LEAF Lens: Basic Needs Centers
As California’s newest policy requiring California Community Colleges (CCCs) to establish basic needs centers and coordinators went into effect July 1, it feels like an appropriate time to dive into why centers like these are so critical for first-generation college students.
This policy, which was signed last year but did not go into effect until July 1, 2022, requires California Community Colleges to hire a Basic Needs Coordinator to begin doing the work of establishing a basic needs center at their respective campus, assuming there isn’t one already. This legislation, although necessary and overdue, isn’t really presenting a new idea. All CSU and UC campuses already have some version of a basic needs center established and both systems receive state funding to support these centers and initiatives.
So why is it significant that the state is now requiring Community College campuses to establish similar initiatives? The push for basic needs centers and resources on California Community College campuses is essential because CCCs enroll and support the highest share of low-income students in the state.
Our CCCs are supporting our most vulnerable students - first-generation students, low-income students, students of color, and undocumented students. And with 1 in 5 CCC students experiencing homelessness, it is critical that our policies and institutions continue to support these students with resources and initiatives that have a direct impact on their health and safety.
Policies like these are a win not only because they result in funding for institutions to support vulnerable students, but also because they signal a shift in the way we think about supporting students. Our institutions and policy makers are becoming more aware of what students and advocates have been echoing for years - support for students has to span outside of the classroom.
It simply is not enough to support students academically - we must establish initiatives and programs that support students’ holistic health and safety if we are truly interested in their success.
