
“ ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia. ”
No task is too big when done together by all.
What are Basic Needs?
Basic needs include food and housing, childcare, mental health, financial resources and transportation, among others. Student basic needs security is critical for ensuring strong academic performance, persistence and graduation and overall student wellbeing.
Basic needs insecurity is experienced by millions of college students every year. In 2019, the Hope Center found that of nearly 167,000 college students surveyed in the US, 39% were food insecure within the past 30 days, 46% were housing insecure, and 17% were homeless within the past year. The prevalence of basic needs insecurity in the US and in Hawai‘i encouraged the creation of the UH System Basic Needs Committee dedicated to supporting student success and educational goals.
UH System Basic Needs Committee
The University of Hawai‘i Basic Needs Committee (UHBNC) was formed in 2019 by UH President, David Lassner to better understand and address food and other forms of basic needs insecurities in the student population. The UHBNC is dedicated to supporting students’ basic needs so that personal and educational goals are achieved. With designated committee members from each UH campus, the committee is familiar with accessible resources available specific to their campus and the surrounding community. To contact the Basic Needs Committee, please email uhsbn@hawaii.edu.
Committee Members
UH Hilo – Christopher Holland, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; Dean of Students, cjh2020@hawaii.edu
UH Hilo – Tim Moore, Interim Dean of Students, mooreta@hawaii.edu
UH Mānoa – Theresa Crichfield, Associate Vice Provost for Student Success & Dean of Students, tcrich@hawaii.edu
UH West Oʻahu – Loea Akiona, Coordinator for Career Services, loea@hawaii.edu
Hawaiʻi CC – Craig Mitchell, Counseling, Advising, and Support Services Center, craigm2@hawaii.edu
Hawai’i CC – Christine Quintana, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, cdamate@hawaii.edu
Honolulu CC – Silvan Chung, Interim Dean of Academic Support, silvan@hawaii.edu
Kapi‘olani CC – LaVache Scanlan, Coordinator First Year Experience, lavache@hawaii.edu
Kaua‘i CC – Berna Souza, HiNet Coordinator – Instructional & Student Support, bwilson1@hawaii.edu
Leeward CC – Lexer Chou, Student Life Coordinator, achou@hawaii.edu
Leeward CC – Jo Ann Cagasan, HiNET Program Coordinator, jcagasan@hawaii.edu
Maui College – Kulamanu Ishihara, Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, vorhies@hawaii.edu
Windward CC – Ka‘ahu Alo, Student Life Counselor, kaahualo@hawaii.edu
Windward CC – Ardis Eschenberg, Chancellor, ardise@hawaii.edu
UH Community Colleges – Cathy Bio, Director of Student Success, cbio@hawaii.edu
UH System – Farrahmarie Gomes, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, fmgomes@hawaii.edu
UH System – Albie Miles, UHBNC Chair, UHWO Assistant Professor of Sustainable Community Food Systems, albie@hawaii.edu
UH System – Rainbow Uli‘i, Student Basic Needs Coordinator, ru3@hawaii.edu
Resources for Administrators
- Implementing Federal Guidance for SNAP Expansion
- SNAP Eligibility
- Using FAFSA Data to Administer Federal Programs
UH Basic Needs Course Syllabi Statement
Faculty are encouraged to include the basic needs syllabi statement into their class syllabus:
“Basic needs include food and housing, childcare, mental health, financial resources and transportation, among others. Student basic needs security is critical for ensuring strong academic performance, persistence and graduation and overall student well being. If you or someone you know are experiencing basic needs insecurity, please see the following resources:UH System Basic Needs.“