UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Beginning Thursday, Nov. 18, a random sample of undergraduate and graduate/professional students at University Park were asked to share their experiences with food and housing insecurity by completing the Food and Housing Needs Survey. This survey is an important step in gathering information that will guide ongoing efforts to respond to student needs across the University and provide valuable learning for additional surveying at campuses to be administered during fall 2022.

The University is seeking input from a sample of students — whether or not they have dealt with food or housing insecurity — to help the University learn more about the prevalence of need, direct resources and support, and guide future outreach to students.

The survey will be open from Thursday, Nov. 18 to Friday, Dec. 10 — and will take only about 5-10 minutes to complete. On Thursday, Nov. 18, an email from noreply@qemailserver.com (Student Affairs Research and Assessment reply to: saraoffice@psu.edu) with a survey link will be sent to a sample of students, and those students who do not complete the survey also will receive a few reminder emails.

Nationally, college students are increasingly experiencing food and housing insecurity, which can have a range of academic, social and emotional consequences. The University is undertaking a range of efforts to address this challenge and support students across the University.

“I encourage students, regardless of whether you personally experience food or housing insecurity, to participate in the survey. Collective input will help Penn State gauge the prevalence of this challenge and organize resources,” said Penn State President Eric Barron. “Student success and well-being are our priorities. As a University community, we are committed to creating innovative ways to support students, and I am so proud of efforts like Swipe Out Hunger and One Big Week that raised money to support student emergency funds. This survey is another critical piece in informing our action and progress in this area.”

Food and housing insecurity is often an unseen challenge and can look different for everyone. Survey questions will ask about students’ experiences with:

• Skipping or stretching meals.
• Having limited access to nutritious food.
• Being uncertain about where their next meal will come from.
• Being unable to pay rent and moving around frequently due to financial strain.
• Becoming homeless, including due to safety concerns, among other topics.

“The survey should inform us about the ways financial insecurity affects our students’ daily lives, even as it illuminates disparate impacts this issue may have on various populations of students,” said Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs. “Without this data, we would not be able to address the problem as effectively as we must. But with the participation of all students receiving the survey, we’ll be armed with the insight necessary to do this important work well.”

In 2020, Barron formed the Food and Housing Security Task Force to evaluate food and housing insecurity, understand strengths and gaps, and identify new approaches to build on the ongoing work being conducted across Penn State. The task force completed its assessment and shared its recommendations in March 2021, and the University is currently advancing a variety of initiatives — one of which is continued assessment of this challenge through a survey.

Students invited to participate are randomly selected, and protecting the privacy of survey respondents is our top priority. While this survey is not anonymous, information about individuals will remain confidential among a small number of Student Affairs staff who can provide resources and support to students if needed. All public reporting will be done in the aggregate without identifying individuals. In some cases, staff members may reach out to students whose survey results indicate an immediate need, if those students have also responded that they are willing to be contacted. Students who complete the survey will be entered in a random drawing for 10 awards of $25 in LionCash.

After being analyzed, broad results and recommendations to address findings will be shared with the Penn State community in the spring semester. However, based on initial trends that emerge, the University may begin making real-time adjustments to support as specific needs are identified.

Food and housing security resources for students

Students are encouraged to share their experiences via the survey, however, those who need help should reach out directly for support. There are staff members at every campus who are available to assist you, and there is no judgment if you are experiencing hardship.

• Learn more about available financial, food and housing security, and other basic needs resources.
• As a first point of contact, students at every campus can always call or email Student Care and Advocacy, and staff will offer guidance and help connect you to the appropriate office or resources at your campus.
• In addition, anyone can complete the online form to share a concern about a student.

For questions regarding the survey, please contact Student Affairs Research and Assessment at saraoffice@psu.edu.