Featured Stories
Whitworth University Receives NetVUE Grant for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith
SPOKANE, Washington, July 17 -- Whitworth University issued the following news release:
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Whitworth University Receives NetVUE Grant for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith
Whitworth is pleased to announce it has received a $60,000 grant for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE).
The Whitworth University Office of Church Engagement (OCE) will use the funds to enhance its Summer Fellowship Program and invite students into summer ministry apprenticeships meant to deepen their faith, develop practical ministry
... Show Full Article
SPOKANE, Washington, July 17 -- Whitworth University issued the following news release:
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Whitworth University Receives NetVUE Grant for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith
Whitworth is pleased to announce it has received a $60,000 grant for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE).
The Whitworth University Office of Church Engagement (OCE) will use the funds to enhance its Summer Fellowship Program and invite students into summer ministry apprenticeships meant to deepen their faith, develop practical ministryskills, and cultivate a deeper understanding of personal vocation and calling.
"The Summer Fellowship Program has been inviting students to explore ministry opportunities and engage in vocational discernment for over a decade," says the Rev. Allison Maus, assistant director of the Summer Fellowship Program. "We're excited to bring new intention and depth to a program that has been transformative in the lives of so many students and ministries throughout the years."
Through the program, students will receive training and support from program staff and hands-on experience and mentorship from a partnering faith community. In pursuit of the development of deeply formative ministry apprenticeships, the OCE will also convene a cohort of local faith communities engaged in a yearlong program meant to develop the mentorship skills and ministry capacity necessary to successfully guide future leaders.
A program of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), NetVUE has awarded grants for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith to 23 institutions totaling over $1.2 million. Whitworth joins the CIC and the NetVUE program in thanking Lilly Endowment Inc., which makes this grant possible.
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About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private, Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
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Original text here: https://news.whitworth.edu/2026/07/whitworth-university-receives-netvue.html
VCU: Summit Explores Judicial Aspects of Virginia's Tribal Nations
RICHMOND, Virginia, July 17 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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Summit explores judicial aspects of Virginia's tribal nations
The Upper Mattaponi Tribe and VCU's Humanities Research Center collaborate on the second annual gathering.
By Haley Tenore
As she welcomed her audience in James Branch Cabell Library, Chief Justice Melissa Holds the Enemy made clear that they weren't simply in the lecture hall. They were in Indian Country, which forms wherever Native people gather.
"Today is more than a conference," the Upper Mattaponi judicial leader said. "It's a
... Show Full Article
RICHMOND, Virginia, July 17 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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Summit explores judicial aspects of Virginia's tribal nations
The Upper Mattaponi Tribe and VCU's Humanities Research Center collaborate on the second annual gathering.
By Haley Tenore
As she welcomed her audience in James Branch Cabell Library, Chief Justice Melissa Holds the Enemy made clear that they weren't simply in the lecture hall. They were in Indian Country, which forms wherever Native people gather.
"Today is more than a conference," the Upper Mattaponi judicial leader said. "It's agathering of nations of knowledge and of shared purpose. And as tribal nations, we're not creating something new. We are reclaiming and strengthening what has already belonged to us."
Part of ongoing efforts to recognize and engage with Virginia's Indigenous communities, Virginia Commonwealth University hosted the second annual Judicial Summit for the Tribal Nations of Virginia on July 10. Presented by the Upper Mattaponi Tribe and VCU's Humanities Research Center, the event brought together tribal leaders, judges, attorneys, advocates, educators and community members from Virginia tribal nations to discuss the future of Indigenous justice systems grounded in Native values, healing-centered leadership, sovereignty and community wellness.
The summit is connected to VCU's On Native Ground initiative at the HRC that highlights Indigenous histories and builds collaborations with tribal nations. The university approved a land acknowledgement that recognizes the centrality of Indigenous peoples, their contributions and their ongoing presence on the land VCU calls home, and which commits to learning more about VA tribes.
The daylong summit featured sessions that highlighted the perspective of tribal leaders and explored Indigenous concepts of justice, tribal constitutions, judicial branches and court systems. One panel assembled four tribal chiefs - Frank Adams (Upper Mattaponi), Stephen R. Adkins (Chickahominy), Ann Richardson (Rappahannock) and Kevin Brown (Pamunkey) - while another featured Chief Justice Holds the Enemy and associate justices Jack Trope and Brian Cameron.
In a presentation focusing on concepts of justice, University of Richmond leadership studies professor David Wilkins, Ph.D., a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, discussed differences between Native and European-based systems.
"Indigenous justice was based on the recognition that blood and friendship were more influential than reason. They established rules whereby people had responsibilities toward family members," he said. "European-based justice has been described as 'I have rights.' Our people held a deeply important view: We have obligations - we have responsibilities. That's a very different mindset, and it's critical to our continued evolution as Native societies."
Wilkins said he hopes tribal justice systems remain rooted in good-faith leadership and free, informed consent - noting that Native systems have foundations that were established centuries before European settlers arrived in North America.
In the panel of tribal leaders, Upper Mattaponi Chief Adams emphasized that Native tribes can think and operate differently, and should not be viewed as a monolithic group. Value, customs and traditions can vary, even as many tribes and individuals share similar stories - with determination being a common theme.
"The story of the Virginia tribes is an amazing story of our survival," Rappahannock Chief Richardson said. "And for our tribe, from early on, we have been fighters for justice for our people and rights for our people. And when we became federally recognized in 2018, we've been building our tribal government."
The summit opened with remarks from Humanities Research Center Director Cristina Stanciu, Ph.D., and VCU Provost Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., and it included a statement from Candi Mundon King, secretary of the commonwealth, on behalf of Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
"The governor believes deeply in the sovereignty of our tribal nations and is committed to being a partner and to listening as much as she leads," Mundon King said, "because we feel that's something that has definitely been missing."
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Original text here: https://news.vcu.edu/article/summit-explores-judicial-aspects-of-virginias-tribal-nations
University of Manchester: Drug Hope for People With Common Heart Thickening Disease
MANCHESTER, England, July 17 (TNSjou) -- The University of Manchester issued the following news release:
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Drug hope for people with common heart thickening disease
A new drug offers hope for people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the world's most common inherited heart disease.
The TEMPEST trial led by University of Manchester researchers tested the drug - called trientine - in 154 adults with the condition in a year long, placebo controlled study.
The trial was funded by a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research
... Show Full Article
MANCHESTER, England, July 17 (TNSjou) -- The University of Manchester issued the following news release:
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Drug hope for people with common heart thickening disease
A new drug offers hope for people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the world's most common inherited heart disease.
The TEMPEST trial led by University of Manchester researchers tested the drug - called trientine - in 154 adults with the condition in a year long, placebo controlled study.
The trial was funded by a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research(NIHR). NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) supported the trial.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - which affects around 1 in 500 people worldwide- causes thickening and scarring of the heart muscle.
The condition is sometimes asymptomatic, but other patients suffer from breathlessness, fatigue, chest pain and blackouts.
A small minority of people have an increased risk of developing a dangerous heart rhythm, which can lead to sudden death.
In the trial, treatment with trientine led to a reduction in heart muscle thickening. The effect was greater in patients with greater heart muscle thickening at the beginning of the trial.
It is a potentially new way of treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and potentially heart muscle thickening caused by other conditions.
However, the researchers say, larger studies are required to confirm how well it works and whether it improves how people feel and function.
Professor Chris Miller from The University of Manchester said: "This trial suggests trientine may be a promising option for people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
"People with more advanced disease seemed to benefit the most, but larger studies are needed to confirm this.
"There were few side effects, and the drug was generally well tolerated."
Copper is an essential mineral involved in key processes in the heart muscle, including energy production, protection cells from damage, and controlling scarring.
When copper levels are low in cells, the heart struggles to make energy and the heart muscle can thicken. At the same time, loose copper outside cells can cause harmful stress on the cells and trigger scar tissue to form.
Trientine has been used for more than 50 years to treat a rare inherited condition that affects how the body handles copper. It improves the availability of copper within cells and binds and removes copper outside cells.
This study follows earlier research in animals showing that trientine improves the heart's energy production, reduces harmful stress on cells and reduces heart muscle thickening and scarring.
In a previous small study in people with diabetes related heart problems, trientine led to a reduction in heart muscle thickening.
First author and PhD student, Dr John Farrant from The University of Manchester added: "These findings provide the first evidence that targeting copper could open a new chapter in treating all patients with this condition."
The trial is part of the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre's (BRC) Integrative Cardiovascular Medicine Theme, which aims to develop new ways to diagnose and treat heart disease.
Professor Danny McAuley, Scientific Director of NIHR Programmes, said:
"These promising results offer hope to patients, demonstrating how Trientine - a drug targeting copper metabolism - can treat this potentially fatal inherited heart condition.
"Once again this shows how MRC and NIHR's key partnership can drive life-changing research. Together we are addressing complex clinical challenges and translating cutting-edge ideas into evidence-based treatments as part of the government's mission for fewer lives to be lost to the biggest killers."
* The paper Trientine for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: a phase 2 trial, published in European Heart Journal is published in the European heart journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehag512
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Original text here: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/drug-hope-for-people-with-common-heart-thickening-disease/
University College London: Weight Loss Drugs Could Help With Binge Eating Disorder
LONDON, England, July 17 (TNSjou) -- The University College London posted the following news:
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Weight loss drugs could help with binge eating disorder
Drugs commonly used for weight loss, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, have been found to reduce the key symptoms of binge eating disorder, in a new review of evidence led by UCL researchers.
The systematic review and meta-analysis, published in eClinicalMedicine, found that weight loss drugs can reduce binge eating episodes, loss-of-control eating and emotional eating, and highlights its potential role to treat binge eating disorder as
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, July 17 (TNSjou) -- The University College London posted the following news:
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Weight loss drugs could help with binge eating disorder
Drugs commonly used for weight loss, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, have been found to reduce the key symptoms of binge eating disorder, in a new review of evidence led by UCL researchers.
The systematic review and meta-analysis, published in eClinicalMedicine, found that weight loss drugs can reduce binge eating episodes, loss-of-control eating and emotional eating, and highlights its potential role to treat binge eating disorder aswell as obesity.
Lead author Dr Ilaria Costantini (UCL Psychiatry) said: "Binge eating disorder, where people regularly eat an excessive amount of food while feeling they have lost control, is common and highly impairing, affecting over 17 million people worldwide.
"But treatment options are limited and there are currently no approved medications, so there remains a need for better ways to help people living with this condition. We found evidence that weight loss drugs may help to manage some key symptoms of binge eating disorder."
In the largest study to date on the subject, the researchers pulled together evidence from 25 randomised controlled trials that took place in 12 countries on four continents, including data from 8,069 participants.
The studies were testing the effects of drugs targeting the appetite-regulating hormone GLP-1 such as semaglutide (often marketed under brand names Ozempic or Wegovy), tirzepatide (also known as Mounjaro) or liraglutide.
These drugs can suppress appetite by targeting the central nervous system and insulin secretion, and they can delay stomach emptying, while also potentially influencing brain processes of reward and impulse control.
The researchers found that the drugs yielded benefits beyond weight loss, including reducing binge eating, loss of control eating and emotional eating.
Participants also reported increased cognitive or dietary restraint (which relates to how much people intentionally limit their eating), but the researchers say more research is needed to understand this link.
The study's first author, PhD candidate Izzy Emptage (UCL Psychiatry), said: "From the evidence available, we cannot say whether the increase in dietary restraint reflects a positive and helpful form of self-regulation or if it is a more dysfunctional pattern of eating. We hope that future research can clarify whether or not taking weight loss drugs might contribute to more pathological forms of eating restriction such as meal skipping."
The researchers say their findings demonstrate that weight loss drugs could be an important part of treatment plans for people with binge eating disorder, alongside psychological therapies and social support.
Izzy Emptage added: "Many people with binge eating disorder cannot access weight loss drugs through their public healthcare providers, so many have to seek treatment privately at considerable personal cost.
"We hope that by highlighting the potential of weight loss drugs to help with binge eating symptoms, our findings will lead to further funding of larger high-quality studies in this area, to better understand how this medication could be used in practice and improve treatment options."
Dr Costantini said: "One strength of our study is the involvement of a lived experience panel, who shared important insights into their views and concerns about the use of these medications for binge eating, as well as the challenges many people face in accessing treatment for binge eating disorder. Importantly, they emphasised that sustainable recovery is likely to depend not only on medication but also on psychological therapies and social support, as well as policy or community-level approaches to tackle societal norms and weight bias."
The researchers note limitations of their study, as most of the trials included in the review had a high risk of bias and were funded by pharmaceutical companies, and they rarely included participants with a clinical diagnosis of binge eating disorder, which the researchers say limits the certainty of the findings.
They say that robust, independently-funded randomised controlled trials with long follow-up times that include people diagnosed with binge eating disorders are still needed to clarify the potential clinical role of these drugs to help treat binge eating disorder, and to determine whether the observed short-term benefits translate into meaningful and sustained improvements.
The study involved researchers in the UCL Faculties of Brain Sciences, Population Health Sciences and Medical Sciences alongside colleagues in the Universities of Exeter, Oxford, North Carolina and Karolinska Institute, and was supported by Wellcome, the Medical Research Foundation and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
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Links
* Research paper in eClinicalMedicine (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(26)00256-7/fulltext)
* Dr Ilaria Costantini's academic profile (https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/95058-ilaria-costantini)
* UCL Division of Psychiatry (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/psychiatry)
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Original text here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2026/jul/weight-loss-drugs-could-help-binge-eating-disorder
SUNY-Upstate Medical Campus: How a 3D Printer is Transforming Psychiatric Care
SYRACUSE, New York, July 17 -- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University campus issued the following news:
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How a 3D printer is transforming psychiatric care
Written by Jean Albanese
The nursing staff on Upstate's Community Hospital in-patient psychiatric floor is using a 3D printer to enhance their patients' experience through creativity, engagement and therapeutic activities.
For the past few months, items like toy boats and ducks, flowers, suncatchers and fidget spinners have helped patients with calming and coping skills as well as participation in essential aspects
... Show Full Article
SYRACUSE, New York, July 17 -- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University campus issued the following news:
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How a 3D printer is transforming psychiatric care
Written by Jean Albanese
The nursing staff on Upstate's Community Hospital in-patient psychiatric floor is using a 3D printer to enhance their patients' experience through creativity, engagement and therapeutic activities.
For the past few months, items like toy boats and ducks, flowers, suncatchers and fidget spinners have helped patients with calming and coping skills as well as participation in essential aspectsof their care.
Nurses on the unit were looking for a way to bring fresh energy and ideas to the group therapy sessions, which are central to a patient's care but sometimes poorly attended. Enter the 3D printer.
RN Clinical Leaders Conor Zinn and Koren Johnson said the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
"We have seen increased engagement, participation in their plan of care, decreased behavioral events when utilizing some of the coping mechanisms/skills we can make, and from the data we have gathered, a 200 percent increase in group attendance and participation," said Zinn, RN BSN PMH-BC.
Zinn adds that they have seen patients who never attend a group finally attend their first one. The staff also has been able to provide specific fidgets tailored to specific patients' preferences and needs--sometimes fidgets for the sake of keeping the patients busy and distracted, and others provide sensory stimulation that has helped in moments of crisis. One example is an octopus fidget toy whose tentacles move.
"One patient had stayed with us a few weeks and showed no interest in attending and participating in group therapy, but once we began using the 3D printer, we watched them come out more often and interact with groups and to our delight and shock even ask us immediately to do a group as soon as we came in for the day," Zinn said.
Nurse Manager Joe Cook, RN, BSN, PMH-BC, said staff keeps a running list of ideas for items to print, and eventually, the goal or hope is to have patients design or select items to print. Due to safety concerns, the printer is behind glass, but Cook said staff have been brainstorming ways to have the printer used on a mobile cart.
To print an item, a staff member scans a QR code to link their phone to the printer. From there, it offers a menu of items, and one is selected to print. The file downloaded and sent to print. Items are printed fully assembled and after a few minutes to cool, they're popped off the printer plate and ready to be used.
A common thread the nursing staff has seen is love for "Benchys" which are a quick print of a small boat that works as a benchmark for testing the printer. Benchys (see photo below) take about 15 minutes to print, and Zinn said patients have loved decorating them.
"They use them as a reminder to use their healthy coping mechanisms to 'stay afloat during the storm' as we say in group," he said.
The creation of the items has been as helpful as the items themselves. The 3D printer runs at the nurse station for hours each night, and patients often gather by the glass to watch the printer zoom back and forth. Patients find the printing process itself soothing, as watching a design come to life can promote mindfulness, focus, and relaxation.
"The patients love coming to the glass and watching it print," Cook said. "They're taking in that relaxation."
Zinn and Johnson, RN PMHBC, said the ultimate goal for the unit's 3D printer is to improve patient care, staff efficiency, and participation in therapeutic groups, which in turn will lead to improved inpatient stays.
Cook said the goal with the printer is to give patients, especially those on the unit for a long time, some autonomy, and the goal is to eventually have patients design their own items.
"Patients who are here a long time get bored," Cook said. "We need new, fresh ideas to keep people engaged with the group process, which is a big part of their healing and their treatment plan.
In addition to printing therapeutic tools and activities for patients, educational materials and unit-specific resources, staff have begun looking into various adaptive devices that can help patients, such as braille-related materials, cupholders for walkers, reading aids for those with dyslexia and pill holders patients can take home with them.
"The long-term vision we have is to foster innovation and empower both staff and patients to develop creative solutions to various psychosocial problems inside and outside of the hospital," Zinn said.
Zinn adds that the hospital is using PLA (polylactic acid) filament with the printer, which is a bioplastic made from renewable plant-based resources like corn starch. Compared to many consumer products, which use petroleum-based plastics, PLA has a lower carbon footprint and is considered a more environmentally friendly material. It is even industrially compostable using specialized commercial composting conditions and prints at lower temperatures than conventional plastic, decreasing energy consumption as well.
"By using mostly PLA, we are also able to discuss and support environmental responsibility and sustainability with our patients," he said.
Zinn and Johnson credit the project's success to support and encouragement from hospital management. Based on the success of the printer on the Community unit, Zinn said clinical leaders are considering integrating it on other psychiatric units.
"Their willingness to embrace such a new idea and invest in innovative solutions has been instrumental in helping make this work," Zinn said. "We look forward to continuing to explore new ways 3D printing can enhance patient care and support an ever-evolving mental healthcare setting.
"We are excited to see the opportunities ahead and to continue developing practical, patient-centered solutions that make a meaningful difference for our patients." Zinn said.
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Original text here: https://www.upstate.edu/news/articles/2026/2026-07-16-3d.php
Four VCU Students and Recent Alums Earn Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships for 2026
RICHMOND, Virginia, July 17 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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Four VCU students and recent alums earn prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships for 2026
The five-year awards will propel their studies in STEM-based disciplines.
By William Lineberry, Honors College
One Virginia Commonwealth University student and three recent alums have been selected for the 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a prestigious national initiative that helps graduate students advance their studies in STEM-based disciplines.
The five-year
... Show Full Article
RICHMOND, Virginia, July 17 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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Four VCU students and recent alums earn prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships for 2026
The five-year awards will propel their studies in STEM-based disciplines.
By William Lineberry, Honors College
One Virginia Commonwealth University student and three recent alums have been selected for the 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a prestigious national initiative that helps graduate students advance their studies in STEM-based disciplines.
The five-yearfellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost-of-education allowance of $16,000 to the institution. Fellows must be pursuing a master's or doctoral degree at an accredited institution.
"The success of these three remarkable alums and one current student underscores VCU's national and international research prominence as a top 20% global university," said Arturo P. Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president and provost. "Underscoring our deep institutional commitment to supporting undergraduate and graduate student research through world-class mentorship and hands-on experiences, VCU is training the next generation of researchers who will solve tomorrow's most complex challenges. Here at VCU, every Ram's a researcher, and this recognition shows our students are competing at the highest levels of American science."
The current VCU student honored as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow for 2026 is:
* Luke Sheakley, a biomedical engineering doctoral candidate in the College of Engineering.
The three recent alums honored are:
* Eleanor Sabalewski, a 2025 graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering from the College of Engineering.
* Madison Grove, a 2026 graduate of the VCU Honors College with a double major in physics and mathematical sciences from the College of Humanities and Sciences.
* Jessica Nguyen, a 2026 graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering from the College of Engineering.
In addition to the four recipients for 2026, VCU had three alums selected as honorable mention for the fellowship:
* Alyssa Spasic, a 2023 graduate with a degree in biology from the College of Humanities and Sciences.
* Jennoa Fleming, a 2024 graduate with a degree in environmental studies from the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability in the College of Humanities and Sciences.
* Abigail Brooks, a 2025 graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering from the College of Engineering.
The NSF recipients and honorable mentions used VCU's National Scholarship Office, housed in the Honors College, to apply for the fellowship. The NSO assists students and alums with applying for prestigious national and international scholarships. To learn more about opportunities, visit the NSO website to schedule an appointment.
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Original text here: https://news.vcu.edu/article/four-vcu-students-and-recent-alums-earn-prestigious-nsf-graduate-research-fellowships-for-2026
California State University Marks 10 Years of Advancing Student Basic Needs Support
LONG BEACH, California, July 17 -- California State University issued the following news:
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CSU Marks 10 Years of Advancing Student Basic Needs Support
At the 2026 CSU Basic Needs Convening, campus leaders, practitioners and students reflected on a decade of progress and explored how the CSU can address student well-being in the years ahead.
By Alisia Ruble
For 10 years, the CSU's Basic Needs Initiative has helped transform how campuses support student well-being. At the 2026 CSU Basic Needs Convening, more than 120 faculty, staff and students gathered at the Chancellor's Office July 9-10
... Show Full Article
LONG BEACH, California, July 17 -- California State University issued the following news:
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CSU Marks 10 Years of Advancing Student Basic Needs Support
At the 2026 CSU Basic Needs Convening, campus leaders, practitioners and students reflected on a decade of progress and explored how the CSU can address student well-being in the years ahead.
By Alisia Ruble
For 10 years, the CSU's Basic Needs Initiative has helped transform how campuses support student well-being. At the 2026 CSU Basic Needs Convening, more than 120 faculty, staff and students gathered at the Chancellor's Office July 9-10to reflect on a decade of progress, exchange ideas and help shape the initiative's next chapter.
Critical to student success at the CSU, the Basic Needs Initiative ensures the university provides holistic support to students both inside and outside the classroom, by focusing on housing, food security, mental health and more. And, through CSU Forward, the new strategic plan, the CSU has committed to continued prioritization of student engagement and well-being.
Rashida Crutchfield--a professor in the School of Social Work at Cal State Long Beach and executive director of the Center for Equitable Higher Education--reflected on the origins of the Basic Needs Initiative at the convening. During a CSU Board of Trustees meeting in 2015, testimonial from a CSULB student who was struggling to meet his basic needs resonated with then Chancellor Timothy White, who revealed that he, too, had experienced food insecurity as a college student.
Under White's leadership, the CSU launched Graduation Initiative 2025 in 2015, which included six foundational pillars, one of which was Student Engagement and Well-Being. That same year, the CSU commissioned a three-phase study to better understand how campuses were meeting the needs of displaced and food-insecure students, becoming a national frontrunner in quantifying the scope of the issue and addressing it systemically across all its campuses.
Led by Crutchfield, Phase 1 of the study, "Serving Displaced and Food Insecure Students in the CSU," was released in 2016. It examined how students, faculty, staff and administrators understood and experienced food and housing insecurity across the CSU and inventoried the system's existing support programs. Over the next several years, subsequent phases expanded on those findings, culminating in the release of the study's final phase, "Comprehensive Study of College Student Basic Needs," in 2019. Together, the reports provided a foundation for understanding student basic needs and informed systemwide action.
Following the study's early findings, the CSU launched a comprehensive Basic Needs Initiative to address its recommendations. Campuses moved quickly, and within just 18 months of the initiative's launch, all campuses had a food pantry or food distribution system--up from 11 at the time of the survey.
Over the past decade, CSU practitioners, researchers, campus leaders and community partners have transformed isolated responses into one of the nation's most comprehensive, systemwide Basic Needs infrastructures. Leveraging the CSU's "systemness," these individuals created a community of practice to learn from one another and scale successful support strategies.
Today, all 22 CSU campuses have a food pantry or food distribution program, and those programs serve more than 77,000 students annually while referring more than 5,000 students to housing resources. All campuses also offer on-site CalFresh application assistance as well as emergency grants or funds, and nearly all provide on- or off-campus emergency housing. Additionally, 18 CSU campuses participate in the Rapid Rehousing & Housing Security Program (RRHHSP) as of the 2023-24 academic year.
The CSU's focus on student basic needs helped elevate the issue statewide, and advocacy efforts have helped secure state support for campuses and students. Following early investments such as SB 85 in 2017, the state continued to expand its commitment to student basic needs. In 2021, the CSU received $15 million in ongoing funding for basic needs programs. That investment increased by $10 million in 2022, bringing total ongoing support to $25 million, and in 2023 funding grew to $26.3 million annually to permanently sustain and expand the Basic Needs Initiative.
The first decade of the Basic Needs Initiative demonstrated that meeting students' basic needs is essential to student success, which is why it is embedded in each of the CSU's new guiding plans: the Strategic Plan, the Student Success Framework and the Strategic Enrollment Management Framework expected to be released in fall 2026.
"The next decade calls on us to go beyond the basics of Basic Needs," said Dilcie Perez, vice chancellor for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success. "Rather than focusing only on responding to individual student crises or service delivery, we must build systems, partnerships, affordability strategies and data-informed practices that address root causes, strengthen belonging, prevent crises before they occur, and create the conditions that allow every student to persist, graduate and thrive."
Affordability is key, Perez added, and while CSU tuition remains among the lowest in the nation, the CSU is committed to addressing the total cost of college, including housing, learning materials, transportation and other expenses.
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10 Years of Meeting Students' Basic Needs at the CSU
2015
* CSU commissions largest basic needs study in the country
2016
* CSU hosts the first CSU Food and Housing Stability Conference on June 20-21
* CSU publishes first systemwide snapshot study on student displacement and food insecurity--the first phase of a 3-phase study
* CSU, University of California and California Community Colleges form California Higher Education Basic Needs Alliance (CHEBNA)
2017
* All CSU campuses have established a food pantry or food distribution program (up from 11 in 2015)
* California Senate Bill 85 allocates $2.5 million to the CSU to combat food insecurity
* Campuses begin piloting temporary shelter solutions
* California Assembly Bill 214 expanded CalFresh access for college students by clarifying exemptions to the 20-hour work requirement
2018
* CSU publishes Comprehensive Study of Student Basic Needs (Phase II Report)
* CSU releases a Basic Needs Action Report and distributes $2.5 million from legislature across all campuses
* CSU awards $50,000 Innovation Awards to 12 campuses to build scalable basic needs services blueprints for the rest of the system
2019
* More than two-thirds of CSU campuses offer on-campus emergency housing or vouchers for off-campus housing
* $6.5 million allocated for Rapid Rehousing Program
* CSU releases Study of College Student Basic Needs (Phase III Report)
* CSU secures its first-ever ongoing state budget line item for basic needs
* Campuses begin integrating basic needs screening questions directly into the intake processes at Student Health Centers and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
2020
* CSU basic needs services proves integral to student success during the COVID-19 pandemic, which further highlighted the disparities amongst students
* CSU officially launches the College-Focused Rapid Rehousing Program
* Chancellor's Office issues Basic Needs Initiative Guiding Principles
* All CSUs now offer CalFresh application assistance
2021
* CSU begins hosting a systemwide CalFresh Outreach Week in February, which eventually expands to twice a year
* CSU secures $15 million in permanent ongoing appropriations strictly to sustain and expand the Basic Needs Initiative
* CSU joins forces with the UC and CCC to establish the Intersegmental Working Group on Student Basic Needs
2022
* Many CSUs now house campus gardens and farms to supply food pantries with fresh produce
* CSU basic needs services coordinators and others help pass California Assembly Bill 2881 to improve access to classes and information about basic needs resources for student parents
* California's investment in basic needs for CSU students continues to grow as the state allocates $25 million to sustain and grow support, including $15 million for student mental health
* All CSUs now operate independent emergency grant programs and on-campus emergency housing solutions
* Many campus food vendors begin accepting SNAP/CalFresh benefits
* 15 CSUs roll out a Basic Needs Ambassador Training Program
2023
* CSU introduces Affordable Housing Grant Program
* California State Legislature allocates a significant $26.3 million in ongoing funding through the California Budget Act of 2023 (Senate Bill 101) to permanently sustain and expand the CSU Basic Needs Initiative
* CSU Board of Trustees approves a landmark tuition policy ensuring that at least one-third of all future tuition revenue must be legally designated for student financial aid and basic needs support
2024
* CSU launches a systemwide Pregnant and Parenting Students Initiative (PPSI) with funding from the Michelson 20MM Foundation, building upon the work of the CSU Student Parent Network
2025
* A grant from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund supports the expansion of a Financial Wellness Clinic model to 7 campuses
* CSU concludes its 10-year Graduation Initiative 2025 (GI 2025), permanently cementing basic needs as a core pillar of its systemwide student success framework
* CSU expands its Rapid Rehousing and Housing Security Program (RRHHSP) (formerly the College-Focused Rapid Rehousing Program) to 18 campuses
2026
* Several CSUs open centralized basic needs centers to embed services into institutional strategy
* CSU hosts 10th annual CSU Basic Needs Convening
* All CSUs now provide designated parenting student services; 19 campuses fully stock pantries with childcare supplies
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Original text here: https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/news/Pages/10-Years-of-Meeting-Students-Basic-Needs.aspx
