Document Category: Topic Reviews/ Summaries

A Call to Action: How Social Work Programs Can Respond to Student Food Insecurity (2024)

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated student food insecurity on college campuses and exposed the vulnerability of institutions with no food emergency response. During the COVID-19 pandemic and for years to come, the need for social work to lead efforts on college campuses to address student food insecurity is even greater. The need will continue to be significant for social workers in higher education to support students with basic needs, including resources for food, housing, childcare, and transportation. As has been true after other pandemics and economic downturns, professionally trained social workers are critical to brokering resources for individuals in crisis. This article critically examines the role of social work education in addressing the issue of student food insecurity. Through a conceptual lens, it explores the many dimensions of this problem and highlights vital contributions that social work can make within a higher education setting to alleviate food insecurity, enhance student well-being, and promote equitable opportunities for academic success.

Policies and Initiatives to Address Collegiate Food Insecurity (2023)

This review analyzes the modern anthropological impact of food insecurity on collegiate and community socioeconomic mobility. We begin with an overview of food insecurity from a global perspective, followed by a deeper dive of food insecurity within the higher education microcosm. We then explore policy, technology, and actions to address these challenges to promote a more just, equitable, and healthier world.

Food Insecurity and Higher Education: A Review of Literature and Resources (2023)

Research finds food insecurity to be a barrier to postsecondary access and student success. Compared to the general population, college students experience food insecurity at higher rates. Underrepresented, first-generation, non-traditional, and low-income students have food-insecurity rates ranging from 33–51% compared to 10% among U.S. adults.

The factors contributing to food insecurity at institutions of higher education are complex, such as the increased cost of higher education, the limited usage of and eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the social stigma associated with being food insecure, the location of an institution within a food desert, and the institutional setting (a two-year or four-year college). Other barriers linked with food insecurity include ineffective meal plan policies for residential students, limited transportation to and from campus, and whether students come from food-insecure backgrounds. Irrespective of cause, food insecurity negatively impacts college access, retention, and completion. The need to understand the factors contributing to food insecurity and the effective interventions used to mitigate food insecurity are essential to achieving THEC’s mission to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential and THEC’s Master Plan goals relative to student success and family prosperity. This comprehensive literature review conducted sought to answer the following questions.

What does the literature say about food insecurity in higher education and its effects on students and institutions?

What solutions and best practices does existing literature suggest to address food insecurity in higher education?

How are postsecondary institutions in Tennessee addressing food insecurity among students?

Addressing Social Determinants of Mental Health to Improve College Access, Retention, and Completion (2023)

Addressing non-medical factors that adversely impact mental health, wellness, and academic persistence is important to increasing access to college for vulnerable college students. This systematic review synthesized 63 articles on interventions to address college students SDOMH (social determinants of mental health) challenges. Researchers found that SDOMH themes were addressed in intervention studies at different rates, specifically, healthcare access and quality (n = 27; 42.3%), education access and quality (n = 24; 37.5%), social and community context (n = 11; 17.4%), economic stability (n = 3; 4.7%), and neighborhood and built environment (n = 1; 1.6%). Implications for higher education stakeholders conclude the article.

“I can’t learn when I’m hungry”: Responding to U.S. college student basic needs insecurity in pedagogy and practice (2023)

Food insecurity and other basic needs insecurities were pressing concerns for U.S. college students prior to the COVID-19 crisis and are even more so now. These issues disproportionately impact minoritized students, making addressing basic needs an issue of educational equity. As feminist teacher-scholars, we reflect in this essay on what it means to teach in the context of student basic needs insecurities, drawing on our experiences from launching an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to combatting food insecurity on our campus. In doing so, we seek to catalyze changes within and beyond the classroom to better support students.

How Community Colleges Can Support Student Mental Health Needs (2023)

Community colleges in the study have expanded their mental health support programs through integrating them in the broader college environment.
While community colleges in this study offered multiple levels of mental health supports, most lack a clear organizing framework.
Community college leadership should consider explicitly supporting prioritization of student mental health—and broad staff buy-in is important. Community colleges struggle to meet students’ mental health needs because of limited resources. Financial support for student mental health should extend beyond high school.