ISSUES AMONGST COMMUNITY COLLEGES 1

Issues Amongst Community Colleges:

How Food Insecurity Impacts Student Success

Rita Manalastas

Department of Student Development and Administration, Seattle University

SDAD 5590 01: American Community College

Dr. Sabrina Kwist

April 24, 2022

Issues Amongst Community Colleges: How Food Insecurity Impacts Student Success

Postsecondary students are not immune to the effects of the roles that inequity and racism

play in making basic necessities and well-being less accessible. After all, they are people before

they are students on or off-campus. Food insecurity is defined as instability around one's access

to nutritious food and it has been reported that over half of post-secondary students across the

country experience food insecurity (Nikolaus et al., 2019). These numbers are much higher in

two-year institutions. Community colleges are open-access institutions that serve some of the

most diverse and underrepresented student populations (Spaid et al., 2021). These institutions

have provided more affordable and accessible pathways to higher education and yet, the

retention and graduation rates are much lower than in four-year institutions. Community colleges

are investigating what factors contribute to these low retention and graduation rates. This

ultimately linked the role of well-being and access to basic necessities in the overall success of

students in two-year institutions. And while students from diverse and underrepresented

communities do thrive and succeed in community colleges, there are external hardships that can

negatively impact their experiences. BIPOC, low-income communities, specifically Black and

Hispanic populations, are less likely to access basic necessities and more likely to experience

poverty (Haider & Roque, 2021). This includes food insecurity, and this leads to the disruption

of one's focus and triggers anxiety about not knowing where one's meal is coming from next. The

physiological consequence of hunger follows which causes another set of issues that impact

student success. There are a couple of reasons why this issue has been overlooked: stigma, the

normalization of not eating well (ex. Instant noodles), and the lack of institutional responsibility

for holistic student wellness. Additionally, in four-year institutions, while food insecurity is also

persistent in this space, the presence of on-campus eateries has created the assumption that there
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is an abundance of food. As a result, community colleges, which are already misunderstood and

inaccurately compared to four-year institutions, are also associated with this dangerous

assumption.

The Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Inequity

The issue of food insecurity magnifies a greater example of inequity. This type of

inequity has flourished in the socio-economic statuses of communities of color and permeated

into the system of higher education where those same communities of color are being

underserved and their needs are short of being recognized. Multiple systems are mimicking an

inequity that behaves the same way but might deliver a different outcome.

Before explaining what these outcomes could look like in relation to food insecurity, it is

important to see the relationship between community colleges and the socio-economic impact on

communities of color caused by unjust systems. The inner workings of systemic and institutional

racism have cultivated inequitable and disadvantaged financial situations for communities of

color with an emphasis on Black and Latinx populations. Racial inequities have created the cycle

of poverty that perpetuates financial stress, generational poverty, and the lack of economic

mobility (Haider & Roque, 2021). When these communities are given the opportunity to pursue a

seemingly lower-cost education at open-access community colleges, those external financial

challenges can start influencing academic success (Spaid et al., 2021). Another factor is the

rising cost of tuition that forces students to have to choose what they will be investing in: rent,

food, or tuition. The irony lies in the fact that community colleges are believed to be the most

cost-effective options that low-income students of color can rely on.

Research has been expanding on the prevalence of food insecurity on college campuses

as well as which populations are affected the most. A study on male students of color confirms
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the disproportionate enrollment of low-income and marginalized communities in community

colleges as well as the trend of stressors such as housing instability, financial stressors, and food

insecurity (Vasquez et al., 2018). Male students of color have also been found to be less engaged,

have strained relationships with faculty/staff, and overall feel less supported. This research aimed

to get an idea of the lived experiences of male students of color and the following themes that

emerged from the study: housing instability, financial troubles, and food insecurity. Chances are,

food insecurity is just the tip of the iceberg of the grander issue at hand. Communities that are

already enduring financial challenges outside of their academics will find that their academic

obligations could exacerbate those challenges. Despite the importance of meeting one's

physiological needs before anything else, these students are faced with having to decide whether

to spend their money on school expenses, their dependents' needs, or their physiological needs.

The physiological needs, like food, are often the ones that get neglected.

The issue of food insecurity should not be the fault of the students living through it.

These students have financial hardships that generate other areas of uncertainty such as housing

and food and as a result, they have no choice but to develop into self-giving and resilient

individuals (Vasquez et al., 2018). The problem lies in the lack of institutional responsibility and

the inability of institutions to holistically care for their students. Students, specifically students of

color, have multiple intersecting identities and roles that can produce their own unique set of

challenges when placed in systems, like higher education, that were not made for those identities

in the first place. Another research prompted the recommendation that community colleges

should implement holistic resources for students to utilize instead of "solutions" that lack a true

understanding of their situations (Wood & Harris, 2018, p.144). Especially when these

community colleges are investigating the low retention rates of their students, they must also
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scrutinize the other institutional disadvantages that greatly impact the energy, well-being, and

academic performance of their students (Spaid et al., 2021).

Promising Interventions

While food insecurity requires a larger systemic change and intervention, community

colleges are starting to recognize the ways students are juggling their multiple obligations and

responsibilities. If an institution is invested in a student's academic success, it should also include

their internal and external wellbeing. Their interventions should also be executed with an

intersectional lens because knowing what specific populations are vulnerable to inequity is just

as important as implementing solutions to mitigate the problems that inequity causes (Wood &

Harris, 2018). Acknowledgment of which communities are impacted the hardest can better

inform what solutions are effective and identity-conscious.

A Shift in Mindset

One significant change that community colleges are adopting is not a tangible one but

rather, a shift in mindset. A study on the Florida College System gathered qualitative data from

individuals and focus groups and found that their missions extend beyond what one would

imagine as "student success" (Nix et al., 2021). The representatives that come from various

Florida community colleges have a basic understanding of the common needs that community

college students have. Being able to link their financial and other life circumstances to student

outcomes is crucial in reflecting on student retention and academic success. Advisors and faculty

members witness first-hand of the distractions that food insecurity can generate, and they are

able to see the differences between community college students who are the breadwinners for

themselves and families versus traditional university students who might have financial support

elsewhere from family and do not have dependents. The Florida College System has taken
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ownership of its role in ensuring student success and expresses its commitment to students via

resources that directly address the high rates of food insecurity in their students as well as

indirect support through resources that provide relief to basic needs insecurity elsewhere.

Food Pantries

In the same Florida study, the participants representing various community colleges

mentioned the role of food pantries on campus to respond to students' nutritional needs (Nix et

al., 2021). A specific campus food pantry was formed by a group of faculty members, and it soon

turned into a collective effort that involved other departments across the campus. This service is

low-barrier and fairly popular with up to 75 students utilizing this resource every day.

Seattle Central College also has a food pantry on campus that is accessible by their student ID

(Public Information Office, 2019). Community partners, such as local food banks, have

contributed donations as well. This practice has been particularly promising because it clearly

addresses the students' needs and provides a sense of stability for those who might not know

where their next meal is coming from. The institution has acknowledged external hardships that

affect academic achievement and responded in a straightforward manner that reaches students

where they are at. Since the height of the pandemic, Seattle Central College has even included a

virtual option much like an online ordering system where students can choose a pick-up time to

obtain their products. The continuation of on-campus food pantries and partnerships with outside

organizations will continue to raise awareness of food insecurity while normalizing taking

advantage of resources without the stigma attached to it (Vasquez et al., 2018).

Holistic Support

In addition to food pantries, community colleges are also organizing other resources that

holistically address intersecting financial hardships. Chances are food insecurity is just one of
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many hurdles a low-income student could be faced with (Vasquez et al., 2018). In the Florida

College system, these diverse services include professional clothing for students with upcoming

interviews, bus passes to supplement transportation, tuition scholarships, and mental health

support to mediate the stress that stems from financial instability (Nix et al, 2021). These

community colleges are equipping students with tools to help them succeed and maintain their

well-being as a person. This practice has redefined what responsibilities higher education

institutions hold in how they support their students. Community colleges are continuing to set the

precedent for how institutions should respond to students' hardships as well as how institutions

might unknowingly perpetuate financial inequity if they are not holding themselves accountable

for their systemic disservices to students.

References

Food pantry established on campus | seattle central news. (2019, August 6).

Newscenter.Seattlecentral.Edu. Retrieved April 24, 2022, from

https://newscenter.seattlecentral.edu/2019/08/06/food-pantry-established-campus

The food pantry is now accessible online | seattle central news. (2020, October 28).

Newscenter.Seattlecentral.Edu. Retrieved April 24, 2022, from

https://newscenter.seattlecentral.edu/2020/10/28/food-pantry-now-accessible-

online

Haider, A., & Roque, L. (2021, November 5). New poverty and food insecurity data

illustrate persistent racial inequities. Center for American Progress. Retrieved

April 24, 2022, from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/new-poverty-food-

insecurity-data-illustrate-persistent-racial-inequities/

Nix, A. N., Bertrand Jones, T., Daniels, H., Hu, P., & Hu, S. (2021). “There’s so much

that we’re doing”: How florida college system institutions address basic needs

insecurity among students. Community College Review.

https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211047674

R.L.S., Gillett-Karam, R., Liburd, L. C., Monroe, D., & Thompson-Johnson, T. (2021).

Sustenance for success: Connections between community college students and

food insecurity. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 28(1),

63–79.

Vasquez, M. C., Vang, M., Garcia, F., & Harris, F. (2018). What do i eat? Where do i

sleep?: A concern for men of color in community college. Community College

Journal of Research and Practice, 43(4), 295–306.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2018.1478340

Wood, J. L., & Harris, F. (2018). Experiences with “Acute” food insecurity among

college students. Educational Researcher, 47(2), 142–145.

https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x17752928