- Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin unveiled a new program in Allentown to support college students
- It's designed to get colleges working together to create supportive learning environments
- Mumin says students are more successful if their basic needs are met
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin was at Cedar Crest College on Tuesday to detail a new statewide program for college students.
The Department of Education’s "PA MASLOW: A Hierarchy of Collegiate Basic Needs" project is aimed at helping colleges identify ways to help students access basic needs while in school. It’s inspired on a pyramid idea, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in the 1940s.
Calley Stevens Taylor, Cedar Crest College's dean of students, said the school has spent the past 10 years working to close the gap in students’ basic needs.
The college has a year-round resource pantry for food and personal care items. Students can also ride LANTA buses for free and there’s a textbook reserve for those who cannot afford textbooks.
“Starting this semester, all Cedar Crest students have access to the Telus health students support program, which provides crisis and short-term online mental health support, virtual fitness resources, and a peer-to-peer support network,” she said.
“And we're helping students subscribe to AblePay, an existing college partner to reduce the cost of accessing health care in the community.”
“Today's students are diverse and unique and have different needs than the students who came before them."Pennsylvania’s Education Secretary Khalid Mumin
Stevens Taylor and state education officials said PA MASLOW will help higher education institutions across the commonwealth better support students, provide guidance and access resources.
It will also offer opportunities to connect with colleagues at other institutions, and a common language and framework, they said.
Mumin says schools would create ideal learning environments by helping students access their basic needs. A needs pyramid would be customized to each student.
“Today's students are diverse and unique and have different needs than the students who came before them,” he said. “Because of this, we know that any solutions we provide must be tailored and personalized as possible.”
Officials say schools can create supportive collegiate environments — such as by reducing food and housing insecurity and campus sexual violence.
Cedar Crest College student government President Noor Hussain is a first-generation student from New York. She said she feels physically safe on campus, a basic need.
“I never once felt endangered or uncomfortable on this campus. Knowing that if I ever did, I would always have somewhere to go and someone to talk to,” she said.
The Department of Education’s website has Six Pillars of Work, which have PA MASLOW resources for higher education institutions. The pillars include safety and belonging, housing and transportation, adult student needs and mental health.
