Food Insecurity
Food insecurity is a consistent issue for many Americans including college students (Payne-Sturges, 2018). In recent years, in order to assist off-campus students encountering issues with hunger, many universities have installed food pantries or other auxiliary services to help meet these needs. Yet despite these additional efforts, some university food pantries cannot keep up with demand and some students remain food insecure. According to recent reports (Woods, 2017, Payne, 2018) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U, 2017), food-insecure students were at increased risk of being housing insecure as well, in fact, 64 percent experienced housing insecurity, while 15 percent reported homelessness. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization) matters in this case (Maslow, 1943): If a student’s basic need are not met, they are unlikely to learn effectively.
While we believe universities should be attempting to provide meals to food insecure students, we also recognize the large undertaking that would require. Therefore, as instructors, we can realize that students are facing challenges that go beyond our course work. Allowing flexibility, wherever possible, can help students who are experiencing any number of challenges, find ways to survive, and learn. We may not know all the details of our students lives, nor should we; nevertheless, we must accommodate in ways that are uncompromising in a commitment to equity during this time, and as we move into a post-pandemic society.