Redefining Basic Needs for Higher Education: It’s More Than Minimal Food and Housing According to California University Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712199229
Author(s):  
Suzanna M. Martinez ◽  
Erin E. Esaryk ◽  
Laurel Moffat ◽  
Lorrene Ritchie

Purpose: A student-specific definition of basic needs for higher education is warranted to inform programs and policies for underserved students. The purpose of this study was to: 1) explore how students define basic needs, 2) understand experiences of housing insecurity, and 3) understand experiences of food insecurity within the context of housing insecurity. Design: Qualitative research elicited student perceptions of basic needs and experiences of housing and food insecurity. Setting: Focus group discussions were conducted at 5 University of California campuses between February and March 2019. Participants: Undergraduate (n = 37) and graduate (n = 21) students were recruited from campus basic needs centers. Methods: Each student completed a brief survey. Researchers conducted 11 focus groups using a semi-structured interview guide. Transcripts were coded to identify themes. Results: Students were female (76%), age 23.6 (SD = 5.8) years; 46% were Pell grant recipients; and 52% were first-generation college students. Most had experienced food insecurity (98%) and 26% had experienced homelessness. Eight themes were identified: 1) students define basic needs as more than minimal food and shelter and as the responsibility of students and the university, 2) students encounter multifaceted housing insecurity issues, 3) affording rent is a priority that most often leads to experiencing food insecurity, 4) transportation barriers interfere with meeting students’ basic needs to succeed as students, 5) students with nontraditional characteristics, graduate students, and out-of-state students face unique challenges in meeting basic needs, 6) limited financial aid and lack of financial aid guidance are barriers to meeting basic needs, 7) fees contribute additional challenges to students meeting basic needs, and 8) additional university basic needs services are essential. Conclusion: A student-informed definition of basic needs included food, housing, mental health, sleep, hygiene, and transportation. This understanding of basic needs can inform future research, programs, and policy to address housing insecurity in higher education.

Author(s):  
Cody T. Havard ◽  
Timothy T. Ryan ◽  
Skylar S. Workman

The chapter investigates differences in the ways college students compare to out-groups using the different NCAA competition divisions. In particular, students enrolled at schools in all six (i.e., Power Five, Group of Five, FCS, DI No Football, DII, DIII) reported their perceptions of rival school's athletics teams using the Sport Rivalry Fan Perception Scale (SRFPS). Differences were found regarding student perceptions among competition divisions. Specifically, attendance at a Power Five School influenced student's willingness to support rival teams against other teams, the enjoyment from defeating the rival team, perceptions of rival academic prestige and fan behavior, and likelihood of experiencing Glory Out of Reflected Failure (GORFing), or celebrating when the rival experiences indirect failure. Further, students attending DI No Football Schools and DIII Schools chose academic prestige as a way to derogate their rival schools. Discussion focuses on implications to higher education and avenues for future research.


The article reveals the relevance of the problem under study; relying on the previously developed research base, as well as analyzing the results of various companies in the field of personnel policy. The paper focuses on the fact that for the sustainable development and functioning of the organization, it is not enough to have a high level of training and skills, since the loyalty of staff is not always correlated with the intellectual abilities or skill level of the organization's employees. Loyal staff is highly reliable, responsible and dedicated to their organization. This, in turn, reduces the likelihood of personnel risks (malfeasance, petty theft, property damage, intentional accidents, etc.). The basic definition of staff loyalty is considered, as well as the essence of the main two approaches: foreign and domestic, which in turn are divided into separate approaches. In the process of reviewing domestic approaches, we paid attention to the following authors: K. Harsky, T. N. Chistyakova, and N. V. Mosienko. among foreign approaches, we focused on such authors as: Howard Becker and Lyman porter. Based on the analysis of these approaches, the author's definition of staff loyalty is given. We analyze groups of factors that contribute to the formation and increase of staff loyalty: organizational and personal. The article focuses on the study of factors of loyalty of social service personnel. In order to study and structure the factors of loyalty of social service personnel, the author conducted a sociological study, the object of which was employees of the Kharkiv city center of social services for children, families and youth "Trust". 10 employees of this organization were interviewed using a semi-structured interview method. The age of the respondents is from 26 to 58 years, among them: 2 men and 8 women. All respondents have higher education or several higher education institutions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Yanu Endar Prasetyo

Walmart store closures, especially in rural areas, seem to be continuing since the company is moving forward in serving its urban customers and investing heavily in its digital features and markets. If this scenario happens, then many townspeople in a rural area will lose their only Walmart store, which has been part of the town for decades. There are many studies on the impact of Walmart's entry and presence in towns. However, investigating the effects of Walmart when they leave small towns is still rare. For this reason, this study is focused on addressing the impact of Walmart store closures in small towns in Missouri. The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting the residents' perception of and response toward the impact of Walmart's store closure in Rural Areas. Our conceptual framework is designed to assess household vulnerability and incorporate food insecurity factors to capture how vulnerability and resilience in rural communities change because of the closure of a Walmart store. This approach may help us better understand the linkages between community vulnerability and community resilience. Using a mixed-method design, we explored the residents' perceptions, opinions, and experiences regarding the closing of Walmart. Data from both the qualitative phase (observation, semi-structured interview, group discussion, and document analysis) and quantitative phase (community-based drop-off and pick-up surveys) of this study then mixed in the final analysis to provide a more detailed and complete description of the effect of Walmart store closures in rural Missouri. We found that people were overwhelmingly disappointed and angry when Walmart closed in their area in 2017. Most residents said they felt disappointed (46 percent) and angry (41 percent) about Walmart's decision. There was a change in households' attitudes and shopping habits after Walmart left these towns, including a significant decline (54.9 percent) in shopping frequency among residents who often shop at Walmart. Not having Wal sense of losing pride in being part of the town. When Caruthersville and Piedmont still had Walmart in town, it became the center of community for the surrounding towns and the entire county. The number of households that fall into vulnerability categories (very lowvulnerable, low-vulnerable, vulnerable, and very vulnerable) is calculated and obtained from Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA). The data showed that most households fell into a vulnerable (39.8 percent) and low-vulnerable situation (34.6 percent) after Walmart left and were able to cope with this stressor. Households in the neighboring towns (Patterson, Williamsville, and Greenville) that were 10-15 miles from Piedmont also had a high percentage of vulnerable groups (47.6 percent) and very vulnerable households (6.5 percent). Based on this study, the Walmart store's closure in Piedmont had a bigger impact on both the households within the host town and their neighboring towns. Our findings also confirmed that many residents in these areas rely on government assistance programs, especially SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), the most extensive federal nutrition program in the U.S. About 43.7 percent of households in Caruthersville, 25.5 percent of households in Piedmont, and 24.4 percent of households in the neighboring town are SNAP recipients. These findings further prove that SNAP recipients and community food bank/pantry users were more sensitive to Walmart's store closure. While SNAP benefits provided valuable support to many households, the retail mobility -- increased proximity to small retailers and decreased proximity to many large ones (Walmart) -- would negatively affect townspeople. This study suggests that Policymakers and public health experts need to work closely to ensure healthier and more equitable food systems since small retailers may provide limited access to fresh and healthy foods. Future research can also evaluate the impact of existing small retailers - that authorized for SNAPof the rural community.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Elmer N. Ragus

The tradition of lecturing in higher education is synonymous to teaching (Morrison, 2014). Fortunately, those in higher education today are pushing for viable alternatives such as active learning because several studies have shown the positive impact on student performance, student achievement, and other learning goals (Auerbach and Andrews, 2018; Beichner, 2014; Cattaneo, 2017; Eddy, Converse, Wenderoth, and Schinske, 2015; Freeman, Eddy, McDonough, Smith, Okoroafor, Jordt, and Wenderoth, 2014; Heim and Holt, 2018; Lumpkin, Achen, and Dodd, 2015; Morrison, 2014). Additional research should therefore focus on topics besides whether active learning works. This qualitative study aims to add to the literature of the next generation of active learning research by exploring faculty and student perceptions of active learning engagement classrooms (ALECs), actions that a university can take to encourage the use of active learning engagement classrooms, and support for faculty transitioning from traditional lecturing to active learning using technology. Focus group meetings and interviews were conducted with 44 faculty, staff, and student participants at the University of Central Missouri. While mostly positive, faculty and students had mixed reviews about the ALEC experience. Also, most participants pointed to the need for training to support the sustained utilization of the ALECs. The qualitative findings are discussed and connected to the theoretical frameworks guiding this study. The paper concludes with three phases of recommendations for practice and ideas for future research.


2019 ◽  
pp. 10-11
Author(s):  
Koen Geven ◽  
Estelle Herbaut

Policy makers are increasingly searching for ways to reduce inequality in higher education. There is now a sizeable and high-quality body of literature that estimates the effects of interventions on access and completion in higher education. Our new paper reviews 75 quasi-experimental studies and rigorously compares more than 200 causal effects of outreach and financial aid interventions on disadvantaged students. We found that outreach and financial aid can both work, but important lessons should be learned from interventions that do not show an effect. In this article, we first provide an overview of the main mechanisms driving exclusion, both in terms of access to and completion from higher education. We then summarize the evidence for policy makers, highlighting key lessons, while we also indicate directions for future research.


10.28945/4781 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D Senn ◽  
Gayle Prybutok ◽  
Kittipong Boonme ◽  
Victor R. Prybutok

Aim/Purpose: This study builds upon theory to develop and test a parsimonious model of service quality importance, the Higher Education Service Quality Importance (HESQI) Model, for use in standardized, frequent surveys of student satisfaction in higher education service delivery. Background: Educational institutions operating in the higher education marketplace are facing increased competition for students. In order to be competitive in terms of the student services provided, these institutions need a method to evaluate and measure, on a frequent and recurring basis, the quality and performance of their services. Methodology: A survey was developed and administered to a stratified random sample of 1,400 students at a large public university in the southwestern United States. The 56% response rate was comprised of 790 total respondents. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze model constructs and latent variables. Reliability, validity, non-response bias, and common method bias were assessed as part of the research. Contribution: The HESQI is a compact, parsimonious instrument that can be administered in a cost-effective manner for faster, point-in-time checks of student satisfaction with less survey fatigue than larger instruments. Findings Service quality is significantly correlated with student satisfaction. The developed model is capable of explaining nearly 70% of the variance in student perceptions of satisfaction. Recommendations for Practitioners: The developed HESQI instrument addresses the need for a quick and easy measurement instrument to assess student satisfaction in higher education institutions. The HESQI instrument simplifies data collection and analysis and can be used on a frequent and ongoing basis to gain rapid insight into service and quality issues affecting students. Recommendations for Researchers: The development of the HESQI provides an instrument that researchers can use to study the delivery of auxiliary services in higher education. In addition, the methodology used has implications for how to develop and test other parsimonious instrument for use in other contexts. Impact on Society: Higher education is of critical value to societal mobility. As such providing a better experience for those who seek education is important and services are an important part of that experience. The HESQI has an important role in helping to improve that experience because it allows measuring the satisfaction with changes that are made to improve auxiliary services which are important to the overall environment and experience. Future Research: Future research may be carried out to further validate and confirm the research findings and use it in other environments. Also, research may consider a single item instrument in similar environments.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J Beatty ◽  
Michael Albert

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to assess student perceptions of a flipped classroom model used in an introduction to management course; and second, to determine the relationship between student perceptions and student grades. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach was used, and a survey was created to assess student perceptions of their flipped classroom experience. Correlation analysis was used to explore the possible association between student performance (measured by test scores) and perceptions of the flipped classroom experience. Findings – Results indicate several significant differences in student perceptions of a flipped classroom model between successful (grades A-C) and unsuccessful (grades D-F) students. Originality/value – During the past several years, an active learning approach called the “flipped classroom model” has begun to be applied to higher education. Research on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom model in higher education has focussed on either grade outcomes or student perceptions, and is recent and limited. Findings can contribute to educators using a flipped classroom model, as well as to researchers investigating the impact of key factors related to student perceptions of their flipped classroom experience. Implications for applying the flipped classroom model are discussed along with implications for much-needed future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52
Author(s):  
Janice Miller-Young ◽  
Melina Sinclair ◽  
Sarah Forgie

Quality teaching and how to assess and award it, continue to be an area of scholarship and debate in higher education. While the literature demonstrates that assessment should be multifaceted, operationalizing this is no easy task. To gain insight into how teaching excellence is defined in Canadian higher education, this empirical study collected and analysed the criteria, evidence, and standards for institutional teaching awards from 89 institutions and 204 award programs across Canada. The majority of awards included criteria such as specific characteristics of teaching performance and student-centredness; while activities that had impact outside an individual’s teaching practice were also prevalent, including campus leadership, scholarship of teaching and learning, and contributions to curriculum. Lists of potential sources of evidence were heavily weighted towards student perceptions and artefacts from instructors’ teaching. Recommendations for individuals and institutions wanting to foster excellence in teaching are offered along with suggestions for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52
Author(s):  
Janice Miller-Young ◽  
Melina Sinclair ◽  
Sarah Forgie

Quality teaching and how to assess and award it, continue to be an area of scholarship and debate in higher education. While the literature demonstrates that assessment should be multifaceted, operationalizing this is no easy task. To gain insight into how teaching excellence is defined in Canadian higher education, this empirical study collected and analysed the criteria, evidence, and standards for institutional teaching awards from 89 institutions and 204 award programs across Canada. The majority of awards included criteria such as specific characteristics of teaching performance and student-centredness; while activities that had impact outside an individual’s teaching practice were also prevalent, including campus leadership, scholarship of teaching and learning, and contributions to curriculum. Lists of potential sources of evidence were heavily weighted towards student perceptions and artefacts from instructors’ teaching. Recommendations for individuals and institutions wanting to foster excellence in teaching are offered along with suggestions for future research.


10.28945/4198 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 021-041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine A. Quinn ◽  
Nicole A. Buzzetto-Hollywood

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of faculty and student perceptions of the importance of resource, interpersonal, information, systems, and technology management competencies in the hospitality industry Background: The increasing complexity and technological dependency of the diverse hospitality and tourism sector raises the skill requirements needed, and expected, of new hires making education and competency development a strategic priority. Identifying the skills needed for hospitality graduates to succeed in a sector that is continuously being impacted by digitalization and globalization must be a continual process predicated on the desire to meet ever-changing industry needs. This study seeks to update and further explore an investigation started a decade ago that examined the skills and competencies valued by hiring managers in the hospitality industry. Methodology: The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), comprised of representatives from business, labor, education, and government, developed the framework, of workplace competencies and foundation skills used in this study. This research used a survey methodology for data collection and descriptive and inferential statistical methods during the analyses. The data for this study were collected from faculty, staff, hospitality industry stakeholders, and students of a Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management located at a small eastern Historically Black University (HBU). An electronic survey was sent to169 respondents and a total of 100 completed surveys were received for an overall return rate of 59%. Contribution: This study provides research on a population (first-generation minority college students) that is expanding in numbers in higher education and that the literature, reports as being under-prepared for academic success. This paper is timely and relevant and can be used to inform hospitality educators so that they can best meet the needs of their students and the companies looking to hire skilled graduates. Findings: The findings of this study indicate there is inconsistent agreement among academicians and students regarding the importance of SCANS-specific competencies in hospitality graduates. At the same time, there is no argument that industry skills will be critical in the future of hospitality graduates. Overwhelmingly, participating students and faculty found all of the SCANS competencies important with the highest ranked competencies being interpersonal skills, which, given the importance of teamwork, customer service skills, leadership, and working with cultural diversity in the hospitality industry, was expected. Additionally, participating students indicated their strong agreement that internships are effective at building professional skills. Finally, the hospitality students included in this study who were enrolled in a skill-based curriculum were confident that their program is preparing them with the necessary skills and competencies that they will need for their future careers. Recommendations for Practitioners: Higher education hospitality programs should be exploring the skills valued by industry, teaching faculty, and the students to see if they are being satisfied. Recommendation for Researchers: This research should be expanded to additional institutions across the United States as well as abroad. This particular research protocol is easily replicated and can be duplicated at both minority and majority serving institutions enabling greater comparisons across groups. Impact on Society: Several reports identify gaps in the 21st century skills required for the workplace and the effectiveness of higher education in preparing graduates for the workforce. This study helps to propel this discussion forward with relevant findings and a research methodology that is easily replicable. Future Research: A follow-up study of employers is currently being conducted.


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