Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The project entitled, "Santa Barbara County Multi-Campus College Student Food Insecurity Planning Project" gathered information on students, programs, and partners working to combat food insecurity among students across colleges in Santa Barbara County. Outputs from our data are now able to better inform the field of higher education, basic needs assessment groups, and organizations focused on food security in our local area. Most importantly, we were able to identify the scope of food security, mechanisms by which students in college are food insecure, and which programs and resources are most effective in combating food security in Santa Barbara County Higher Education Institutions. Data collected from students through 630 surveys and 47 interviews revealed that a significant amount of college students in Santa Barbara County struggle with food insecurity and financial literacy. For example, 67.9% of students in the study reported that they skipped meals often or somewhat often because they could not afford food. More than 55% of students revealed that they cut the size of their meal or skip meals because there was not enough money for food. Food insecurity is a significant issue for many students, and it impacts their success in college as a result of impacting other factors for student's success. Our assessment revealed that students were more likely to spend money for other necessities: rent (23%) and transportation (20%), instead of food. First generation and California Promise students were more likely to struggle with food and housing insecurity. This is an important finding since chronic hunger is closely related to student success and retention. This project was a collaborative effort across four independent and different models of higher education including: two minority serving community colleges, one state college, and one private liberal arts. It was designed and implemented in close conjunction with diverse student leaders across all campuses in order to utilize knowledge frameworks placing the target participant at the center of solution innovation. Initial pilot interviews were conducted by student leaders among food-insecure students on each campus to inform our large-scale needs assessment. Additionally, faculty mentors across all four campuses worked closely with student research assistants to develop interview-based data collection, survey distribution and data collection, as well as evaluation. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training and Professional Workshops Developed. This grant specifically provided research consultation, data analysis software, and training sessions for interns, as required for the campus-community impact and needs-assessment. Two years of licensing for Qualtrics and nVivo data analysis software were purchased for project student interns and team members. Additionally, research consultation services with Woolf Consulting (a Santa Barbara consulting group) were obtained to help design and conduct training workshops for student interns from four campuses. Globalsl.org consultation services were utilized to assist in data analysis and presentation through examining information collection and analysis methods. These important steps ensured that the data collected through surveys and interviews of 614 college student participants was accurate and secure. In order to address the accurate collection of data and analysis, our team received two training workshops. The first workshop was designed to give students and team members an overview of research methods, analysis and pathways. The second workshop was designed and implemented by Woolf research consultation services to ensure credibility and dependability of our data collection and analysis pathways. The workshops allowed our team to develop sound data collection methods and ensure confidential and consistent information gathering on the target population through the purchase of Qualtrics survey delivery and data analysis software and nVivo qualitative data analysis software. Qualtrics allowed the team of interns from Westmont College to develop and distribute surveys to SBCC, UCSB, and Hancock College. They were also able to share real-time information updates across our group of campus representatives to keep the project on track. Woolf Consulting services provided expertise in qualitative research and analysis to assist in developing the survey tool as well as two key training workshops. These workshops and supporting training materials were useful tools for future food security needs assessments on minority serving, community college and state colleges. Globalsl.org has provided expert assistance in developing, distributing and analyzing survey data for both the pilot project and full data set. Faculty on the project noted that the project introduced them to another form of scientific inquiry and methodology. Having never been involved in an interview-based study, they gained understanding about how to better collect and analyze those data and apply it to innovative basic needs strategies. Furthermore, the interviews revealed pedagogical methods of teaching nutrition and food literacy; for example, students mentioned the use of podcasts as a readily accessible educational tool that can be utilized in future projects and student training sessions. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our Santa Barbara Higher Education Impact Group has reported several times to stakeholders of the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network on the issue of food insecurity at the three campuses and our early efforts to address these issues. We have found that this has increased attention from key off campus stakeholders and also helped us to secure more support from local foundations and programs. We presented our collaboration at the California Higher Education Basic Needs Alliance (CHEBNA) conference in February 2020, as a model of regional collaborative strategy that others in California might imitate. Numerous communities have a UC, a Cal State, and/or a Community College, and our work has shown that multi-institutional collaborations can impact a greater number of students and ensure their support across transfer pathways. Our methods and results will be disseminated through presentations, trade journal publications, and academic journals as part of project outcomes. Manuscripts in process for submission will be submitted to the following peer-reviewed journals, for which readership exists and like-minded articles have appeared: Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, Journal of College and Character; and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. We will also submit a report and request for an appearance in the Trellis Research Series on Collegiate Financial Security and Academic Performance. AHC interns and Westmont global studies students will also submit a proposal to the 12th Annual CUGH Global Health Conference. Much of this phase is still being planned as we take into account the pandemic context. By collaborating with faculty, staff, and students throughout this grant project, we have gained insight about the issues that other campuses are facing, and the unique and creative approaches they are using to address them. For example, the results of interviews are being used to start the conversation with different stakeholder groups on campus, from securing administrative buy-in for new programs at all participating campuses, to smaller, student-led initiatives like the idea of an informal cooking club at SBCC. We have also strengthened our network of collaborators, so we can quickly share timely information such as the emergency food planning resources we developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
(1) The project brought together experts from all four campuses, as well as external consultants to design and survey and interview tools. Additionally, software was purchased to support the data collection and dissemination of information gathered. Following IRB approval from all four campuses, Westmont College global studies interns designed and implemented, in close conjunction with the PI, a quantitative data survey and interview protocol. Utilizing the Six-Item Short Form of the USDA Food Security Survey, our team built a 43-question survey focused on gathering information on participants' financial literacy, basic needs stability, understanding and utilization of CalFresh, as well as demographic information. The survey was distributed through Qualtrics. Interview protocols were developed to explore issues of food insecurity and how students accessed food. Additionally, interviewers examined student's feelings toward CalFresh and programs such as college food pantries. This mixed-method approach allowed our team to not only understand the incidence of food security, but also how it related to financial stability, student success in class, and how likely students might be to enroll in cooking classes and additional food-focused initiatives. Interview participants were recruited from these surveys. Students from all four campuses conducted in-person interviews. Interns from all four campuses transcribed interviews to evaluate barriers to food security, nutrition and overall wellness, including access to cooking and financial efficacy training. Westmont global studies students took results from Qualtrics surveys and evaluated them in comparison with the USDA food security index in order to allow for benchmarking across other populations and US regions. The student interns met regularly with the faculty lead to discuss their preliminary findings and impressions of the scope of food insecurity among students. These initial, informal results prompted some immediate actions on each campus. (2) Data from participants indicated that food pantries were both valued and well used. Assistance from existing programs like EOPS and other state and federal programs were also very helpful. Assistance with the state and federal programs, however, was limited to those that were enrolled in campus programs where staff and faculty made that a priority (i.e. EOPS). Making this prioritized support more widespread is a key need. A stigma around food insecurity and accepting help to relieve it, whether real or perceived, still exists and this may prevent some students from seeking help. Basic cooking skills are often lacking, as well as a safe and comfortable place to prepare meals. The idea of an informal club that brought students into existing cooking facilities on campus (in a culinary arts program, for example) and taught students how to cook while preparing meals for the week, surfaced as a potential way to address this issue for at least some students. Some indicated a desire to have more basic nutrition education. Online videos for both nutrition and basic cooking skills may be able to address this component as well as creating or linking to an existing podcast on the topic. (3) There were some commonalities among institutions in both the need and use of food pantries, utility of education about state and federal programs, and a desire to become better educated in nutrition and basic cooking skills. The partnering institutions were at different stages with each of these areas, so it has allowed us to learn from each other in a way that is effective and efficient. There was a common challenge of financial strain and a lack of time among all surveyed students. Programs like SBCC's Promise, which pays for all tuition, fees, and supplies for any local student for two full years, goes a long way to alleviating some of this stress in our local students. Students from out of the region or state, however, lack that option. At best we can help students find ways to eat healthy while decreasing the percentage of their income spent on food, but we can't change the local economy and cost of living. Issues such as CalFresh enrollment and promotion of existing campus resources were common themes. CalFresh outreach and promotional events, combined with application assistance, are being implemented to address this. (4) When it comes to program construction and application of findings, data revealed important similarities and some differences between students at AHC, SBCC, and UCSB. Some of the differences among campuses were associated with the different stages our programs are in. Additionally, 38.3% of UCSB students live in on-campus housing and 22.6% have meal plans associated with their housing. Students living in graduate and family student housing have suite kitchens and do not generally get meal plans. As community colleges, SBCC and Allan Hancock College have no on-campus housing, though there are meal voucher systems in place for eligible students for meal at campus cafeterias. Though housing and meal plans at UCSB can be a great resource, both also come at a cost to students. We have found that low income students will often choose the least number of meals possible (10 meals per week) to save money. This aspect makes addressing some components of healthy eating different for the UC system compared to the CCC system. Additionally, the location of campuses dictates differences in students and food access. For example, the main campus for AHC is located in a moderately sized city in northern Santa Barbara County, surrounded by primarily rural, agricultural community. Campus food resources at AHC have historically been minimal in comparison with other colleges, but specific efforts are being made to address student access to food and resources. Specific sub-populations, such as student athletes - particularly Black and LatinX student athletes - have been identified as being particularly at-risk for food insecurity. Programs at AHC, therefore, must consider these subgroups and the ecology of northern Santa Barbara County when constructing appropriate programs. Most UCSB students live on or near the campus. Commuter students at UCSB have reported higher levels of food insecurity and difficulty in accessing resources that are structured around the needs of a mostly residential campus. Consequently, the opportunity to collaborate with SBCC and Allan Hancock College allowed a better understanding for how UCSB can support commuter students. (5) see report section below on dissemination (6) AHC developed a Food Security Action Team in collaboration with their Student Activities office. Initiatives are focused on collaboration among faculty, staff, and students to make recommendations and implement plans to address food insecurity issues among their students as well as bring an enhanced focus to issues of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Food Justice. Additionally, a professional development session related to the research findings was offered to faculty and staff during this academic year. The UCSB Food Security and Basic Needs Task Force reviewed the data collected in this study and gained a greater insight into student needs. The interviews were an excellent way for them to hear directly from students on what they most needed and where gaps existed in their current programming. Similarly, SBCC used the data for its campus to further secure support for expanding its food pantry system and implement food pick-ups through the spring and summer months when campus was closed. These drive-up and walk-up food distributions continue this fall. The SBCC Center for Equity and Social Justice has also undertaken planning a series of Food Justice workshops in response to food insecurity on campus and also the racial and social equity issues that have been brought to the fore this year. (7) see report section below on dissemination
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Each of the three participating campuses - Allan Hancock College, Santa Barbara City College, and University of California, Santa Barbara - targeted their general student populations, totalling 61,000 undergraduate students. Changes/Problems:Overall the process of collecting survey and interview data was productive. The main obstacle for SBCC was the challenge of scheduling with busy interns and faculty combined with busy students to be interviewed. Attempting to interview students that were initially approached on campus proved difficult. Students may initially be open to an interview, but then would not respond to an email query to schedule, or may not show up once an interview was scheduled. We found a solution by working with groups that would be concentrated in one location for a period of time. By coordinating with coaches, we were able to conduct several interviews efficiently, immediately preceding a practice. Coordinating with EOPS we were able to quickly interview students that were already coming to a central location for services. This practice resulted in numerous good quality interviews in a short period of time. Incentives were appreciated but were not necessary to gain the interview with this method. To increase survey responses we developed an extra credit assignment for our introductory Biology 100 course that serves over 300 students from a wide swath of the campus community. In the future this method can be used effectively because many students from multiple different majors and backgrounds take this general introductory course. UCSB interns found that it was difficult to engage students in lengthy interviews without financial incentives. As a research institute, there are many opportunities for students to participate in research studies and receive some type of incentive for participation. This has created an expectation of a reward that we found it difficult to overcome on a research project without financial incentives being offered. Westmont college research assistants learned the important skill of participant interviews and administrating a large-scale survey. Students become proficient in qualtrics delivery platform as well as communication with key team members. Westmont student interns were also able to conduct and transcribe interviews from other campuses. However, they did not have Spanish language proficiency to engage all population. In the next phase of the project, they will be encouraged to engage intergroup diversity and diverse populations more completely. Allan Hancock College interns learned quickly and gained experience in reaching out to instructors and students to promote the survey and conduct interviews. They found that most students were very interested in sharing their perspectives on food insecurity. Students expressed their appreciation to our interns and faculty for taking the time to consider and address the significant problem of food insecurity. The interns described their work as meaningful and interesting, and they believe that it will make a difference for their classmates and this community. The most successful period of time for conducting surveys and interviews was nearer the beginning of the semester. Late in the semester, the interns had less time to spend on research due to their own demanding academic and work schedules, and students in general were less eager to participate in surveys and interviews. The best rates of return were found through partnerships with counselors and faculty in the athletics program, and in support programs such as EOPS, CalWORKS, the language lab, and the writing tutorial center. In addition, many surveys and interviews were conducted in conjunction with our Food Share Because We Care weekly food distribution events. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Both student interns and faculty gained experience in the use of interview in research, the design of the survey and interview questions, and will gain further experience with the data analysis and reporting. Faculty also gained valuable insight into the student population outside of the classroom. We often do not fully know the various stresses students face that may negatively impact their performance in academics. The survey and interview data elucidate critical factors that affect their success. Outcomes of the interviews are already impacting how we present information in class about campus resources and opening up the conversation about food insecurity. Now that we have conducted this type of research we are more likely to include it in further formal and informal investigations of campus needs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Representatives for our NIFA grant collaborative from SBCC, Allan Hancock College, UCSB, and Westmont College will present at the Intersegmental Basic Needs Summit on February 6, 2020 in Costa Mesa, CA. We will present on the formation of the coalition we formed to assess food security and basic needs for college students in our region, on how we have written grants and project proposals collaboratively, and how we have communicated the needs of college students to key partners in our county, with the ultimate goal of engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders in our work to reduce food insecurity among our community's college students. Additionally, a scholarly article is in progress to disseminate findings with intention to submit to journals focused on college student retention for at-risk populations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Results of the research were collated across institutions to associate variations in programs with desired program outcomes. Initial aggregate data analysis of 614 surveys and 30 interviews has revealed that a significant amount of college students in Santa Barbara County struggle with food insecurity and financial literacy. For example, 67.9% of students surveys reported that they skipped meals often or somewhat often because they could not afford food. More than 55% of students revealed that they cut the size of their meal or skip meals because there is not enough money for food. Meanwhile, students were more likely to spend money for other necessities: rent (23%) and transportation (20%), instead of food. This is an important findings since chronic hunger is closely related to student success and retention. Notably, students reported feeling confident in cooking for themselves (44.5%) and accessing fresh food (89.7%), which may allow research teams to rule out concerns of college campus locations being characterized as a "food desert" (as described by USDA) or the failure of key stakeholders, such as local food bank programs and campus food pantry programs. In the next important phase of analysis, survey data will be analyzed using SPSS to determine tendencies and dispersion characteristics. We plan to further analyze both aggregated data to compile and summarize overall implications for vulnerable college student populations across the US. But, we will also disaggregated data in order to understand the implications of food security on each individual campus and among particular groups of students. Research assistants will be mentored on statistical data analysis in SPSS for this portion of the assessment. Global Studies Fellows at Westmont College who are part of a high-impact practice program focused on community-based research, will be responsible for statistical analysis and information sharing for all campuses. Data and summary will be undertaken by the entire project team and discussed. All interview and group data interview will be analyzed using Atlas.ti to explore themes in community and food security needs as well as potential future program characteristics. Qualitative analysis will be performed by research assistants from SCCC, UCSB and Allan Hancock College. Transcribed interviews will also be entered into Atlas.ti and examined first by student research assistants to code key information and to identify themes within participant responses. Barriers to food security will be determined by a process of grounded theory. This portion of the project will be undertaken by research assistants across all four campuses, being overseen by Dr. Cynthia Toms and Dr. Nicholas Woolf, to ensures methodological reliability. Data results and conclusions will be disseminated through open source publications, scholarly and trade journals focused on food security and basic needs. Research assistants will be mentored on interpreting and recording the assessment report. The research team, along with research assistants, will submit a presentation/poster to a national conference focused on college student success, and in local popular media outlets. Our aim will be to contribute to overall "best practices" in the field of higher education and student success in order to help address food security among college student populations more broadly. Results will also be presented to each campus to explore how their individual programs are meeting students' needs and how future program construction will combat food security challenges on their campus. Reports and summaries provided to campuses will include executive summaries to share with relevant constituents: college administrators, faculty, and student groups. Finally, we will hold a local symposium for 15-20 stakeholders in order to share the research findings and invite collaborative planning and response from local businesses and non-for-profits stakeholders.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We are pleased to report that information gathering and evaluation is currently on track as described in our original proposal: 1)(a), meeting the needs of low-income individuals through food distribution, nutrition programs, and access to food. This goal was primarily met through completing the following objective, as stated in the original proposal: (1) to assess the barriers to food security, nutrition and overall wellness among Santa Barbara County food-insecure college students; (2) to evaluate the current food security and campus nutrition programs serving the needs of food-insecure undergraduate and graduate students. August - September, 2018: Assessment instrument developed, refined, and distributed. A quantitative data gathering survey was designed, tested, adjusted to allow assessment of barriers to food security, nutrition, and overall wellness among college students in Santa Barbara County. This survey, delivered via Qualtrics, included the USDA food security index in order to allow for benchmarking across other populations and US regions. This portion of the data will allow us to assess the breadth and depth of food insecurity by collecting incidence and frequency of food insecurity among the target population. A qualitative data gathering protocol was designed, tested, and adjusted to allow for participant interviews and assessment in Atlas.ti. This important portion of the data gathering phase allowed data to not only give incidence and frequency, but mechanism of food insecurity. September - November, 2018: Research Assistants recruited; IRB approved A Westmont Institutional Review Board Application was approved the study. Additionally IRB approval was given by UCSB, who maintains their own institutional process for student evaluation. December 2019- February, 2019: Research Assistants trained; Data Analysis Pathways developed. Dr. Nicholas Woolf, PhD, consulted on data collection soundness as well as conducted an interview skills training workshop for interns in Atlas.ti. All data analysis codes were developed. Survey delivery platform was purchased and subsequently developed through Qualtrics licensing. March - November 2019 - Data Collected and Research Assistants Overseen. Surveys were distributed and interviews were conducted by students from all four campuses. Across three campuses, participants were recruited from nutrition outreach programs and a snowball sampling model was employed to gain access to a broad and diverse range of students at each campus. Through this phase, research assistants were actively involved in designing, recruiting, and conducting all aspects of participant interviews as well as survey data collection via Qualtrics. Project Co-PI's assisted in coordinating dates, times, and informed consent for interview and focus group participants. Currently, 614 surveys are completed and 30 interviews are collected and transcribed, including interviews conducted in Spanish. Average interviews were 12-15 minutes in length; average survey response time was 14 minutes. This process will remain ongoing in spring 2020 as new student research assistants will be recruited and trained on the skill of data analysis, evaluation, and report writing. (1)(c), promoting comprehensive responses to local food access; (2)(b), meeting specific local needs through planning for long-term solutions. This goal was primarily met through completing the following objective, as stated in the original proposal: (3) to find common issues and similar approaches that we can use to better coordinate and collaborate on multi-campus efforts; and (4) to uncover issues unique to each campus to better meet our students' needs, and to incorporate these within the larger collaborative efforts to address food insecurity among college students. The data collected will inform the design of strategies to address food insecurity on campus. The interview process has already unearthed several possible pathways to assist students in some basic needs to better feed themselves and their families. For example, at SBCC, the following themes surfaced, as associated with local food access: (1) a desire to learn more cooking skills in an informal, regular setting; (2) regular resources to teach basic nutrition for adults and their children, and expansion of our food pantry service. We also found a lack of knowledge about CalFresh and other subsidies in some groups and wide use in other groups. After further data analysis we expect to have some clear goals for the campus and when combined with data from other campuses, an idea about possible collaborative efforts. At Allan Hancock College, student athletes were identified as a segment of the student population at particularly high risk for food insecurity. Housing insecurity, lack of cooking facilities, time constraints, limited access to fresh food, and minimal cooking skills were noted as common issues. Preliminary feedback from surveys and interviews led to the rapid development of a pilot test of a series of meal preparation workshops targeting the needs and interests of student athletes. Student interns participated in planning and conducting the workshops, along with students from the Nutrition and Culinary Arts programs. An academic counselor for the Athletics program participated, and time was devoted to one-to-one discussions about student needs, and outreach regarding CalFresh and additional support resources. Further analysis of data from surveys and interviews, along with discussions between and among our college campuses, will yield valuable information about this meal preparation workshop model and other models for addressing food insecurity locally. Student interns and faculty gained experience conducting interviews and were involved in the study design and the decision process as the study progressed. This expanded the knowledge and comfort base for future investigations.
Publications
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