Mission Statement

Mission

The Basic Needs department elevates our college community by providing holistic support services students need to thrive. By advancing access to essential resources, advocating for systemic change, and through collaborative partnership, we work towards a future where every student’s needs are met.

Philosophy and Equity Statement

Basic Needs are a Human Right

Systemic inequities and institutional barriers determine who has their essential needs met or not. These systems disproportionally affect our underserved and marginalized communities. We understand that to ensure everyone has their needs met, we must center our most impacted communities in our work.

We are accountable to ensuring that the programs we design, the partnerships we make, and the resources provided are done so ethically, equitably, and sustainably. We are committed to trusting our students and preserving their inherent dignity in every aspect of our work.

Standard of Care

We are committed to:

• Providing timely, non-judgmental, culturally responsive, comprehensive support.
• Honoring and respecting our students as experts of their lived experience.
• Creating services and environments that are free of stigma, judgement, and bias.
• Developing sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships with community partners and organizations.
• Maintaining an abundance of mindset by actively rejecting scarcity and deficit-based decision making.
• Removing systemic and institutional barriers that hinders student success.
• Developing sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships with community partners and organizations.
• Expanding understanding of student’s lived experience through data-informed advocacy.