Summer is no break for students with food insecurity
The Summer 2022 Quarterly features a piece on campus programs tackling food insecurity for college students in the summer. Writer Alyssa Goldberg, a student at New York University and a 2022 Mary Christie Institute fellow, interviewed a range of program coordinators about how they aid food-insecure students to get by throughout the year – including two TikTokers who have grown a large following documenting the preparation of homemade meals for local students.
“When North Carolina locals Tom and Rachel Sullivan began cooking to-go meals for a college student in their neighborhood after Covid shut down university dining halls, they didn’t expect a viral TikTok to propel their reach to 14 nearby universities,” writes Goldberg. “Using TikTok to spread awareness, the couple decided to host their first meal over Memorial Day weekend last year. ‘One [student] wrote us the nicest thing about what she was going through and what that meal meant,’ Tom said. ‘And from there, it just grew.’”
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
In an op-ed for Inside Higher Ed, Tanya Ang, managing director of the nonprofit Higher Learning Advocates, urges the nation’s leaders to address the mental health crisis that is increasingly plaguing college students. As depression and suicide rates continue to rise among young people, Ang says Congress can make an impact by funding the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant. “Mental health support should be as accessible as faculty office hours,” she writes. “We’re falling gravely short.”
Inside Higher Ed presents a number of strategies schools can employ to improve the experience of first-generation college students, specifically by addressing the unique academic, financial, or mental health stressors they may encounter. The list includes strategies such as offering parent-specific outreach, developing pre-orientation programs, personalizing the financial aid process, and bringing forth awareness to academic advisors on first-generation experiences.
For The Hechinger Report, Jeff Frank, associate professor of Education at St. Lawrence University, argues that hiring more staff for campus counseling centers may not be effective on its own to satisfy student mental health needs. What colleges need in addition, Frank suggests, is a kind of cultural reset—one that devalues the supposed hallmarks of the college experience, like binge drinking or hookups, that can harm mental health. Frank encourages students and faculty alike to help build, as well as incentivize, a new culture that emphasizes cultivating mental health and finding purpose on campus.
Other News
Through the story of one student’s college search, The Chronicle highlights the challenges—incuding the mental health burden—of going through the application process as an undocumented American.
To improve student mental health, Fortune Well suggests colleges consider building out their mental health infrastructure to include mental health clubs, peer services, and even courses focused on mental health topics. Meanwhile, parents and students may find they need to adjust their expectations with regards to the level of care colleges are able to offer.
The Chronicle follows the campaign at University of Virginia’s College at Wise to hire a “vibrant” campus community coordinator—a concerted effort to combat the rampant disconnect among students in the wake of the pandemic.
In a profile of Thomas Cole, the former UCLA football player who attempted suicide earlier this year, The Los Angeles Times considers some of the serious stressors, like isolation and pressure, that affect young athletes today.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Inside Higher Ed and The Washington Post reveal that briefs in support of affirmative action in college admissions are flooding the Supreme Court, as it weighs its decision on the matter. According to The Wall Street Journal, the briefs came from not only those in the higher ed world but a number of major companies, like Apple and General Motors, who consider diversity critical for “commercial innovation and business success.”
The Chronicle and Inside Higher Ed report that Seattle Pacific University is suing the Washington attorney general after he started investigating a school policy that prohibits employees from “cohabitation, extramarital sexual activity, and same-sex sexual activity.” The university claims that being forced to change this policy, and therefore defy the values of the Methodist Church with which it is affiliated, qualifies as religious discrimination.
The University of Southern California is conducting a Title VI investigation after students tried to impeach the former president and vice president of the student government, accusing them of racism due to their support of Israel. According to Inside Higher Ed, “The investigation could shed light on a heated debate over the relationship between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and its results could have wide-ranging implications for antidiscrimination practices and freedom of speech on college campuses.”
Colleges in Canada say they are increasing efforts to pinpoint faculty members who have falsely identified as Indigenous after several cases of this deception. As debate often surrounds who may claim Indigenous status, Inside Higher Ed suggests some schools are looking to leaders in the Indigenous community for guidance.
As bills pass across the country to restrict how and what colleges can teach, Inside Higher Ed editor Doug Lederman considers the issue that seems to be driving this legislation: free speech concerns. Since 2016, the share of students who feel their free speech is secure has decreased significantly. In part, Lederman says the onus is now on colleges to teach students how to talk – and disagree – openly with one another.
Diverse Education reports findings highlighting racial economic inequities. According to the Brookings Institution, job displacement, or losing work separate from performance, and intergenerational wealth mobility, one’s changes in net worth over one’s lifespan, varies by race. Black employees were, on average, 67% more likely to be displaced than others. “A lot of it has to do with our institutions—structural racism and structural classism that make it hard for individuals who don’t already have well-connected extended family to really make big gains,” says Dr. Brielle Bryan, assistant professor of sociology at Rice University.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
After the Department of Education’s directives protecting LGBTQ students was partially blocked last month, Higher Ed Dive anticipates that President Biden’s Title IX proposal with similar objectives will face challenges, too. His proposal to protect students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender idenity comes as part of a 700-page document—which will undergo a protracted editing process before a final draft is reached.
Reproductive Health and Justice
After students pushed back against his presence on campus for his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will no longer be teaching a seminar as planned at George Washington University’s law school. According to the The Washington Post, some are celebrating Justice Thomas’ decision not to teach, while others call it the result of a concerning “cancel campaign.”
Inside Higher Ed reports on colleges navigating legal questions and risk following the abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. The National Association of College and University Business Officers conference sparked major questions, such as: “Will colleges use funds to transport students to other states for abortions? What happens if a college faces a conflict between state law and accreditation standards? Will institutions face legal liability for aiding and abetting abortion access? How will law enforcement look upon providing advice or transportation for terminating a pregnancy?” Lawyers are still struggling to answer questions related to potential criminal penalties.
Substance Use
The Hechinger Report shares how colleges are training students recovering from former substance abuse disorders to be a part of treatment teams. Peer-based recovery services are becoming more frequently utilized at community colleges and for adults pursuing higher education. Many states are also offering certification to become peer support specialists, which combines mental health and substance use.
Student Success
Diverse Education and Higher Ed Dive report on new data showing that the average college student is not on track to finish in five years. According to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, only about half, or 51%, of students earn 24 or more credits in their first year of college, leaving them unable to graduate on time in four or five years. The finding increases the likelihood of students contributing to the number of over 39 million Americans with college credits yet no degree. Dr. Nia Haydel notes that students often believe they will perform better in college if they minimize their course load. “Studies have shown that students who actually take 15 [credit-hours] usually perform better because their time is a little more structured. It allows them to be a bit more focused,” says Haydel.
The Chronicle reports on last year’s high levels of student disengagement and colleges’ hopes to improve the forecast of this fall. Faculty members and administrators report high levels of class absenteeism and lack of participation when students did attend class. Faculty members also say that a number of students did not seek support and struggled asking for help, pursuing tutoring sessions, or counseling services. Research shows that a strong sense of belonging in the classroom can contribute to students’ persistence in college. Experts say it is critical to address students’ needs and help students who are struggling sooner rather than later.
College Affordability
The Washington Post and Politico report on the Biden administration’s new proposals to drastically change the student loan system, which some critics say is not enough. While recent proposals from the Biden administration have focused on temporary or targeted debt relief, some experts say there should also be a focus on bipartisan legislation in student loan reform. Inside Higher Ed also reports on the Education Department’s newly-released proposal of regulatory changes. The proposal includes new standards on accountability towards for-profit institutions, strengthening rules for changes in ownership for for-profit colleges, and changing pell grant eligibility for prisoners. The proposal for income-driven repayment (IDR) is expected to be published in the next few weeks.
NPR, The Washington Post, and Inside Higher Ed report that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Education Department miscalculated the cost of the federal student loan program. The Education Department estimated that its federal loan lending program would generate $114 billion in revenue for the federal government, yet the new GAO report showed that it will cost a loss of $197 billion. Flawed estimates in borrower behavior and changes to budgeting models have impacted the incongruencies, and the GAO reports that the government would have lost more in revenue than they have gained from student loan borrowers.
Basic Needs
Diverse Education reports on the Pennsylvania legislature providing $1 million to colleges to address student food insecurity. The Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program will dedicate funds to create and expand food pantries on campuses, determine nutritional needs for students, and increase information and awareness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. According to Penn State University, 35% of students in the surrounding commonwealth experience some level of food insecurity.
Physical Health
The Chronicle reports on findings revealing that colleges and universities’ vaccine mandates significantly decreased potential COVID-related deaths. According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, campus vaccination requirements likely minimized U.S. deaths in the fall of 2021 by 5%, saving approximately 7,300 lives. The study analyzed how public health policies affected their surrounding communities. “One of the arguments for vaccinating a younger, generally healthier population would be this idea of protecting the rest of the community by limiting transmission from the college students to other members of the community,” stated Riley K. Acton, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of economics at Miami University of Ohio.
