Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Virginia Killian-Lund

Abstract

Food insecurity in college settings has become a significant area of research over the past 20 years. Many community colleges have chosen to create food pantries on their campuses to mitigate the effects of food insecurity for their students. However, these food pantries are rarely assessed for how well they serve their students, and often, students do not have an input in their development. This study examined the decision-making process of administrators when creating or maintaining food pantries and how these decisions affected the daily operation of the pantry. Student survey data were also collected to better understand the experiences of students when using the pantry and what they believe to be the most important aspects of the pantry. Results showed that the decisions made by leadership determine the value in the pantry and dictate basic structures, which partially shape the campus culture and structure of the food pantry. Additionally, administrators who are charged with the care of the pantry rely on their own belief systems, values, and experiences to drive their decision-making. Together, these two forces determine how the pantry is structured. In surveys, students indicated they felt supported by the pantry, and the model that existed had destigmatized the pantry. They were grateful for the resource and appreciated the available foods, with some recommendations on other items that would make it serve their needs more.

This research suggests that campus food pantries can help mitigate food insecurity on campus while also becoming a beacon for wrap-around service assistance and shaping the culture of the college. Future research should include research into other community college pantries to create a database of pantry models, and an increased focus on federal policy work to allow students to participate in SNAP.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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