Bobcats Helping Bobcats, Ohio University’s Response To Campus Food Insecurity
Amal Afyouni
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Ohio University
1 Abstract
Food insecurity on college campuses has become a national conversation. It is an issue that affects every college campus in America, those in cities and in college towns, public or private.
While its prevalence on college campuses has occurred for decades, it has only come to the attention of university administrators, state legislators and researchers in the last ten years. With the cost of college increasing, federal and state support decreasing and more non-traditional students entering college, it has become harder for students to support themselves, especially
1 accessing food. With food insecurity affecting almost 35% of students on campuses, university administrators have begun providing different means of assistance and solutions to tackle the issue. Ohio University, a public university located in the Appalachian region of Southeastern
Ohio, is just one of the many institutions addressing campus food insecurity. The Dean of
Students office and other administrative offices on campus have initiated multiple programs to assist food insecure students. Programs such as Cat’s Cupboard, The Meal bank, and the
Emergency Microgrants program are some of the initiatives taken by the institution to increase access to food to its students. This white paper reviews Ohio University’s multiple responses to campus food insecurity through the Bobcats Helping Bobcats initiative. My findings show that
Ohio University is proactively tackling campus food insecurity, providing a multitude of campus resources that are frequently used by those in the student body who are both food and financially insecure.
1 Dewey, C. (2018). The hidden crisis on college campuses: Many students don’t have enough to eat. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/04/03/the-hidden-crisis-on-college-campu ses-36-percent-of-students-dont-have-enough-to-eat/?utm_term=.5b263fa1b483 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019].
2 Introduction
Food security is defined as one’s ability to access steady and nutritious access to food. When looking at food security in the college context, food and one’s ability gain sufficient and access and nutrition to it, is significantly disrupted, in particular, those students who are considered non-traditional or financially independent. In line with the so-called ‘college experience,’ students living on instant ramen and microwavable meals has become normalized, seen as a rite of passage while in college.2 With food insecurity affecting almost 35% of students on campuses,
3 and with minimal research completed until recently, in today’s college experience hunger is a reality for many students.
It is only in recent years that we have seen more published research and data about campus food insecurity. The United States Department of Agriculture defines four levels of food insecurity: high food security, marginal food security, low food security, and very low food security. Very low food security is defined as “Reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.” Low food security is defined as, “Reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no indication of reduced food intake.” Marginal food security is defined as, “one or two reported indications—typically of anxiety over food sufficiency or shortage of food in the house. Little or no indication of changes in diets or food
2 Henry, L. (2017). Understanding Food Insecurity Among College Students: Experience, motivation, and local solutions. Annals of Anthropological Practice, 41(1), 6-19. 3 Dewey, C. (2018). The hidden crisis on college campuses: Many students don’t have enough to eat. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/04/03/the-hidden-crisis-on-college-campu ses-36-percent-of-students-dont-have-enough-to-eat/?utm_term=.5b263fa1b483 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019].
3 intake,” and high food security is defined as, “no reported indications of food-access problems or
4 limitations.” Food insecurity, as shown by research and literature, is a multifaceted issue. Literature suggests a multitude of factors that contribute to food insecurity faced by students. As the cost of college increases, the number of non-traditional students rises with minimal increases to federal and other forms of financial assistance, students are facing extreme economic constraints, making the most of loans, grants and scholarships to fund college expenses such as tuition, books and housing, often making food and nutrition a second priority. Even students who are employed and working full hours find themselves unable to pay for food, ultimately going hungry. With regularly disrupted food sources coupled with improper nutrition, students experiencing food insecurity face significant impacts to their academic excellence. Without the necessary ‘brain food’ students are hungry and lacking energy, finding it difficult to concentrate subsequently, receiving poorer grades, leading some to drop out. Strict constraints on federal welfare programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) make them, in most cases, inaccessible for college students, further limiting their ability to access food sources.5
As campus food insecurity receives increased national attention, institutions have worked fast to tackle the issue. From only 15 member schools in 2012, the College and University Food
Bank Alliance’s (CUFBA) membership has seen an increase to over 650 schools in the last seven years, highlighting a clear need for institutional support, training, and resources for
4 Ers.usda.gov. (2019). USDA ERS - Definitions of Food Security. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-f ood-security.aspx [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019]. 5 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Colo, E. B. (2016). Expanding the national school lunch program to higher education. Wisconsin Hope Lab.
4 campus-based initiatives and programming to address food insecurity. Across the nation, universities and colleges have begun launching a variety of initiatives such as campus food pantries, student-led farmers markets, meal ticket donations programs and more to alleviate the struggles faced by food-insecure students, and Ohio University is no exception.
Ohio University’s first food pantry begun as a response to an Off-Campus emergency in
2017. After an Off-Campus residential fire broke out, a donation drive was created to provide those affected with basic necessities such as food and clothing. The drive to prove extremely successful, creating an excess amount of donations than needed. Ohio University’s student center, Baker University Center, was particularly left with an excess of food donations. Dusty
Kilgour, Baker University Center Executive Director, left the remainder of the food on shelves, open for the public to take. All the food left on these shelves was removed in a matter of two days. The speed at which the food came off these shelves not only highlighted the prevalence of campus food insecurity at Ohio University to the administration but pushed them to act reactively and begin tackling the issue. The Dean of Students Office, in collaboration with other campus-wide offices, is the administrative body that has been primarily tasked with comprising comprehensive programs and initiatives to tackle food insecurity on Ohio University’s campus.
Current initiatives include Cat’s Cupboard (the campus food pantry), a Meal Bank program and the Emergency Microgrants program and more. This white paper reviews Ohio University’s multiple responses to campus food insecurity through the Bobcats Helping Bobcats initiative.
My findings show that Ohio University is proactively tackling campus food insecurity, providing a multitude of campus resources that are frequently used by those in the student body who are both food and financially insecure.
5 Research conducted nationwide is necessary to better understand how institutions can help alleviate campus food insecurity and assist those students who are suffering. With minimal literature and data, few institutions are branching out beyond the typical initiatives, such as food pantries. With limited research, institutions who wish to begin tackle campus food insecurity will be doing so without a clear guide or understanding of how to start. With increased research and data, not only can we provide the type of education, guidance, and understanding to institutions newer to the issues, but we can also increase the variety and types of programs within institutions, and call for increased support at both the state and federal level. In particular, I believe my particular study at Ohio University is important for a variety of reasons. First, it can act as a model for other institutions with mirroring student populations, demographics, academic profiles and more looking to respond to campus food insecurity. Second, with its unique location in Appalachia, it can serve as another example for other institutions within the region who are suffering from campus food insecurity. Ohio University can be used as an example to look at how campus food insecurity prevails within this region and how it can be addressed.
6 Literature Review
Defining Campus Food Insecurity
Transitioning to college can be daunting and come with new independence, stressors, and financial burdens, all contributing to high rates of food insecurity. College food insecurity can be caused by the new financial burdens that come with college, busy class and work schedules disrupting regular eating patterns, geographical locations creating food desserts, limited access to
6 healthy foods, food literacy, budgeting skills and more. While at college, food environments have also posed as a cause of food insecurity. With a vast variety of processed and fast foods available on campus, they are the lower cost-options available to students, as opposed to healthier and more nutrient-dense foods.
Although many of the factors to college and campus food insecurity are well understood, we have normalized the ‘starving college student’ experience so much so that it is often forgotten as a real issue faced by many. One study revealed that half of all respondents (52%) were at least
7 marginally food insecure over the past 30 days. Since the ‘starving college student’ classifies the majority, the culture of living on instant foods, cheap processed meals, and low nutritious foods is accepted, being framed as a crucial rite of passage to the supposed ‘college experience.’ A recent study of campus food insecurity highlighted the need for this ideology to be challenged.
One student said, “There’s just sort of this idea that it’s okay to eat junk food or food that isn’t good for you…the typical, like, “freshman 15.” And then everyone’s eating Kraft Dinner and
6 Bruening, M., Brennhofer, S., Woerden, I. V., Todd, M., & Laska, M. (2016). 7 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Colo, E. B. (2016). Expanding the national school lunch program to higher education. Wisconsin Hope Lab.
7 8 Mr. Noodles. And so you kind of feel like it’s okay.” Until we rethink the relationship between college students and food, the accepted culture of being food insecure while in school will perpetuate.
Changes in Student Demographics and The Effectiveness of Financial Aid
The competitiveness of today’s job market is not like it was before. Having a college degree is now key in order to increase job and life opportunities. When seeking employment, a college degree is now seen as a default. For many careers, a college degree is required. For others, a graduate degree is now required, no longer preferred. not only is a college degree seen as a default, but further education is being seen as a requirement and no longer simply preferred.9
Colleges and universities have also seen an increase in non-traditional college student populations. The non-traditional student population encompasses a variety of students, such as, those who are older, working while attaining their college degree, those with families and dependents, first generation, low income and those from minority communities. While we must celebrate that there is an increase in diversity in our student populations, these are often students
10 who struggle the most financially. According to National Postsecondary Student Aid data, the percentage of all undergraduates who had a household income at or below 130 percent of the
8 Maynard, M., Meyer, S. B., Perlman, C. M., & Kirkpatrick, S. I. (2018). Experiences of Food Insecurity among Undergraduate Students:" You Can't Starve Yourself through School". Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 48(2), 130-148. 9 "Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020." CEW Georgetown. January 31, 2018. Accessed April 16, 2019. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/recovery-job-growth-and-education-requirements-throug h-2020/. 10 Henry, L. (2017). Understanding Food Insecurity Among College Students: Experience, motivation, and local solutions. Annals of Anthropological Practice, 41(1), 6-19.
8 federal poverty line increased from 28 percent in 1996 to 39 percent in 2016. In addition, the percentage of college students receiving a Pell Grant has nearly doubled over roughly the same
11 time period. However, as the number of non-traditional students increases, college affordability does not, thus making it harder for these students to not only remain food secure while in college but in college altogether.
The cost of college has increased exponentially since the enactment of the Higher
Education Act in 1965. In 1990/1991, the one year cost of tuition at a public institution was
12 $5074, compared to 2011, where it was $13,476. However, as the cost of college has increased, federal student aid programs do not cover what they used to. At the creation of the Pell Grant program, it covered roughly 80% of the total cost to attend a four-year public institution. Today,
13 the grant can cover only roughly one-third of what it used to. This results in students, particularly those from low-income families, increasing the number of federal loans they withdraw but also increase the amount of personal household income used to fund their education. In addition to tuition increases, the cost of living, textbook costs, and room and board have increased. Even after all financial aid is awarded, many low-income students will face other
14 annual college costs that will amount to significant amounts of their own income. Because of this, expenses such as food are often put at the lowest priority.
As federal aid can only cover the cost so much, a large percentage of students work in
11Government Accountability Office, (2018), FOOD INSECURITY: Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits 12 Twill, S. E., Bergdahl, J., & Fensler, R. (2016). Partnering to build a pantry: A university campus responds to student food insecurity. Journal of Poverty, 20(3), 340-358. 13 Broton, K. M., & Goldrick-Rab, S. (2017). Going Without: An Exploration of Food and Housing Insecurity Among Undergraduates. Educational Researcher, 47(2), 121-133. 14 Broton, K., Frank, V., & Goldrick-Rab, S. (2014, October). Safety, Security, and College Attainment: An Investigation
9 college in order to finance their education. One study conducted revealed fifty-six percent of students who identified as food insecure, reported having a paying job, and of those employed,
15 thirty-eight percent worked 20 hours or more per week. Another study of food insecurity amongst Appalachian students found, that more than half of both groups (food secure and food insecure students) had part-time jobs, approximately 75% of both groups reported personal monthly incomes of less than $500, approximately 70% of food insecure and approximately 16 60% of food secure students received financial aid. Both studies show that even with a paying job and working maximum hours, paying for college and food has become extremely difficult.
Stigma and Social Exclusion
For many individuals experiencing food insecurity, they choose to keep it a secret due to
17 the perceived stigma and shame associated with being food insecure. The stigma around food insecurity can explain why this necessary conversation has taken so long to begin. Many students do not feel comfortable or do not wish to let others become aware of their situation with the fear of being looked down upon. The stigma has even caused some students to refrain from using a
18 resource such as food banks. However, regardless of the lack of visibility, the negative impacts
19 of food insecurity on student success are vital to consider. Students have stated that food
15 Dubick, J., Mathews, B., & Cady, C. (2016). Hunger on Campus: The Challenge of Food Insecurity for College Students. 16 McArthur, L. H., Ball, L., Danek, A. C., & Holbert, D. (2018). A high prevalence of food insecurity among university students in Appalachia reflects a need for educational interventions and policy advocacy. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 50(6), 564-572 17 Clare L. Cady (2014) Food Insecurity as a Student Issue, Journal of College and Character, 15:4, 265-272 18 Hughes, R., Serebryanikova, I., Donaldson, K., & Leveritt, M. (2011). Student food insecurity: The skeleton in the university closet. Nutrition & dietetics, 68(1), 27-32. 19 Clare L. Cady (2014) Food Insecurity as a Student Issue, Journal of College and Character, 15:4, 265-272
10 insecurity has caused them to almost feel some level of social exclusion. Food insecure students will often avoid social situations like eating out if they are unable to afford to do so. Social
20 opportunities such as these are crucial for building social ties in college environments. Those who are food insecure not only miss out on these vital college experiences but also it may affect their sense of belonging at their institution, increasing an already existing pressure to drop out of college.
Implications for Student Health and Academic Performance
It is no surprise that food insecurity can have severe negative consequences on student success. Food insecurity’s negative implications not only affects a student ability to perform well academically but can also pose serious health issues. When a student is an unable access a healthy and nutritious food source consistently, they are not supplying themselves with the nutrition needed to function. The struggle to afford food can act as a persistent stressor that can affect both the
21 academic performance of students and their mental and physical health. In one study conducted, students reported the impacts of food insecurity such as stress, the inability to focus on their work, fatigue, lack of energy, inability to sleep, depression, headaches and more. Students who are food insecure are not getting adequate ‘brain food’ and thus find it harder to focus in class, studying and completing assignments. Because of these negative effects, food insecure students have seen lower
GPAs. One study found that food insecure students are more likely than food-secure students to
20 Watson T, Malan H, Glik D, Martinez S. 2017. College students identify university support for basic needs and life skills as key ingredient in addressing food insecurity on campus. Calif Agr 71(3):130-138 21 Watson T, Malan H, Glik D, Martinez S. 2017. College students identify university support for basic needs and life skills as key ingredient in addressing food insecurity on campus. Calif Agr 71(3):130-138
11 22 report a low GPA (2.0–2.49) versus a higher GPA(3.5–4.0). Another found that college students who report struggling to get enough food to eat are 22 percent less likely to earn a 3.5–4.0 GPA
23 rather than a 2.0–2.49 GPA, after controlling for other background factors. For many students, the negative health and academic effects become too much to cope with and have reduced schooling to
24 part-time or dropped out.
Student Responses with Food Insecurity
When access to consistent, sufficient and nutritious food becomes limited, students find multiple ways to cope with their food insecurity and make ends meet. In one study, students described cutting the size of their meals, choosing cheaper less nutritious foods, cheap and process
25 foods, and skipping meals . Many food-insecure students are strategic about their paycheck priorities, ensuring that payments such as rent, bills and other school-related purchases are made first, and whatever is left over, is used for food and social activities. One student who participated in a study cited, “My priority is keeping a roof over my head; there is no point in worrying about 26 food if there is no fridge to put it in.”
22 Henry, L. (2017). Understanding Food Insecurity Among College Students: Experience, motivation, and local solutions. Annals of Anthropological Practice, 41(1), 6-19. 23 Broton, K., Frank, V., & Goldrick-Rab, S. (2014, October). Safety, Security, and College Attainment: An Investigation 24 Maynard, M., Meyer, S. B., Perlman, C. M., & Kirkpatrick, S. I. (2018). Experiences of Food Insecurity among Undergraduate Students:" You Can't Starve Yourself through School". Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 48(2), 130-148. 25 Broton, K. M., & Goldrick-Rab, S. (2017). Going Without: An Exploration of Food and Housing Insecurity Among Undergraduates. Educational Researcher, 47(2), 121-133. 26 Henry, L. (2017). Understanding Food Insecurity Among College Students: Experience, motivation, and local solutions. Annals of Anthropological Practice, 41(1), 6-19.
12 Food insecure students heavily compromise not only the quantity of their food, but severely
27 compromise the quality of their food too. One coping method used by students is eating whatever can fill a one up, regardless of the nutritional value. From a study conducted, a student would buy bagels from the Tim Hortons on campus when she was running out of money for food, because they were “on the cheaper end [and] sort of filling,” and avoided buying a salad because “it won’t
28 really fill me up.” Often students are purchasing cheap processed foods (e.g., ramen noodles, frozen pizza, candy), eating less healthy meals, consuming fewer fruits and vegetables and 29 purchasing foods that are quick and easy to make, such as rice and beans. In order to make ends meet and have enough money to purchase food, students have employed a variety of strategies such as cutting back on social activities, changed their food shopping or eating habits, not buying all
30 required books or supplies, increased the amount of time spent working and more. In addition to their own methods of coping, many turn to institutional resources such as food pantries. While food pantries can offer access to food and act a temporary food source, it does not address the root causes of food insecurity nor does it serve as an adequate source of nutrients for an extended period
31 of time.
27 Farahbakhsh, J., Ball, G. D., Farmer, A. P., Maximova, K., Hanbazaza, M., & Willows, N. D. (2015). How do student clients of a university-based food bank 28 Maynard, M., Meyer, S. B., Perlman, C. M., & Kirkpatrick, S. I. (2018). Experiences of Food Insecurity among Undergraduate Students:" You Can't Starve Yourself through School". Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 48(2), 130-148. 29 Hughes, R., Serebryanikova, I., Donaldson, K., & Leveritt, M. (2011). Student food insecurity: The skeleton in the university closet. Nutrition & dietetics, 68(1), 27-32. 30 Broton, K., & Goldrick-Rab, S. (2016). The Dark Side of College (Un)Affordability: Food and Housing Insecurity in Higher Education. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 48(1), 16-25 31 Hughes, R., Serebryanikova, I., Donaldson, K., & Leveritt, M. (2011). Student food insecurity: The skeleton in the university closet. Nutrition & dietetics, 68(1), 27-32.
13
Increasing Access to Federal Food Assistance Programs Available to College Students
One reason that institutional responses are crucial is that there is little federal support for college student food insecurity, in contrast to other life stages. Prior to attending college, students in primary and higher education have access to a variety of Federal Assistance programs that can help alleviate food insecurity. The National Lunch program gives access to free and reduced lunches to all students, regardless of food security levels. Other federal assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and
Children (WIC), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and more, all offer some form of food insecurity relief for students and families. However, once an individual enters college, their access to these federal programs abruptly ends, leaving many who have relied on
32 these programs for years, on their own. While institutions need to implement initiatives aimed at tackling campus food insecurity, there is a clear need for increased expansion of existing federal assistance programs and the development of new federal assistance programs.
To begin, policymakers should work to expand student eligibility requirements for the
33 SNAP. The creation of the SNAP program was to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s population by providing monthly cash benefits to raise a low-income family purchasing
34 power. When college students need assistance in affording foods, many universities and colleges refer students to SNAP, however, while SNAP could support these students if granted
32 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Colo, E. B. (2016). Expanding the national school lunch program to higher education. Wisconsin Hope Lab. 33 Dubick, J., Mathews, B., & Cady, C. (2016). Hunger on Campus: The Challenge of Food Insecurity for College Students. 34 Government Accountability Office, (2018), FOOD INSECURITY: Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits
14 35 access, strict eligibility rules have almost disqualified college students from accessing it. In the
1980s, federal law restricted college students who are enrolled full time from accessing SNAP, with the assumption that students who pose as ‘low-income’ would be receiving financial
36 support elsewhere, discounting their eligibility. But this cannot be farther from the truth. It is imperative that college eligibility for SNAP is renewed. In order to qualify for SNAP, a low-income college must work for at least 20 hours per week, take part in the Federal Work
37 Study (FWS) program, have children, or participate in other safety net programs. Eligibility and take-up rates among college-age students are therefore quite low. For those who try to fulfill these strict working requirements, working long hours can lead to dropouts and increased negative mental and physical effects. For some who are eligible, they are not even aware of their eligibility as there is limited education about the resource for college students. Not only this, but
SNAP also has limited use and effectiveness for undergraduate students as it is rarely accepted
38 on college campuses where students spend their time, particularly lower classmen.
While increasing access to federal assistance programs can come in the form of renewing
SNAP eligibility, other programs could be considered. One report suggested that the National
School Lunch Program be expanded to include college and universities in order to promote
39 college completion. Others include simplifying the FAFSA process to help students better
35 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Colo, E. B. (2016). Expanding the national school lunch program to
higher education. Wisconsin Hope Lab. 36 Government Accountability Office, (2018), FOOD INSECURITY: Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits 37 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Colo, E. B. (2016). Expanding the national school lunch program to higher education. Wisconsin Hope Lab. 38 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Colo, E. B. (2016). Expanding the national school lunch program to higher education. Wisconsin Hope Lab. 39 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Colo, E. B. (2016). Expanding the national school lunch program to higher education. Wisconsin Hope Lab.
15 40 navigate their means to financial assistance. There is a clear need for increased policy responses that look to establish increased public funding for post-secondary education and the creation of programs that address the causes of food insecurity, such as, inadequate student loans, lack , lack of well-paying youth employment, lack of financial management skills and high tuition and
41 compulsory fees.
Institutional Responses to Campus Food Insecurity For many universities and colleges, tackling campus food insecurity has become a priority.
As the national conversation receives increased attention, institutions have begun instituting a wide variety of initiatives to help alleviate student food insecurity. Many campuses have opened
42 on-campus food pantries for students who do not have consistent access to food. While these pantries are not long-term solutions to the problem, they do serve as short term access to basic nutritious foods at no cost. However, there are a variety of other institutional responses to food insecurity that can be considered. When attending college, a set of financial and life responsibilities is placed on a student, which for many is brand new. Students view college as an appropriate place to learn practical life skills, such as food planning and preparation, budgeting, food literacy and
43 more.
40 Dubick, J., Mathews, B., & Cady, C. (2016). Hunger on Campus: The Challenge of Food Insecurity for College Students. 41 Hughes, R., Serebryanikova, I., Donaldson, K., & Leveritt, M. (2011). Student food insecurity: The skeleton in the university closet. Nutrition & dietetics, 68(1), 27-32. 42 Bruening, M., Brennhofer, S., Woerden, I. V., Todd, M., & Laska, M. (2016). Factors Related to the High Rates of Food Insecurity among Diverse, Urban College Freshmen. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(9), 1450-1457 43 Watson T, Malan H, Glik D, Martinez S. 2017. College students identify university support for basic needs and life skills as key ingredient in addressing food insecurity on campus. Calif Agr 71(3):130-138
16 While colleges and universities are creating programs and initiatives to alleviate campus food insecurity, it is imperative that they consider programming that allows students to learn these new crucial life skills. These could be through pop-up cooking demonstrations, a one-unit life skills
44 course or classes about the transition from dormitory life to off-campus housing. Other initiatives administrations can consider are, occasional discounts on food products at student stores, inviting local farmers to sell their products at campus farmers’ markets, establishing student food gardens where food is harvested for distribution to campus food pantries, delivering unused food from catered events to these food pantries, accepting SNAP at on-campus food locations, expanding work-study, scholarship, and low interest loan programs, and offering textbook rental rather than
45 sale programs.
The literature shows that campus food insecurity is an extremely complex issue.
Transitioning to college can be intimidating, and new responsibilities, independence, and financial burdens are often seen as catalysts for food insecure students. As the cost of college rises and the effectiveness of financial aid decreases, students are finding more ways to cope with their food insecurities. These coping mechanisms are often not sufficient food sources that provide inadequate nutrition. In addition, the stigma and perceived social exclusion that comes with food insecurity has not only meant that students do not vocalize their insecurities but makes it increasingly difficult to realize the true severity of the issue. The implications food insecurity can impose on students can be severe. Not only do food insecure students see lower GPA’s, but also a wide range of mental
44 Watson T, Malan H, Glik D, Martinez S. 2017. College students identify university support for basic needs and life skills as key ingredient in addressing food insecurity on campus. Calif Agr 71(3):130-138 45 McArthur, L. H., Ball, L., Danek, A. C., & Holbert, D. (2018). A high prevalence of food insecurity among university students in Appalachia reflects a need for educational interventions and policy advocacy. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 50(6), 564-572.
17 and physical health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Institutions have now begun initiating a wide variety of responses to food insecurity such as campus food banks, increasing access to SNAP on campus, scholarships and more. In addition to institutional responses, increasing access to federal assistance programs like SNAP and furthering the National Lunch
Program to college is imperative.
However, there are various issues associated with food insecurity that the literature does not address, such as the need for increased education, addressing ways to reduce stigma, how to establish a food pantry and more. In order to help address these gaps, I will be using the interviews I gathered from five individuals at Ohio University with connections to food insecurity, in addition to sets of content analysis. First, I will address the need for educating individuals about food insecurity and its prevalence on college campuses in order to reduce the stigma that is associated with it. Second, the literature does not address the strengths and challenges of establishing a campus food pantry, thus I hope to do that using Cat’s Cupboard
(The Ohio University food pantry) as an example. Finally, I will discuss other campus initiatives that may be implemented in order to alleviate campus food insecurity using those currently implemented by Ohio University as an example.
18 Methods
When deciding how to gather data for my research, it was important to use a method in which I was able to gather qualitative data, and thus I chose to conduct interviews. I felt that the use of interviews would provide a more personal and detailed aspect of my study. While surveys are able to provide quantitative results, interviews are able to provide both statistics and an emotional understanding of the issue. In order to conduct these interviews, I completed the
Institutional Review Board certification training that would allow me to conduct studies on human subjects. In addition to interviews, I completed a variety of content analysis of things such as posters, meeting minutes, program initiatives and more. Furthermore, I used content analysis to analyze how the university is promoting resources for food insecure students through their use of implicit and explicit messaging.
I completed five interviews with individuals varying in age, profession, and involvement with food insecurity at Ohio University. I contacted each interviewee via email, explaining my purpose of research, the reason for interview and confidentiality. Each of the five individuals interviewed had a relationship to food insecurity at Ohio University. I chose to interview two members of the university administration, specifically in the Dean of Students office and three
Ohio University Students. I chose to interview two administrators within the Dean of Students office in order to gain insights and data about the University’s institutional responses to food insecurity, in addition to, the strengths and challenges faced by the administration while tackling campus food insecurity. The remaining three interviews I conducted were of Ohio University students, two graduate students, and one undergraduate student. I chose to interview students in order to understand the student perspective of food insecurity at Ohio University and its impacts
19 on student and college life, both at the graduate and undergraduate level. Furthermore, the three students selected were all specifically chosen due to their involvement with the University and its initiatives to tackle campus food insecurity through food pantry steering committees, student organizations and community partnerships, thus being able to offer a different perspective to the strengths and challenges of implementing institutional responses. Prior to beginning each interview, I requested both signed consent from each interviewee and once I began recording, asked for verbal consent.
The length of each interview varied with the longest interview being thirty minutes and the shortest interview being eleven minutes. When drafting my interview questions, I wanted to ensure that I had questions that were both general to all five interviewees and other specifically tailored to the interviewees. When drafting general questions, I asked about the interviewee's relationship to food insecurity, both on a personal level and food insecurity at Ohio University, their involvement with Ohio University’s efforts in tackling campus food insecurity and the role in which their position plays in implementing programming and initiatives. When drafting questions for my two administrative interviewees, I tailored my questions to gather responses regarding how campus food insecurity came to the attention of the administration, how food insecurity exists on Ohio University’s campus and the challenges and strengths faced by the administration when addressing campus food insecurity. For my student interviewees, I asked specific questions to better understand the effect of food insecurity on student and college life, college student perceptions of healthy eating and their insights and opinions about the initiatives taken by Ohio University to combat food insecurity. With all five interviewees, I was able to ask follow up questions that were prompted by the interviewee’s answers to other questions being
20 asked. My follow up questions varied from requesting further explanation to a previous answer or a piece of information given during an answer.
In order to transcribe my interviews, I paid to use an online transcription service. After receiving the transcription, I read through the transcriptions to ensure that any mistakes that made have been made or any content that may have been missed was correctly transcribed. I completed the coding of my interviews in a two-step process, firstly through open coding and secondly through focused coding. To complete my open coding, I made sure to take a more general approach first, highlighting any mention of food insecurity, rather than specific themes. I left comments on my highlights, explaining its significance to food insecurity and Ohio
University. In order to complete my focused coding, I took all the general highlights I had created in my open coding and grouped them into reoccurring themes. The themes I compiled were: the increasing cost of college, reducing stigma surrounding food insecurity, institutional responses at Ohio University addressing campus food insecurity, Ohio University’s food pantry
(Cat’s Cupboard), social media and marketing strategies, student and community organization involvement and the increased need for public and federal assistance in college. These specific codes were chosen as they provide a better understanding of how and why campus food insecurity exists and its effects and also gave detailed insights into the initiatives led by the Ohio
University administration and students to battle the issue at hand. After the focused coding, I created a memo in which I elaborated on each theme and its relation to food insecurity, Ohio
University, and my research.
In addition to completing five interviews, I conducted content analyses. I coded a variety of different forms of content such as promotional posters created by the Dean of Students and
21 other organizations, program logos and social media pages. I was able to gather all my content through the Dean of Students office. When coding the content, I conducted a similar process to my interview coding, beginning with open coding, followed with focused coding. When coding,
I looked for the explicit and implicit messaging portrayed in the content pertaining to food insecurity and Ohio University. After I completed my open coding, I conducted my focused coding, where I once again created themes to group reoccurring codes, such as, the ‘Bobcat helping Bobcat’ notion, font size, and type to attract readers, color usages such as green to denote school spirit and language and image choice used to encourage students to participate in the initiatives. I felt that these codes were important to include as they were all integral in helping promote the content’s message of initiatives being made for bobcats and encouraging other Bobcats to help one another in need, doing so both explicitly and implicitly, and attract viewer attention.
22 Findings
Ohio University Responses to Food Insecurity
When Ohio University participated in a national basic needs study in 2017, it discovered that 29% of our undergraduate students in that study had low or very low food security, thus campus food insecurity initiatives have become a top priority for the administration. Because of this, an individual has been placed within Student Affairs who has responsibility for creating programming and initiatives to alleviate campus food insecurity, Interviewee B confirms this,
“So it's part of my job description, actually. So my role...in the dean of students office is to work on basic needs initiatives out of the student affairs.” This has allowed the issue to have a devoted individual, receiving increased attention.
Once the severity of campus food insecurity at OHIO became present, the administration immediately began responding, beginning an initiative known as Bobcats Helping Bobcats.
Bobcats helping Bobcats, created under the Student Affairs and the Dean of Students Office, is a way for students, staff and faculty to support students on Athens campus who are experiencing emergencies that may impact their overall well-being and ability to be successful in college.
Bobcats Helping Bobcats is comprised of five different initiatives aimed at assisting students, however the three specific food insecurity relief programs Cats Cupboard (The Ohio University
Food Pantry), Meal Bank, and The Emergency Microgrants program.46 While the Bobcats
Helping Bobcats initiatives are headed by the Dean of Students office, much of them rely on
46 "Bobcats Helping Bobcats." OHIO. Accessed April 17, 2019. https://www.ohio.edu/student-affairs/dean-of-students/bobcats-helping-bobcats.
23 students helping one another through awareness, food and meal donations and more creating a more student-centered approach to tackling the issue.
Ohio University, a member of the national “Swipe Out Hunger” initiative, has its own meal bank which gives students the opportunity to access meals from the dining hall. At given times within the semester, all students with meal plans, (flex or traditional) are able to donate up to three meal swipes to the bank. Students who are food insecure may use an online application and apply to receive a given amount of meals to later be used at any of the three on-campus dining halls. The Emergency Microgrants program operated through the Office of Student
Affairs gives students quick financial assistance when trying to pay for an unexpected cost (of up to $1000). Interviewee B explains this program as “indirectly related [to campus food insecurity] because if you have an emergency that you don't have the resources to pay for, sometimes food is what gets cut for those students, so they can pay for those emergencies.” In addition to these main initiatives, other responses include, accepting SNAP at the largest on-campus market,
(Jefferson Market) and as Interviewee D mentioned other such as, “posted lists about free community meals, a vegan night where you have different churches in different locations around
Athens that students can go to.”
Case study: Cat’s Cupboard
In this section, I will focus specifically on Ohio University's food pantry because food pantries are one of the most common responses to campus food insecurity. The conception of the food pantry at Ohio University came in response to a residential disaster. After that relief effort, the remainder of the donations were left on shelves within Baker University Center, open for the
24 public to take. The speed at which the donations were taken highlighted the presence of food insecurity at Ohio University. Since the residential fire, the food pantry has seen changes and improvements such as a name change, new location, logos and more. Currently, the Food Pantry
Steering Committee, comprising a variety of individuals such as student organization representatives, a mixture of members of the administration and graduate students, works to improve and create responses to campus food insecurity. Currently, the food pantry is a member of the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank Alliance, allowing food to be purchased at a cheaper price, in addition to holding a 501C3 tax exemption.
However, there are a variety of challenges the pantry has faced in order to become what it is now. Interviewee A expressed these challenges by saying
“So I think there have been challenges of we start out with a little baby one, and then we
move to the big one, and now we're like, "Oh, in order to get food bank status, we have to
be behind a closed door, and so now we're trying to find a new space." Those are the
challenges that we've been experiencing so far. Clearly, there is no guide on how to set
up food pantries, there is no sort of guiding agenda that even administrators are aware
of.”
Without a set national guide for colleges and universities about how to establish these food pantries, it leaves many to figure it out on their own, often missing or taking incorrect steps reducing the initial effectiveness and speed at which a pantry can be established.
The first challenge faced was gathering data on food pantry usage. Prior to the current swipe access system, the pantry was open to the public, making tracking pantry use impossible.
Interviewee B expressed this difficulty noting that while the old pantry was “great for
25 accessibility, we can't track who's using-- and when I say track, how many people use our food pantry?” However, after changes to the food pantry were made, students using the food pantry must swipe in with their OHIO ID, thus the office is now able to gain, most recently averaging seven users per day. However, while this has allowed for data to be collected, it has also caused some issues. As the access to the pantry is no longer public, many community members have not felt as though they are unable to access the pantry, but it may also pose as a barrier to students who are fearful to use their pantry knowing their data will be collected.
Another major pantry challenge was space. As Interviewee A noted, “the dean of students office has become storage central.” The prior location of the pantry left very little room for both the storage of food, but also excess donations. The new pantry location on the fifth floor of
Baker University Center has increased pantry space and given additional storage space. It allows for more food to be stored on pantry shelves, but for the pantry to continue accepting donations that can be put into storage space.
Another challenge the administration faced was reducing the stigma associated with the pantry itself. From my analysis, the four main components of reducing stigma were the name of the pantry, location, access, and publicity. First, prior to the name change, the pantry was called
“The Baker Food Pantry. While serving on the food pantry steering committee, we were tasked with finding a new name that would appear to be more inviting and less stigmatizing for students who choose to use it, and thus the name was changed to ‘Cat’s Cupboard.’ Second, the location was another factor taken into heavy consideration during the improvements to the pantry. Prior to the move, Cat’s Cupboard was located on the third floor of Baker University Center. It was not behind a closed door and was accessible by all while Baker was open. In addition to its
26 public location, the pantry was located in a hallway space close to offices and as Interviewee C pointed out, this would mean that “people are expected to walk through, not necessarily stop and look, and I think that can be kind of awkward for people who want to utilize it.” Cupboard’s previous location caused various concerns with regard to stigma. As Interviewee B states, the previous location of the pantry “while it's great that it's visible, the reality is there's still a lot of stigma around using a food pantry. And that third-floor location feels really like, "People will see you taking food." Because of this perceived stigma, the pantry has moved to the fifth floor of
Baker University Center, behind closed doors. While the outside of the pantry is visible to the public, it does not allow individuals to be able to see within the windows of the pantry, creating increased privacy for users. In addition to the move, the pantry received a redesign. This new design has created a more inviting space, including flat screens to share information to users regarding free meals, recipes, community assistance includes wooden floors, a market theme, increased shelving, artwork and more.
While there is a plethora of information about the importance of food pantries at colleges and universities, there is minimal information that focuses on how to actually administer and execute food pantries, leaving various institutions facing major challenges, similar to those faced by Ohio University.
Reducing Stigma
One of the biggest challenges of campus food insecurity is the perceived stigma associated with it. This stigma puts a limitation on the conversation to be had as many students feel uncomfortable with sharing their struggles. Interviewee B noted this difficulty stating,
27 “What is the real need on our campus? We have no idea. And then we can't give additional services because we don't know who those students are.” Without knowing who the food insecure population is, it makes it difficult to create tangible programming to support students.
How many individuals are needing to be served, how much is needed to serve them and more, are all questions that are difficult to answer, especial when we are unaware how large the food insecure population is.
Those who I interviewed highlighted the need to increase education to students about campus food insecurity. Interviewee B stated that “that's one of the biggest challenges educating the student body, the campus community, the larger community about these issues so they understand why we're in this place, why we have students that can't afford to feed themselves and go to college at the same time.” By increasing education and awareness for campus food insecurity, it ushers in more understanding, support and assistance in solve the issue. Education can come in the form of simply teaching individuals what food insecurity is and how it exists, which can be done through, educating on how to assist, what are nutritious foods, necessary food pantry donations and how to minimize food wastage. There is also a need to educate administrators, legislators and state officials about campus food insecurity, as interview A noted,
“I feel like as an administrator, it's only been the last five or six years that I started understanding that people were hungry on campus.” Educating these key individuals is important in order to initiate programming, funding and comprehensive policy to begin tackling the issue.
In addition to this, we must no longer associate the ‘starving college student’ as part of the college experience. Interviewee B highlights this, stating “I think one of the issues is that there are folks, whether it's students or alumni or community members or donors who think like,
28 "This isn't real." That, "You're a college student. You should be able to feed yourself." For many food insecure students, they do not perceive themselves as insecure as we have normalized being hungry in college. Because of this, many college students rely on cheap and processed fast foods lacking in nutrition as stated by interviewee C “And I don't eat food with enough nutrients in it.
It's just what's quick and cheap.” Allowing the ‘starving college student’ experience to perpetuate only acts as a further barrier for students to publicly express their food insecurity, coping with their own mechanisms like eating cheap, non-nutritious, processed foods.
Marketing and Social Media
When conducting interviews, all interviewees highlighted the importance of the marketing and advertising strategies of these initiatives. Many spoke about the importance of ensuring that these marketing strategies curb as much stigma associated with food insecurity as possible. Interviewee D noted that with the changes to the pantry, they would need to be marketed in a manner “that doesn't carry a stigma, necessarily. I don't know how you go about that, but I think really wide-scale marketing and then clear instructions on how to access it and make sure it's available to everyone who needs it.” Interviewee E commented about the importance of effective marketing and advertising for the usage of the initiatives, highlighting the importance of being “really clear with students” and that “marketing and advertising seem to be like the really big thing.”
There are a variety of marketing and advertising strategies that have been used in order to promote the Bobcat Helping Bobcat initiatives. First, there is an active social media presence on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, where announcements about drives and donations are
29 made, links to needed donations such as the Amazon wish list, helpful links to other resources and more. Figure one is a screenshot of the Bobcats Helping Bobcats Facebook page. It is crucial to have this presence as it can engage students beyond physical interaction, but also allows students who may be fearful of seeking help due to stigma still have access to vital resources such as links to other campus and community resources, important contact information, notifications of when the pantry has been restocked, videos, photos and more. In addition to a social media presence, there are a variety of promotional posters and other content that has been used to promote the initiatives. These have been posted on screens around the university, academic buildings, residence halls, Baker University Center, sent out to students via emails and shared on a variety of other platforms.
Figure two is the official Bobcats Helping Bobcats logo. The logo uses an outline of a
Bobcat, OHIO green and simple direct lettering. The logo’s color, its shape, and simple lettering all push the implicit agenda of promoting school spirit and pushing students to help one another.
Figure three shows the logos for the remaining initiatives under the Bobcats Helping Bobcats.
Similar to Bobcats Helping Bobcats, these logos are colorful, bright, simple and to the point.
Each logo has an image which corresponds to the initiative. The image can help individuals who are unfamiliar with these initiatives to have a vague idea of their uses. The use of bright colors and simple language not only makes them inviting for students but also does not give too much information, thus encouraging and reducing the chances of turning away students who may feel previously felt too stigmatized to use to these resources. If these resources are more approachable, Other forms of advertising media used are posters. Figure four is the poster used for Meal Bank swipes donations in Spring 2019. The poster itself is simple, clean and to the
30 point with large block lettering allowing students who may be seeing this in passing to gather information quickly. The poster subliminally hints at healthy eating with the use of vegetables in the background, but also pushes the agenda that this is a student-led initiative and that it is students helping one another by using the phrase “help a fellow Bobcat.” By directing it to students and framing it in a way as helping one another may encourage students to help further.
In an effort to involve student organizations, The Cutler Scholars in conjunction with the
Dean of Students office led the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Figure five is the food insecurity poster used during the week. The posters’ colors are synonymous to Ohio
University which may instill a more community feel or approach towards the issue. The overall layout, text and text size of the poster attracts the attention of readers and makes it look at and gather information from while in passing. The OHIO specific facts listed, “with an average class size of 33, that means 11 of your classmates are hungry” including the graphic to represent the severity of the issue, not only provides a visual understanding of campus food insecurity, but once again, elicits a more direct and personal connection to Ohio University students, promoting the “Bobcats should help one another” notion. As a whole, all content coding I completed had a common theme. In terms of format, all used bright colors, simple large lettering and straight forward concise information to make them easy to read and understand, especially for those who would look at a quick glance. All content was mostly directed to students at OHIO, insinuating the “Bobcat Helping Bobcat” rhetoric to encourage students specifically to take part in initiatives.
31
Figure 1: Bobcats Helping Bobcats Facebook Page
Figure 2: Bobcats Helping Bobcats logo
32 Figure 3: Bobcats Helping Bobcats initiative logos
Figure 4: Meal Bank Donations
Figure 5: Cutler Scholars Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
33 Student Organization and Community Participation
In order for initiatives to gain more popularity and publicity, the Office of Student Affairs has used student organizations, other campus organizations, departments and offices to promote the Bobcat Helping Bobcat initiatives. For example, there are multiple efforts made to involve different groups on campus when Cat’s Cupboard is in need of donations. Recently, groups such as Pepsi Scholars and Cutler scholars coordinated food drives in order to collect donations to the pantry. Groups such as Food Studies and the OHIO student farm work alongside the pantry to donate excess produce. Through student engagement, the pantry has been able to involve over 15 student organizations and departments all of which have been able to raise food and publicity for the pantry. Figure six, an email to all student organization leaders, is an example of this student organization engagement, encouraging organizations to take place partly in a food drive.
Furthermore, the Athens community and Ohio University have a somewhat interdependent relationship. Both communities provide alleviations to food insecurity for one another. Local groups such as the United Campus Ministry provide free community meals, the
Food Matters club provides cooking workshops and farm tours and Community Food Initiatives
(a local non-profit) provides excess produce to the pantry. As interviewee E notes, these programs not only provide a food source for students who are food insecure, but an opportunity for food secure and food insecure students to “volunteer or like build a resume or something, cook the meals and then like get to eat as well.” Engaging students allows for increased volunteer and community service work, resume builders, but most importantly, allows students to engage with one another and their community in ways they may have previously not done before, strengthening both student and community relationships. Moreover, university-wide
34 events such as Giving Day 2018 were able to collect over $15,000 to the pantry as texts and emails were sent to donors, parents, and alumni and encouraged them to donate and move out day is crucial as students leave campus to donate their non-perishable foods.
Figure 6: A campus-wide email sent to all Student Organization Leaders encouraging to take part
in a donation drive.
Increased Need for Federal Assistance
Respondents noted that there is an increased need for federal assistance to colleges and
th universities to tackle campus food insecurity. From Kindergarten through to 12 grade, while at school, students are provided with public assistance to help alleviate food insecurity. This comes in the form of free or reduced lunch, free breakfasts, weekend meals and more. Outside of school, students and their families may rely on other federal assistance programs such as The
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women Infant and Children and more in
35 order to have access to a food source. For many of these students, they have relied on these programs for years. As interviewee A stated, “When I was little, we were on food stamps quite a bit… several times when I was young and for like the entire of my K through 12 experience, I got free lunches. And then as a young married couple, we also received the WIC benefits.”
However, for many of these students, once they attend college, the assistance they have relied on, has disappeared. The strict eligibility requirements placed on college students in order to qualify for SNAP such as hours of employment, income, student status and more, has not only made the take-up rate amongst college students low but has also posed as yet another barrier to food access for food insecure students in college. It is imperative that these eligibility requirements are renewed in order to make it more accessible for college students and thus provide another access to a reduced cost food source.
As the cost of college has increased, federal aid has not matched this increased cost and thus students are paying more out of pocket for their education. Tuition aside, external costs such as textbooks, room and board, and meal plans have become less affordable, while at many schools it is a requirement for underclassmen students to purchase this. In the last 35 years, textbook costs have increased by 812%47 and room and board costs outpacing inflation doubling since the 1980’s48. As more personal income is used to offset tuition costs, the priority of purchasing food significantly decreases, limiting the amount students are eating and ultimately
47 Zook, Chris. "Infographic: Textbook Costs Skyrocket 812% in 35 Years." Digital Curriculum for CTE & Elective Teachers. Accessed April 17, 2019. https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/infographic-the-skyrocketing-cost-of-textbooks-for-schools- tudents. 48 "Study: Fast-rising Room and Board Costs Worsen College Affordability Problem." The Hechinger Report. January 30, 2017. Accessed April 17, 2019 https://hechingerreport.org/study-fast-rising-room-board-costs-worsen-college-affordability-probl em/.
36 their ability to perform well academically. For some, this can lead to dropping out of college.
There is a clear need for education legislation and policy to address this gap in federal aid.
Increased funding should be granted to federal aid programs such as the Pell Grant and other federal student loans to allow students to reduce their personal income use towards tuition costs, but to things like purchasing healthy and nutritious foods.
From my findings, it is clear that Ohio University is trying to tackle campus food insecurity beyond just a food pantry. While the administration has faced a variety of challenges establishing their responses, they have been able to slowly tackle these challenges and produce the most effective initiatives possible. Ohio University has been able to address a variety of important factors that the literature and other institutions have not addressed, such as, the need for a social media and marketing presence, initiatives that specifically target financial hardships, the importance of student organization involvement and more. While Bobcats Helping Bobcats is still relatively new, in its few short months, it has been able to provide the Bobcat community with a plethora of assistance.
37 Conclusion
Campus food insecurity is gaining speed as a national conversation. While the days of ramen and living off of cheap processed foods are still a reality for many college students today, the notion that this is the college experience is changing. The literature has shown that there are several factors to consider when addressing campus food insecurity. While our definition of food insecurity on a college campus is similar to a broader definition, it is important to recognize that college comes with a new set of financial, academic and other external stressors that play huge factors in one’s ability to eat in college. In changing this definition, we can begin to look at food struggles faced by college students differently and in the context of higher education. Research is beginning to show the severity of the issue present on college campuses. With the increased cost in college and minimal increases to federal aid, it’s becoming increasingly difficult not only to feed oneself and students who can’t afford to eat, are more likely to drop out.
As federal aid does not cover the cost like it used to, there is a dire need for a revitalized and new comprehensive policy that aims to increase federal funding and assistance to students in order for less personal income to be used to fund their education, but on food while in school.
Stigma has proven to be one of the major barriers in not only addressing campus food insecurity but also bringing the conversation to light. Individuals may feel stigmatized to talk about their struggles, thus it is imperative that we find ways in reducing this stigma, whether it be through comprehensive marketing strategies of initiatives or running campus-wide campaigns and educational programs to bring light to the commonality amongst other students. Institutional responses must not be solely reactive, but also proactive. Many institutions will wait until campus food insecurity makes itself present at the institution. However, Colleges and
38 Universities should be working to implement initiative regardless, especially for students who are fearful to speak up.
At Ohio University, responding to food insecurity has been a top priority and the institution has been both reactive and proactive. Firstly, those interviewed recognized the increased need for federal assistance. They highlighted that for many, they have depended on federal assistance since Pre-K. However, this should not abruptly stop once they reach college.
Programs such as SNAP must have their requirements revised in order to ease eligibility requirements for those in college and in turn, increase take-up rates. Ohio University has made this effort by making SNAP benefits usable at Jefferson Campus market. Stigma is no different at Ohio University than any other college campus. Reducing stigma is key to ensuring that students feel safe and able to express and address their struggles publicly. Education regarding campus food insecurity is needed in order to bring increased knowledge and attention to the issue.
Student organizations have been crucial in providing education, such as The Cutler
Scholars who have run Hunger and Homeless campaign working to educate the student population. Initiatives like the emergency micro-grants address a big gap in the literature. While we recognize that expected and unexpected financial burdens can lead to food insecurity, very few institutions provide financial relief for students. Through the emergency microgrants, Ohio
University students suffering from unexpected financial burdens can receive assistance rather
49 than foregoing money for food. With only 73 institutions as members of the Swipe Out Hunger, the meal bank has proven to be an effective method of alleviating food insecurity. With over
49"Our Campus Partners." Swipe Out Hunger. Accessed April 02, 2019. https://www.swipehunger.org/chapters.
39 th, 2000 meals donated in the most recent donation period (ending March 8 2019), it has provided food insecure students with quick access to food from the dining halls. Cat’s cupboard has proven to be an extremely successful initiative. The new improvements have been able to address its many prior weaknesses such as publicity of its location, tracking difficulties, space and stigma. The new location of the pantry has increased privacy and reduce stigma being behind a closed door, new swipe access allowing the Office of Student Affairs to track who and how much the pantry is being used and the new location not only allows for increased space but a new, more inviting pantry design. While the literature does not address the importance of marketing and social media, at Ohio University, it was seen as a top priority. The Bobcats
Helping Bobcats initiative is active on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter reaching a greater audience such as parents, donors and other members of the Athens community but also provides an online point of contact to students who feel stigmatized to seek out resources in person. In addition to this, Student Affairs collaborates with multiple other offices, departments and student organizations and their social media pages in order to promote Bobcat
Helping Bobcat initiatives.
While my method of research provided me with in-depth qualitative information, there were limitations. First, the small number of interviews posed as both a challenge and limitation.
With only five interviewees, I was limited to the amount and type of information I could receive.
With an increased number of interviews, I may have been able to interview an increased number of administrators, but also a greater variety of students. In addition, an increased variety of students in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, race and year in school might have provided me with a greater diversity of food insecurity experiences and opinions about current initiatives. Another
40 limitation I found was the evolving nature of campus food insecurity. During the time I was writing this thesis, Ohio University’s responses to food insecurity were changing, either by improving programs or adding more programs, which limited how updated and current my writing could be.
Lastly, I felt as though not gathering quantitative data was a limitation. As all interviewees were, to some capacity, involved with tackling campus food insecurity OHIO, I was able to receive opinions and first-hand information about the initiatives present. However, I feel as though gathering quantitative data could have provided me with further data to analyze and support my study, such as, the number of food insecure students at Ohio University, number of pantry users, number of students partaking in the meal bank, etc. While the university does now track and gather data about Bobcats Helping Bobcats usage, at the time of my writing, this complete data was yet to be fully published and public. Gathering data like this could have taken my analysis further, judging the true usage and effectiveness of these initiatives.
There are a variety of aspects to campus food insecurity future research should consider.
First, national guidelines and instructions should be created and provided to institutions which provide the process and guidelines for establishing a campus food pantry. Providing guidelines such as these would allow an institution to proactively tackle campus food insecurity but also do so swiftly, correctly and effectively. Second, while current research looks at the importance of expanding college eligibility to federal assistance programs such as SNAP, there is very minimal research into what this would entail. Future research should look into how eligibility requirements are going to be expanded, looking at what, such as working hours, school status
41 and income will change, but most importantly how and will institutions support students using federal assistance such as SNAP.
A policy suggestion to tackle campus food insecurity would be to also look at tackling campus food waste. In an effort to reduce waste and give greater access to food for students, colleges and universities should look into the development of a program which enables campus organizations, departments, events, offices and any other organization or individual on campus, to broadcast when they have leftover food. For example, an event may have ended, yet there remain large amounts of food that have not been eaten. Instead of the food going to waste and being thrown away, a centralized system, such as a phone application, can notify any individual who has access to it, that there is free food that can be taken. This can apply to a student organization who may have had free pizza at an event and now has leftovers. Instead of this being thrown away, the application can notify students to come to take this leftover food free of charge. In addition, if an application was to be used, it could serve as a central information system, notifying students when the pantry has been restocked, online applications for the meal bank and emergency microgrants or other general information regarding campus food insecurity, such as community resources, cheap-low budget recipes and more.
Throughout my research, Ohio University has presented itself as a pioneering institution tackling campus food insecurity. The initiatives under Bobcats Helping Bobcats have gone a step further than most institutions across the nation, not only addressing food insecurity on campus, but also its causes going beyond food pantries and providing students with financial assistance.
While Bobcats Helping Bobcats is a relatively new initiative, it has been proven to be extremely
42 successful, receiving unprecedented support from the administration, donors, students, parents, and the Athens community.
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