Food Banks on Syllabus

Here’s a tip: Put the local food banks on your syllabus.

I can’t take credit for this. Indiana University made this suggestion in a beginning of the year email and I took it. On the Bloomington campus we have the Crimson Cupboard where students can go to get food for the week.

I did not think much about this addition when I made it and went on to teach. One month into the semester I received an email from a student thanking me for this addition. They* had not read this on any other syllabus and because they had seen it on mine, they could now each during the week.

I sat back in my chair and cried. I’m Italian, I don’t like to think of people going hungry. I then put all the rest of the local food banks on the syllabus just in case.

It is very very sad to me that students need such services but they do. State subsidies are going down for higher education and thus tuition rises. I think there is the belief that all college students are wealthy. No, they are not. Yes some are, but many are not. Some even need the help of food pantries.

So please add food pantry information on your syllabus and maybe a student will be able to eat this week.

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*The Victorians changed they to he or she. Read more here: A brief history of singular ‘they’ . Language changes all the time.