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CSCU outlines systemwide food-insecurity and student support efforts; presidents push back on coordination
Summary
System officials reported expanded campus food pantries, Stop & Shop donations, SNAP E&T outreach, 2-1-1 training and a JED campus suicide-prevention rollout; several institutional presidents said they were not fully consulted about broader student-success initiatives.
System officials told the Board of Regents that Connecticut State Colleges and Universities have expanded campus food pantries, strengthened community partnerships and are launching coordinated outreach to move students from short-term food assistance into training and employment programs.
Leslie, a system office official overseeing systemwide initiatives, reported that all campuses now have food pantries and that the system has built partnerships with FoodShare, United Way and the Connecticut Association for Community Action. She said Stop & Shop contributed about $100,000 in the first year, then $133,000 the following year and $156,500 most recently; those funds were allocated to campus pantries based on campus-level data.
Leslie highlighted nonfinancial steps aimed at long-term impact: SNAP Employment and Training referrals that can make students eligible for tuition and participant supports, 2-1-1 training for campus staff to connect students with local services, and an ARPA-funded focus on early-childhood, nursing and workforce pathways. She also described the system’s implementation of the JED Campus suicide-prevention framework across sites and said a System Student Success Council launched in December to coordinate student-support strategies; the council will hold a systemwide summit May 15 to develop a communications plan and align resources.
System leaders said the goal is to make pantries a gateway to sustained support — helping students enroll in SNAP E&T programs, access job training and reduce long-term reliance on emergency assistance. Leslie said the system will continue biennial surveys of student basic needs as required by statute (Section 22-101) and will expand outreach to students who may not know about campus supports.
Not all institutional leaders welcomed the new, broader approach. Southern President Toro and other campus presidents told the board they were surprised by aspects of the Student Success Council and by presentation content beyond food pantries. Toro said presidents and the president’s council had not been adequately consulted and warned that campus autonomy and accreditation considerations should guide system action.
Chancellor Chang and system officers responded that the board had requested a food-insecurity update and that the system office intends coordination, not micromanagement. Officers said they will improve communications through president’s council channels and will include campus leaders in next steps.
Why this matters: Food insecurity and nonacademic supports are linked directly to retention and degree completion. The conversation also highlighted a recurring governance tension — how the system office balances systemwide coordination with campus-level autonomy.
Next steps described in the meeting included the May 15 Student Success Council summit, continued biennial surveys of student needs, expanded SNAP and community-action outreach, and a commitment from system staff to route major cross-campus initiatives through the presidents’ council for review.
