It was a long day… too many Zoom calls! To wrap up the day, I wanted something uplifting and continued watching the spring 2021 SABER series. The second talk this spring was by Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab from Temple University on February 4, 2021. The session was entitled “Addressing students’ basic needs with a culture of caring during the pandemic.” Goldrick-Rab provided background on on the economics of college and who shoulders the majority of cost. Family economics plays a major part in success or failure of students in college. Goldrick-Rab also discussed working through college and how the pandemic has impacted wages. Social safety nets for college students has systematically excluded college students. Changes in food stamp and government support for college students has evolved and provided less support for students even as student needs have gone up, according to Goldrick-Rab. Further, part time students, disproportionally women and marginalized students, receive less funding. Goldrick-Rab emphasized that “Maslow must come first before students can Bloom,” referring to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Bloom’s taxonomy. I love this! Goldrick-Rab also mentioned that a new survey of basic needs and insecurity rates was conducted in the fall of 2020. Almost 3 in 5 students experienced basic needs insecurity rates based on the spring 2020 survey! The rates of homelessness, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and any basic needs were similar at two-year and four-year colleges. Six percent of students reported they are not safe where they are living! Students living off-campus tend to come from lower income than those on-campus, according to Goldrick-Rab. When comparing fall 2019 to spring 2020 (during the pandemic), the basic needs gap for white/caucasian and black students was 16% pre and 19% post! Goldrick-Rab mentioned this gap is remarkably similar to the 18% disparity in six year completion rates between white and black students. Goldrick-Rab presented data from a standardized anxiety survey in which about 50% of students reported anxiety, and 50% of students at two-year colleges and 63% four-year college students reported not being able to concentrate. Forty one percent of students at two-year colleges and 36% at four-year colleges had to take care of family members during the pandemic. Goldrick-Rab then discussed the rates at which students reported asking for SNAP, Unemployment, or Emergency Aid on Campus… was between 15% and 21%. Students reported not thinking they were elegible, didn’t know about the program, or didn’t know how to apply. Interestingly, Goldrick-Rab mentioned that most of those accessing support services are white women or those who had faculty advocating for them.
Goldrick-Rab said: “Students are humans first” and “we must acknowledge their stress and basic needs” since their wellbeing is needed for learning. Strategic emails affirming progress in assignments and courses, offering tips on how to succeed, and sharing supports relevant to their lives help raise grades, mentioned Goldrick-Rab. They also mentioned sending students to case managers, Rise and other non-profit and advocacy groups. Several suggestions were mentioned, including offering both synchronous and asynchronous virtual support and helping students focus on their growth. I love how Goldrick-Rab mentioned the strategies from the Digital Pedagogy lab and allowing students to complete assignments at their pace. This resonates with me. There are other ways to engage instead of rigidity and grades.
“…work with them (students) as human beings to create their learning… “
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab
Goldrick-Rab mentioned that on the Hope Center website there are resources to communicate care on the syllabus and normalize getting help when necessary. “Deploy emergency aid equitably” was a message that Goldrick-Rab stressed. This is because of who has access or gets in line first to receive aid. Advice they offered that was nice to hear was “be human with them!” I also didn’t know about the Hope Center (hope4college.com) and the type of research the Center conducts. The discussion at the end included Sara Goldrick-Rab recommending the Susan Blum Ungrading book and how Goldrick-Rab has students give themselves the grade they deserve… and now reports a wider grade range! Interestingly, Goldrick-Rab reported that white middle class males do not like this approach. Finally, Goldrick-Rab suggested: talk differently about the issues that students are facing and watching (with students) the documentary “Hungry to Learn.”
