July 16, 2024 | Next Issue: August 20, 2024
 National Intern Day is July 25! Did you know that we have 15 amazing interns working in the agency this summer? We are thrilled to offer a program that provides college students meaningful work experiences and valuable career skills.
A big thank you to our 2024 summer interns for sharing their energy, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives:
- Maggie Bass, Western Governor's University – Office of Operations
- Alaka'i Bene, UNC-Charlotte – NC Healthy Schools
- Haley Blizzard, East Carolina University – Office of Learning & Research
- Destiny Edwards, Southern Methodist University – NC Virtual Public Schools
- Emma Jung, UNC-Chapel Hill – State Board of Education
- Ashlyn Kurtz, East Carolina University – Office of Learning & Research
- Jayla Lindsey, East Carolina University – Center for Safer Schools
- Dalton Locklear, UNC-Chapel Hill – Office of Learning & Research
- Sophia Luna, UNC-Chapel Hill – Office of Learning & Research
- Stephanie Pett, Duke University – Office of Learning & Research
- Maylon Rawls, UNC-Chapel Hill – Office of Digital Teaching & Learning
- Neil Sharma, UNC-Chapel Hill – Office of Learning & Research
- Ian Wheeler, UNC-Chapel Hill – Office of Digital Teaching & Learning
- Emma Wical, UNC-Charlotte – Office of Government Affairs
- Jada Wooten, UNC-Greensboro – Office of Charter Schools
Congratulations to Freda Lee, a Federal Programs administrator with DPI’s District and School Support Services, for receiving the 2024 Richard Caswell Award for 45 years of service to the State of North Carolina.
We are so proud of Lee for receiving this prestigious honor as a testament to her hard work, dedication and commitment to the agency and the educators she serves. Recognizing Lee during a ceremony in June are (left to right): WTVD anchor DeJuan Hoggard, Office of State Human Resources Director Barbara Gibson, Freda Lee and DPI’s Director of Federal Programs Alex Charles.
The Richard Caswell award is named after North Carolina’s first governor who dedicated most of his adult life to North Carolina and became a champion for free public education.
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We are in the process of updating and replacing wireless access points throughout the building, which will cause some noticeable changes.
DPI-Owned Devices
The NCDPI-Staff network is changing to DPI-Staff. Connection information for this network has automatically been distributed to reimaged devices, however you may also need to connect to the network manually the first time. You will not be able to see or connect to this network if your laptop has not yet been reimaged. If you still need to have your laptop reimaged, bring it by the Service Desk (3rd Floor North) any time from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
If you have enrolled in the BYOD program, you’ll be connected to the DPI-BYOD network, though you may need to connect manually the first time.
Guest Network
The NCDPI-Guest network is changing to DPI-Guest. The new guest password will be #ncdpi@301N. Click here to download a printable with a QR code.
Replacement Schedule
The tentative replacement schedule is included below. Work on Room 150, Floor 2 and Floor 3 has been completed.
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Floor 1: Week of July 15
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Basement: Week of July 22
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Floor 5: Week of July 29
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Floor 6: Week of August 5
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Floor 7: Week of August 12
2023-24 Annual Performance Review Continues
We have officially moved to Step 3, Indirect Manager Comments, of the NCVIP 2023-2024 Annual Performance Evaluation for NCDPI and NCCAT. At this point, the indirect manager will be able to see and discuss rating marks with their management teams for their assigned employees and leave comments. This step is optional and will close on July 31 (COB).
Upcoming 2023-24 Annual Performance Review Dates
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Step 3: Indirect Manager Comments (optional) – July 17-31
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Step 4: Direct Manager Sign-Off (mandatory) – August 1-15
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Step 5: Employee Sign-Off (mandatory) – August 16-30
The quick reference guides can be found through your ‘My Training and Transcript’ tab in the LMS by searching "Annual Performance Evaluation."
Please contact Steven Oberhausen with any questions as we move into the evaluation phase of the performance year!
2024-25 NCVIP Performance Plan Preparation
*115c and EPA employees may disregard this section*
Step 1 of the 2024-25 Performance Plan will launch in August. To prepare for the launch, employees can either create goals from the goals page, advance their previous year’s goals to the new cycle, or create them in the Performance Task once it launches.
It’s recommend that you complete your goals prior to the launch, get them approved by management, and they will automatically populate into your plan when it launches in August. Per policy, every employee should have 3 – 5 strategically aligned goals. The values will be pre-loaded as they are determined by the State and Agency leadership. You’ll have until COB 07/31/2024 to create or advance goals.
You must have goals in place before signing off on your new Performance Plan. If you have no goals in place or if you or management do not sign off, your Performance Plan will be blank/incomplete.
You will access your Performance Plan by logging into FIORI and selecting the LMS/NCVIP tab.
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Accessibility Training Available
As you're likely aware, earlier this year, the Department of Justice enacted a new rule as a part of Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act. This rule sets a technical standard and requirement for state and local governments for all web applications, apps, and content provided by a government entity to be accessible by individuals with disabilities and to meet the standard. DPI’s compliance requirement date is April 24, 2026.
With some very limited exceptions, nearly all digital content and services procured or produced by the agency or a PSU will need to comply. This includes apps, documents, websites, digital brochures, videos, social media posts, etc. This also includes instructional content and lesson plans, even behind a username/password.
Donna Murray, DPI Accessibility Specialist, is hosting a series of webinars throughout the summer and fall to help train DPI staff, PSU staff, and anyone else interested in learning more about digital accessibility. We recommend that any staff from your office who produce content attend these webinars. Please also share these resources with PSUs or others that you work with who may need to know - these webinars are for everyone!
REMINDER: Full-time NCDPI employees or contractors (as well as any part-time employees engaged in telework) are required to submit an annual Telework Agreement for review and approval.
Staff are encouraged to review NCDPI’s Telework Policy and make plans to discuss any changes to your telework arrangement during your upcoming annual performance review meeting with your supervisor. Supervisors are reminded to include a discussion about telework arrangements during the annual performance review meeting. If teleworking continues, the employee must submit a new Teleworking Agreement for the new performance cycle, via Nintex.
With numerous organizational changes in the past year, employees should remember that if you transfer to another supervisor, any Telework Agreement between you and your previous supervisor will not carry forward to the new position and will necessitate the submission of a new Telework Agreement form in Nintex.
Blasting Postponed to Mid-to-Late July
Beginning in mid-to-late July, construction crews working for the Legislative Service Office are scheduled to start blasting underground rock behind the old Administration Building in downtown Raleigh.
Crews are expected to detonate explosives twice daily on each weekday during business hours. The blasting is expected to continue approximately three months. While specific blast times are not yet known, weekly updates on blasting schedules will be shared on DOA's website.
The heavy construction work is part of the Legislative Service Office's demolition and deconstruction of the old Administration Building in preparation for the new Education Campus.
Expected Impacts
Traffic delays due to road closures.
For safety, roads surrounding the construction site will be closed for about 15 minutes each time a blast is detonated. This may lead to traffic backups along Jones, McDowell, Salisbury and Lane streets as well as roads that feed into the area.
Noise & Vibration
Air horns and announcements will precede each blast. People immediately adjacent to the site may experience periodic loud noises and some rumblings.
Sidewalks & Walkways
Access to sidewalks and walkways along Jones, McDowell, Salisbury and Lane streets, as well as building entrances close to the blasting site, will be closed for 15-20 minutes during each blast period.
Stay Informed
The NC Department of Administration will email regular updates and share the latest schedules on the website. The construction project including blasting is being managed by the Legislative Services Office, a part of the North Carolina General Assembly.
 NCDPI Specific Information
- Employees and visitors who park in decks 65, 75, 76 or 77 may need to adjust the time and/or way they enter/exit the parking deck(s) to avoid traffic backups.
- Work began earlier this spring to demolish the old Administration Building (116 W. Jones Street) in preparation to build the new NC Education Campus. This project is anticipated to take at least 4 years.
- To prepare the site for construction of NCDPI's future home (including an underground parking garage), contractors must break up a large rock formation under the ground and below the existing Administration Building.
- Drilling of test holes began the first week of June with expected daily blasting to take place beginning around mid-to-late July.
- Explosive charges will be buried in drilled holes, covered with protective material, and then set off at an anticipated rate of twice per day. Due to the size of the underground rock, the blasting is expected to take 3+ months. Further blasting may be required once actual removal of debris begins.
- Work will take place Monday through Friday during regular work hours with the intention of avoiding commutes and lunch hours. Blasts will likely take place in late morning and again in mid-afternoon, each day.
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DOA has been told that air horns will sound three prolonged times at five minutes and one minute before each blast. The horns are 115 decibels (similar volume to a rock concert, motorcycle or bulldozer). Anticipated volumes for the blasts have not yet been provided, but DOA has been told they will not be as loud as the air horns.
- We DO NOT know what impacts may be felt inside the Education Building until blasting begins in the coming weeks. It is likely that some minimal noise may be heard, and some slight movement might be felt.
- Traffic on surrounding intersections will be blocked for approximately 15 minutes while blasting charges are set and the explosions occur. These temporary traffic closures will impact:
- Southbound traffic on Salisbury (which may back up and block the Salisbury Street entrances and exits to Decks 65, 75, or 76),
- Northbound traffic on McDowell, from Jones,
- Eastbound traffic on Jones, from McDowell, and
- Westbound traffic on Lane (which may block access to the Lane Street entrance to Deck 65).
- Adjacent sidewalks to these routes will also be blocked for 15-20 minutes.
Employees who suffer from conditions which may be exacerbated by these types of loud noises should review the weekly blast schedule regularly. Please consult with your supervisor and DPI Human Resources if you require temporary accommodation or additional assistance related to a medical need.
Information about this portion of the project, including weekly blast schedules will be posted at doa.nc.gov/blasts.
OSHR Lunch & Learn Event: Mindful Eating Habits
When: Tuesday, July 23, at 11:30 a.m.
 Coming on July 23: Mindful Eating Habits
When working toward healthy eating habits, we often focus on the types of foods we should or should not eat, but how we eat can be equally important. In this free, statewide Worksite Wellness webinar, Katie Godin, RD, LDN from LifeStyle Medical Center will share her top mindful eating habits for an overall better relationship with food. After a brief presentation, Katie will demonstrate how to make Strawberry Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark to cool you off this summer! The recipe will be shared with all who register for the event, so be sure to join.
For more information and to register for the July event, visit oshr.nc.gov/wellness-webinars.
GovDelivery Newsletter Assistance Available!
If you or your division needs a refresher on GovDelivery templates, listservs or best practices, please reach out to communications@dpi.nc.gov. The communications team is always available to assist you with any questions or sharing tips/tricks on GovDelivery.
Have Something to Share in Next Month's FYI@DPI?
Send an email communications@dpi.nc.gov by the 10th of the month to be reviewed for the all-staff newsletter.
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