Since the Covid pandemic, community colleges have increased efforts to provide more services to students to help them overcome challenges and succeed in college. But a significant number of students don’t tap those services — from basic needs, to mental health — often because they feel uncertain.
A new report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) at the University of Texas at Austin spotlights students’ perceptions of such services on campuses, which are seen as critical to help them succeed in college. Even though the services are offered, students may not seek them — and sometimes it’s just that they may need a little nudge.
Many community colleges now offer a food pantry or other services to help students who are food insecure, and they also offer some types of services for housing challenges and mental health. Although most students indicate they are aware and use the services, a significant portion who would benefit report they don’t. That’s an area colleges can improve on by strengthening their “culture of caring,” CCCSE says.
CCCSE used data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) of 54,000 students at 127 colleges and from the Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) of nearly 10,000 entering students at 58 colleges.
Among its findings: While the bulk of student respondents (84%) said they felt seen by faculty and staff, 16% indicated they felt “invisible” to them. The surveys also found that almost nine in 10 participants didn’t think their instructors cared about their success, with more than one in five feeling college staff (other than instructors) didn’t care about them.
The CCSSE and SENSE surveys also found that about half of the students who indicated they need help with food received assistance from their college, but also half did not. Even more students (60% to 74%) who needed help with housing and utility bills said they didn’t get assistance from the college to find services. About one in five students also didn’t feel mental health and emotional well-being was a priority for the college, with 37% saying they would not know where to go for such help.
The report highlights strategies developed by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change that several colleges have adopted. For example, one college hosts “Ask Me Anything” welcome weeks to help new students connect and feel a sense of belonging, while another college uses “warm referrals” — personally escorting students to support offices.
To help colleges assess their culture of caring, CCCSE suggests the following questions:
- Do students believe that faculty and staff care about them and their success?
- Do students believe they can succeed academically?
- Do students feel comfortable asking for help?
- How may students are experiencing food and housing insecurity, and are we helping them meet these and other basic needs?
- Do our students believe that our college considers their mental health and well-being a priority?
CCCSE adds that colleges should also consider how they assess which students need support, how effectively they communicate available supports, and whether faculty and staff need additional training to identify students who may be struggling and connect them to the support they need.
The report concludes with steps that members of the college community can take, from presidents, to faculty and staff, to students themselves. For example, presidents can designate a person or team to maintain a centralized list of current services that are part of the college’s culture of caring and make sure everyone on campus has access to it. They can also provide professional development to help faculty and staff identify struggling students and connect them to the appropriate services.
