Is There a Hunger Issue at the University of Kansas

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Introduction Hunger is an issue that impacts students at the University of Kansas. This report will highlight the evaluation that was done to justify the opening of a food pantry on campus. The report covers the initial proactive evaluation, the clarifying evaluation, an interactive evaluation, and a monitoring evaluation. Proactive Evaluation The purpose of the proactive evaluation is to find out if there is a hunger issue at the University of Kansas. Based on the results of the evaluation, a program could be created to meet the needs of the student population that is impacted by hunger. Information for the program can be collected from students on campus and from local food pantries. The university should conduct a needs assessment by collecting data from students. A needs assessment is composed of three major stages: planning, data management, and utilisation (Book). The planning stage includes defining the purpose of the assessment and identifying potential uses. Data management is identifying existing data sources and deciding how new evidence would be collected. The utilisation phase decides on the prioritization of needs. The purpose of this needs assessment is to find out if KU students need better access to food. If the need is proven correct, the information could be used to create a program. Data can be collected using quantitative and qualitative methods. Online surveys can be used to find out the demographic information on students who have issues accessing food. In addition, focus groups can be conducted on different students groups based on their living situation (on campus, off campus, living at home, Greek houses). Focus groups will allow the researchers to understand the specific needs of students who do n... ... middle of paper ... ...ocus on the outcomes of the food pantry and the methodologies used during evaluation. Given the university's commitment to service learning, the report will try to prove the academic validity of the food pantry. If faculty members view the food pantry as a legitimate topic for academic study, then research partnerships could be created. In addition, the report will help market the pantry to university administrators. Since these administrators interact with students on a daily basis, increased knowledge of the pantry could lead to more student referrals. The program for the general public will show simplified results of the assessment. This report will highlight the impact that the food pantry has had on campus. This report is intended to educate the general public on the food pantry and how they can donate items or volunteer. This report will be available online.

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