Portland State is one of 27 colleges and universities from across the United States selected to be part of a new program that will help higher education institutions better support students with basic needs like food and housing.
The #RealCollege Institutional Capacity-Building Cohort (ICBC) will use data from the The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, which conducts studies about college students and their access to basic needs. The ICBC program is designed to assist colleges and universities in retaining students who need food and housing supports and who were made more vulnerable because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Addressing student basic needs is absolutely critical to student success,” said Andrea Garrity, senior project manager in PSU’s Office of Student Success. “PSU is dedicated to building on our current efforts to support students' basic needs and believe that our participation in the ICBC national effort is an incredible opportunity to resolve challenges our students face when it comes to food and housing insecurity.”
A 2020 report from PSU’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative (HRAC) found that 44.6% of PSU students experienced housing insecurity in the 12 months prior, 16.1% experienced homelessness in the same time frame and 47% experienced food insecurity in the 30 days prior to completing the survey. The survey was administered before the pandemic.
While PSU already has programs in place to help students access food and housing, the goal of the ICBC is to help member institutions build their capacity to assess existing social support systems for students and to help institutions work together to develop new solutions to support vulnerable students. As a member of the ICBC, PSU leaders will learn from and contribute to national best practices in supporting these students.
“The ICBC will provide new and lasting connections for all member institutions as we explore the best practices for assisting students with food, housing, and the hidden challenges of degree completion during the pandemic,” said Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, President and Founder of The Hope Center. “This national cohort will move our research into action, building a diverse exchange of ideas and cohesion in our efforts.”
The cohort begins this month and runs through May 2022, with learning modules focused on assessment, support, driving state and federal policy and advocacy, and supporting the basic needs ecosystem.
This project is made possible by its member institutions as well as grants from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and ECMC Foundation.