UW Tacoma's 2020 #REALCOLLEGE Student Survey Results

The 2020 #REALCOLLEGE Survey conducted by The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University recently released its results from this past 2020 school year. The UW Tacoma survey results, based on a questionnaire sent out via email, had a 9.7% response rate, with a total of 516 UW Tacoma students who participated. The results were comprised of the following:

These issues that students listed were concerns that students and families have been struggling with for decades. And during the 2020 academic year, a global pandemic made situations increasingly more difficult. The three main reported areas in which the pandemic affected students the most were primarily health, employment, and family-related.

Employment was affected immensely by the pandemic, especially for students who faced a definite increase in job losses. The loss of work-study positions due to campus closures and a large portion lost for many working in the hospitality sector put students at an extreme economic disadvantage. Family life for many students also was very much affected. School and daycare closures required many to spend more time with childcare while balancing work, school, and other responsibilities. And homelessness reportings from students increased as well, with many identifying as having experienced situations such as living in a shelter, temporarily with a friend or relative, or in a space not intended for human habitation.

Even with a significant increase in vaccinations enabling us to once again come together as a community and return to our new normal, we still have to acknowledge the impact of the pandemic that will continue to reverberate for years to come. In a serious effort to help students with these impacts, UW Tacoma and the division of Student Affairs are working to enhance the provision of these basic needs to students through increasing the awareness of the support currently available. The Office of Student Advocacy & Support works year-round to provide students with information and assistance on all of the resources available, including everything from housing assistance and child care support, to the provision of nutritious and accessible food through The Pantry, and numerous others. Learn more about accessible resources by visiting the Student Advocacy & Support page.

Also, to read and learn more about the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and the national movement to help increase awareness of basic needs insecurity, click here.