As we look toward the spring, I am writing to ask if you would consider including information about ways students can access free food or funds to purchase groceries into your courses for the spring quarter. I made a similar request in the fall, as you prepared for winter quarter classes and I am asking again as the latest data reveals our students are in need of this type of support more than ever.
The most recent Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) data reveals that 51 percent of UC San Diego undergraduates experience some amount of food insecurity. As you know, this not only impacts the academic success of our students, but also their overall well-being and ability to simply thrive as individuals.
As I mentioned in past messages, as part of the Collective Impact work, and in alignment with the Chancellor’s strategic plan, a group of faculty, staff, students and researchers in the Affordable Learning and Financial Support Working Group have been focusing on ideas to unite and supplement the great work already being done to reduce student food insecurity on our campus. The Working Group resolved to reinforce ongoing efforts by the UC San Diego HUB Basic Needs Center, researchers and students in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, the Center for Community Health, the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute and other campus colleagues to raise awareness about food insecurity amongst our students. Specifically, they developed a communications plan to boost awareness of and applications to CalFresh, California’s food stamps (SNAP) program. A key element is asking academic instructors and mentors like you to help get the word out among your students.
As part of this communications effort, we are asking if instructors might include brief messaging about food security and CalFresh in their course syllabi and/or on classroom screens at the start and end of class. For your convenience, some sample text for syllabi is included below and the Collective Impact Resource Downloads webpage has a PowerPoint slide that can be downloaded for classroom use, as well as the syllabi language.
Sample syllabi language:
