Leading the Way Toward Meeting Students’ Basic Needs

The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) has received the top distinction from the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) when it comes providing students access to the essential resources necessary for promoting academic success and overall wellbeing.

This recognition came in the form of a Comprehensive Basic Needs Campus Designation, the highest level a campus can receive from the CDHE through its new statewide analysis of colleges and universities on the basis of their commitment to addressing student needs such as food security, housing stability, mental health support and access to critical resources.

According to the CDHE website, organizations that received a Comprehensive designation “demonstrated a fully integrated, campus-wide approach to basic needs, including cross-departmental coordination, data-informed strategies and robust partnerships with community organizations.”

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UNC is one of 14 institutions in the state of Colorado to receive a Comprehensive designation as a part of the program’s first-ever cohort.

“We’re honored to be recognized for our commitment to holistically supporting UNC Bears in this way,” said Assistant Vice President and Dean of Student Development Colleen Sonnentag. “UNC’s Bear Pantry has been a labor of love supporting students with access to nutritious and affordable food since 2014, and we have only grown our efforts since then to increase access to basic needs. Through dedicated partnerships across campus and the local community, we were able to receive this designation, and we’re excited to continue our work expanding services and helping our students thrive.”