{"id":1520,"date":"2026-09-30T08:39:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T12:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/edvice\/?p=1520"},"modified":"2026-09-30T08:43:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T12:43:52","slug":"ready-to-learn-why-essential-needs-matter-for-academic-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/edvice\/2026\/09\/30\/ready-to-learn-why-essential-needs-matter-for-academic-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready to Learn: Why Essential Needs Matter for Academic Success."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Deanne DeCrescenzo, Ed.D., Assistant Vice President for Student Advocacy and Engagement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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You have likely taught this student.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

They were strong for the first few weeks. Then the reading slips, attendance becomes uneven, and two emails go unanswered. When you finally talk, the reason has little to do with your course. Their transit pass ran out. Their work schedule changed. The refrigerator is empty until payday.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Faculty often see these challenges before anyone else at Temple. You see them in the missing assignment, the empty seat, or the student who is physically present but clearly somewhere else.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Those moments matter because <\/span>students cannot fully engage in learning when they are struggling to meet their basic needs.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What happens outside the classroom matters inside it.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

We often separate academics from student support, but students do not experience the university that way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A student who has not eaten since yesterday may have difficulty focusing on your lecture. A student who spent the weekend moving out of an apartment may not be able to finish a paper. A student without a working laptop cannot complete an online assignment, no matter how motivated they are.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

These are not simply problems of effort or preparedness. They are conditions that affect students’ ability to learn.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

That is one of the reasons why Temple created the <\/span>Essential Needs Hub<\/span><\/a> in the Howard Gittis Student Center. The Hub brings together resources designed to help students address the challenges that can get in the way of their academic success in one place, reducing the need for students to navigate multiple offices or determine on their own where to begin.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Students can start at the Hub with whatever challenge they are facing. They can access food through the Cherry Pantry, clothing and household goods through Temple Thrift, technology support and lending, benefits navigation, emergency assistance, housing and off-campus living support, and spaces to rest and recharge. Students can also connect with staff who can help them identify and navigate additional campus and community resources. Students do not need documentation to visit the Hub, and they do not have to know which resource they need before they walk through the door.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What we learned from students<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

Research from Temple’s Hope Center for Student Basic Needs found that more than half of college students nationally experienced at least one form of food or housing insecurity in 2024 (The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University, 2025). Before opening the Hub, Temple gathered input from more than 100 students, faculty, and staff to better understand how students experience and access essential needs support. One finding stood out: 65% of Temple students who participated reported being unaware of available support.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Temple has resources. The challenge was making those resources easier to find and navigate when students needed them most. The Hub was created to meet that challenge by making it easier for students to find and access support. Students can start in one place, talk with someone about what they are experiencing, and connect to the resources that make sense for them. Faculty play an important role in helping students know where to start.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

How faculty can help<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

You do not need to become an expert in essential needs or even know which resource a student needs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A few simple actions can help students find support when they need it:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>