The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU) have released a report examining the pandemic’s significant impact on food insecurity among college students. The report, “Food Insecurity at Urban Universities: Perspectives During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” also outlines steps institutions can take to more effectively address food insecurity. The project was funded by the Kresge Foundation.
The five participating universities were Morgan State University, University at Albany, University of Washington-Tacoma, University of New Orleans and University of Toledo. A group of 11 leaders from these universities identified potential questions to ask students, faculty and staff. Data was collected through focus groups, interviews and mixed-method surveys. A total of 296 individuals participated across the five institutions. An emphasis was placed on qualitative data.
“Now is the time to make systemic change,” said Dr. Christel Perkins, deputy executive director of USU, and assistant vice president of APLU. She is the principal author of the report. “Food is foundational to the way that we live. When we see the evidence that people of color and other marginalized populations are struggling with food insecurity…it really is our responsibility to address this.”
The report examines how students at urban universities experience food insecurity, the approaches used to mitigate it, how COVID-19 has changed the landscape, the impact food insecurity has on student success, the relationship between systemic racism and food insecurity and innovations that can be explored to address food insecurity.
Interviews revealed that students cut back on other personal necessities to address their food insecurity. One university identified that 89% of students surveyed said they eat less than they should because they lack sufficient food or money. 67% of students reported eating food that lacked nutritional value because they could not afford to eat balanced meals.
Students reported feeling a stigma around accessing a food pantry. Others noted that sometimes the food in the pantry was of low quality, so they didn’t eat it and stopped coming to the pantry. The report emphasized the importance of inclusivity and creating a sense of belonging for all students.
Dr. Sammy J. Spann, associate vice president and dean of students at the University of Toledo, said there has been huge surge in food insecurity since the onset of the pandemic. He said the input his institution brought to this study is how to rethink basic needs with strategic thinking. The university’s marketing team has been involved in destigmatizing access to food. This included changing the name of the food pantry to Rocket Fuel (the athletic program is the Rockets).
