in this case, click Webform). Then fill in any necessary fields and click "Save."
  • How to edit Application Deadline content?
    To edit Application Deadline content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Application Deadline) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit News content?
    To edit News content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, News) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Basic Page content?
    To edit Basic Page content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Basic Page) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Blog Post content?
    To edit Blog Post content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Blog Post) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Career content?
    To edit Career content content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Career) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Courses content?
    To edit Courses content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Courses) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Differentiator content?
    To edit Differentiator content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Differentiator) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Event content?
    To edit Event content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Event) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Internship Placement Map content?
    To edit Internship Placement Map content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Internship Placement Map) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit Media content?
    To edit Media content, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Media) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit a Profile?
    To edit a Profile, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Profile) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit a Slideshow?
    To edit a Slideshow, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen. Under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content." You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Slideshow) and press "apply." You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit a Webform?
    • To edit a Webform, you need to login to the MPA website and click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen or under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content".
    • You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type. Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Webform) and press "apply".
    • You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
  • How to edit an Application Deadline?
    • To edit an Application Deadline, you need to login to the MPA website.
    • Click the "Content" tab at the top of the screen or under the "User Navigation" menu, click on "All Content" link.
    • You should see a search bar that allows you to filter content by type.
    • Click the "Type" drop-down menu and select whatever content type you'd like to edit (in this case, Application Deadline) and press "apply."
      • You can also use the other fields for a more specific search. Now, it will display content only of this type, and you can click edit on whichever piece of content you would like to change.
    • Now click the edit button on the right hand side of your screen for the content that you want to update.
  • How to add a missing person to the directory page?
    • To add a missing person to the directory, search for the person you want to update on the MPA website.
    • Click on the title that can be their name.
    • In the right corner you should now see a edit button. Click the edit button.
    • Update the information that you want to.
    • To make a person either display on the directory page or not, you will need to check the yes box under the Display on the Directory Page field, which can be found on the faculty staff profile items accordion.
    • Now click the "save" button.
  • How to add a new MPA group member to the Faculty page?
    • On the MPA website search for the person you want to update.
    • Click on the title that can be their name.
    • In the right corner you should see an edit button. Click the edit button.
    • Check the box which they should go under for Profile type.
    • Now click the save button.
  • How to remove someone from displaying with the MPA group?
    • If you want to remove a member of the MPA group and don't want them to be displayed on the site anymore, search for the person you want to update on the MPA website.
    • Click on the title that can be their name.
    • In the right corner you should see an edit button. Click the edit button.
    • Scroll all the way down the page and click on the publishing tab.
    • Uncheck the published check box.
    • Now click the save button.