Empowering Student Well-Being: Advancing Basic Needs Initiatives at Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Zara Syed | March 2024
Inthefallof2023,astaggering17472.67poundsoffoodweredistributedinaspanof3,618total visitsattheRutgersStudentFoodPantry.Thisextraordinaryachievementisatestamenttothedemanding anddeliberatejourneyoftheRutgers-NBfoodpantry,whichcontinuesitstirelesseffortstoprovidestudents accesstofoodandotherbasicneeds,fosteringanenvironmentfreeofjudgmentorstigma.
Fromoperatingasasmallpantryatthebackofahouseoncampusin2016,toobtainingan800sqft roomintheCollegeAvenueStudentCenter,tothehighlyanticipatedmovetoacolossalspaceinJuly2024, theRutgersNewBrunswickCampusFoodPantryhasgrownexponentiallytomeettheincreasedbasicneeds demandsofstudents.TolearnmoreaboutfoodinsecurityontheRutgerscampusandtheincrediblejourney ofthepantryandbasicneedsservices,IconductedindepthmeetingswithDr.PhillipR.Smith,AssistantDean
ZaraSyedwithDr.SmithattheRutgersNewBrunswickCampusFoodPantryofStudents,StudentBasicNeeds,atRutgersUniversity-NewBrunswick,anduncovereddeepinsightsinto thismatterandeffortsinplacetoaddressit.
Dr.SmithassumedhiscurrentroleinNovember2022,whereheoverseessupportforRutgers students,withaprimaryfocusonfoodandhousingsecurity.In2023,heearnedadoctoratedegreeinhigher educationwithresearchfocusedonstudentbasicneeds,particularlychallengesandspecificpersistent factorsthatAfricanAmericanstudentsfacewithbasicneeds.Havingspenttwodecadesinhighereducation, holdingkeyrolesatcovetedinstitutionssuchasUniversityofAkron,GeorgiaStateUniversityandmost recentlyTempleUniversityasDirectorofStudentActivities,Dr.Smithacquiredadeepunderstandingof leadershipandacademiawhilehoningresourcemanagementandstrategicplanningskills.Convivial, compassionate,committedanddetermined,Dr.Smithpossessesablendofleadershipacumenand personalityattributesessentialforengagingwithvariousstakeholders,fromstudentstouppermanagement, toaddressthedistinctivechallengesinherenttohisrole.
DuringmyinitialvirtualmeetingwithDr.Smith,Icouldseewhythestudentsfeltcomfortable approachingDr.Smithforhelp.Andthiswasevenmoreapparentduringmyin-personvisitattheBasic NeedsCenter.Dr.Smithsharedmultiplestoriesofcollegestudentswhofacedfoodinsecurity. “Ioftenhaveto skipmealsandstayonadietofwaterallday.Beingafull-timestudenthavingtopayrent,it’sverydifficultto leadahealthylife.Havingfoodstabilitywouldreallyhelpinthegoalofbecomingadoctor,”wasjustoneof theanecdotesIheard.Itwasdistressingtolearnthat5.8outofevery10studentsexperiencebasicneeds insecurityduetothepandemic.Astaggering41.3%ofundergraduatestudentsand46%ofgraduatestudents sufferedfromatleastonebasicneedsissue.Thedatabeingbroughttolightandtheeye-openingstories conveyedonemessage:actionhadtobetaken.
Truetoitsname(thereisaUinRutger),theuniversityhasbeenattheforefrontofaddressing studentbasicneeds,inparticularfoodinsecurity.Asitbecameincreasinglyapparentthatstudentswere skippingmealsduetofinancialissues,awholechainofbasicneedsissueswasuncovered.Housinginsecurity andfoodinsecurityseemedtofithandinhand.Tocombatthisissue,RutgersUniversity-NewBrunswick createdthefirstpantryin2016.
Funding,passion,andawarenessarethefuelsthatrunasuccessfulpantry.RutgersBasicNeedsis fundedthroughstudentfees,grantsthatcanbeappliedfor,statefundingformealplansorpurchasingmore food,butwidelythroughdonorfunding.Donorsincludefriendsoftheuniversity,alumni,andcorporations.It isimperativetohaveaccuratedata,includingqualitativeandquantitativeimpact,tomakeinformeddecisions forplanninganddonationallocation.Animportantpieceofunderstandingthisissueisresearch. The Basic Needs Insecurity Among Rutgers–New Brunswick Students reportpublishedin2020highlightedthatmany morestudentswereawareoftheRutgersStudentFoodPantry(20.1%in2016vs.66.1%in2019)andmore studentsusedthepantrythanin2016(0.3%in2016vs.3.1%in2019).Thepercentagehasincreasedover theyears.Thefollowinggraphcomparingtotalfoodpantryvisitsfrom2018to2023indicatesasignificant
ZaraSyedinterviewingDr.PhillipSmith,AssistantDeanofStudents,StudentBasicNeeds,atRutgers Universityincreaseinthenumberofvisitstothepantry.However,inthemonthofDecember,therewere164visitsin 2018comparedto528visitsin2022and424visitsin2023.TheDecemberoutlookwaspromisingasfewer studentsvisitedthepantry.
Fundingalongwithmeticulousresearchonbasicneedsprovidesthemeansinwhichadministrators likeDr.Smithandhisteamcanplanandimplementdirectandeffectivesolutionstoaddressbasicneeds issues.ThesolutionsaccordingtoDr.Smithinclude,butaren’tlimitedto,theNoMoreHungryNightsMeal PlanScholarshipwhichprovides75freemealswipes,grocerygiftcards,theRutgersFoodPantryinthe StudentCenter,theMobilePantry,theSNAPNavigatorProgramvisitingtoassistfoodinsecurestudentswith theirapplicationtoNJSNAP,andevenjustprovidingthelinktotheRutgersBasicNeedwebsitewhich containshelpfulresourcesandinformation.
Amongthesebeneficialsolutions,Dr.SmithemphasizedthatthefoodpantryandMobilePantryhave continuedtobetwoofthemostsuccessfulresponsestobasicneedsinsecurities.TheRutgersFoodPantry worksinthesamewaythataconveniencestoredoes.TheMobilePantryservesstudentsaroundcampus, pickingupfoodanddispersingfoodtocustomersonceaweek.Alargepartofthefoodpantry’smissionis accessibility,andtheMobilePantryensuresthatthepantrybringsthiswordtolife.
Toimproveproductivityandefficiency,theStudentBasicNeedsteamresearchedseveralproductsto findanoptimalsolutionthatwouldbecosteffectiveanduserfriendly.InAugust2023,agenerousgift allowedRUtoimplementPantrySoft,asoftwarethathelpsmanageallaspectsofoperation,frominventory logisticstoclientintakeandreporting. IthastheabilitytotrackstudentactivityintheRutgersFoodPantry usingstudent’sRutgersstudentIDnumberusedtocheckin.DuringmyvisittotheRutgersFoodPantry,Dr. Smithinformedmethatthesoftwarerequired$2500tostartup,andanannualcostof$1500tomaintain.A studentworkeratthepantrysharedthatimmediateimpactwasthereducedtimestudentstooktoget throughthepantry.Theintroductionofthistechnologyallowedaconventionaltriptothefoodpantrytobe reducedfrom6-8minutesto3-4minutes.Inadditiontothis,CaseManagementSoftwarewaslaunchedwhich enabledstrugglingstudentstoentertheirbasicneedsissuesintothesoftwaretodeterminetheresources thatareavailabletothem.Withtheincorporationoftechnology,Rutgerscanreachawiderrangeofstudents
TotalFoodPantryVisits.4-YearComparison(FallSemesters) Photo:RutgersUniversity Universityinneed.Anotableobservationduringmytimeatthefoodpantrywasthatitresembledagrocerystore:food itemscategoricallyorganizedinaisles,astreamlinedcheckoutandfriendlycustomerservice.Dr.Smith underscoredthisreplicationwastoencouragestudentstovisitthepantrywithoutanystigmaassociatedwith usingtheirservices.
Toaccomplishimpressiveresults,Rutgersmakescontinuouseffortstocollaboratewithother departmentsandorganizations.Theyachievethisthroughtheirwebsite,marketingcampaigns,RUBasic Needssocialmediaplatforms,programmingevents,interactingwithotherdepartmentsoncampus,hosting eventslikeHungerandHomelessAwarenessWeekinNovember,conductingpresentations,workingwith facultytoincludeasyllabusstatementintheirsyllabusthatraisesawarenessonbasicneedresources, trainingforstudentorganizations,andcreatingaclothingpantry.Whencollaboratingwithavarietyof representatives,animportantfocusismakingsurethatbasicneedsareavailableandevidenttoEVERYONE. Inmanycircumstances,strugglingstudentsinminoritycommunitiesareunawareoftheresourcesofferedat Rutgers.Forexample,internationalstudentsarerequiredtodemonstratethattheycanfundboththeir educationaswellastheirbasicneeds.Theinsecureinternationalstudentsoftenworkbuttendtosendtheir profitsbackhometotheirfamily.Toensurethatstudentsinthesesituationsaregiventhebestchanceof succeedingacademically,thereisanaccessiblewebsite,continuousvisitsaremadetoculturecenterstotalk tominoritycommunities,andDr.Smithandhisteamareworkingtowardsreducingthestigmasurrounding reachingoutforhelp.Inaddition,basicneedsresourcesareadvertisedonTV,buildingsaroundcampus,the mobilepantry,andbasicneedsnewslettersontheirwebsite.Collaborationhasbeenvitalinthesuccessof addressingstudentbasicneedsinsecurities.
ProductsneatlyorganizedinAisles
Althoughtremendousgrowthhasbeenmadesinceitsinitialopeningin2016,therearestillmany ambitiousimprovementsplannedtofightagainstbasicneedsinsecuritiesontheRutgersNewBrunswick Campus.Inthesummerof2024,acapaciousBasicNeedsCenterfeaturingcreativedesignandnovel amenitieswillbeintroducedinthestudentscenter.Theobjectiveistocreateaone-stop brickandmortar store,afirstofitskindin highereducationwhichwillincludesupplieslikecomputerandsciencecalculator loanerprogram,atextbookloanerprogram,aclothingpantry,acapandgownloanerprogram,ateachingand prepkitchen,anareatoteachstudentslifeskillcoursesandbasicneedsseminarthattalksaboutbudgeting andfinancialaid,alargerfacilitytodothingslikelaundry,andthefoodpantry.Inaddition,oncampus farmersmarkets,basicneedsfairs,introducingpeermentors,establishinghousingscholarships,and integratingbasicneedsresourcesinfaultysyllabusstatementsarealltopicsofdiscussion.Anotablefeature willbeaRecRebox,whichiswidelyusedinhigheredinstitutionstoexpandaccesstothecampusresources studentswantandneedwithautomatedrentals TheRecReboxwillbeinstalledoutsidetheentranceofthe studentcenter.Itwillbeutilizedtoholdbagsoffooditemsselectedbystudentsforpick-up.Addressingbasic needsatRutgersisajourneythathascomealongway,butthereisalwaysroomtoimprove.
OnethirdofRutgersNewBrunswickstudentssufferfromfoodinsecurity.1in20studentsreported housinginsecure.ThisalarmingdatailluminatestheneedforDr.Smithandhisteamtocontinueindustrious effortstoaddresstheseissues.Nevertheless,itisnoteworthythatthankstotheexpansiveimprovementsDr. Smithandhisteamdeliveredinthepastyear,suchaslaunchingprogramstoaugmentthefoodandmobile pantry,andtheaspirationalprojectsintheworks,studentsencounteringbasicneedschallengescanselect fromanarrayofoptionsavailabletoimprovetheirwell-being,therebyallowingthemtofocusontheir academicperformance.Fromthehumblebeginningsofasmallpantryspaceestablishedin2016tothe upcomingcutting-edgenewcenterinJuly2024,theevolutionoftheStudentsBasicNeedsinitiativehasbeen exemplary.Throughoutthisjourney,hundredsofstudentshavereapedthebenefitsoftheprogram,makinga tangibledifferenceintheirlives.
Highlyanticipatedstate-of-the-artStudentCentertobeintroducedinAugust2024
ZaraSyedandDr.SmithstandadjacenttotheStudentCentereagerlyawaitingits anticipatedopeninginAugust2024