Posts Tagged: policy
College students eligible for food assistance deterred by confusing requirements
Modifying Farm Bill could reduce barriers to SNAP for students and improve nutrition
Inadequate access to food can harm college students' health and academic performance. A recent University of California research study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior investigated why UC students who are eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – the nation's largest food assistance program – do not receive the benefit.
“Based on our study findings, eliminating the extra requirements for college students to qualify for SNAP would go a long way in ensuring that more eligible students get the support they need to meet their basic food needs,” said study coauthor Lorrene Ritchie, director of the UC Nutrition Policy Institute, which is part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
A 2015 study by NPI found four in 10 UC students didn't have enough money to buy sufficient food for a healthy lifestyle. To promote better health, UC has taken steps to ensure students are aware of SNAP, established campus food pantries and other basic needs resources.
"In California, SNAP is known as CalFresh and despite policies and communication to improve college students' access to CalFresh, participation remains low, with approximately 78% of those eligible not receiving benefits," said lead study author Suzanna M. Martinez, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UC San Francisco.
For insight on why low-income UC students aren't receiving the benefits, Martinez, Ritchie and colleagues at UC San Francisco and Nutrition Policy Institute consulted county agencies that process student CalFresh applications. The researchers interviewed county staff in nine counties that are home to UC campuses: Alameda, Los Angeles, Merced, Orange, Riverside, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Yolo.
While CalFresh benefits have mainly been paid by the federal government through the Farm Bill, counties contribute and county agencies are responsible for implementing policies, determining eligibility, processing applications and distributing funds.
“With the Farm Bill still up for reauthorization, these findings could provide insight into how to strengthen SNAP policy related to eligible students,” Martinez said.
The researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with county staff to determine how agency workers interpret the complex criteria for students to meet CalFresh eligibility.
Their questions focused on how students' applications differed from those of community members, steps taken when processing student applications, student-specific training and suggested improvements to the process.
Five central themes were identified in the interviews:
- More consistent policy dissemination and program administration is needed
- Student exemptions and the application process are perceived as challenges for students
- Key supports for successful student applications include carefully reviewing applications for potential exemptions, providing useful resources to students, and campus partnerships
- Tracking policy changes is burdensome
- Eliminating student rules and treating students as regular clients would be more equitable
The researchers found that CalFresh rules are challenging for students as well as the county agency staff.
Also, eligibility requirements, written over 50 years ago, are based on the assumption that college students are supported by middle-class families.
The research supports simplifying the student CalFresh process to increase participation for eligible students, especially for historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and low-income students for whom equitable access to CalFresh benefits is critical.
“Once students get confused or don't know what they need to do, they don't follow through with their application,” one CalFresh eligibility worker told the researchers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some federal and state requirements were waived or relaxed for students.
“The timing of this study resulted in a natural experiment since COVID-19-related SNAP modifications streamlined the student application process and reduced administrative burden,” Martinez noted. “These modifications alleviated some challenges discussed by county workers, confirming existing opinions to eliminate the student rules.”
Ritchie said, “We hope our research informs policy to remove some of the barriers so students no longer have as much difficulty getting the food they need.”
This study was funded by the California State Legislature, which provided funding to the University of California to address students' basic needs (UC Basic Needs Initiative).
/h3>Employee Comment: Proposed revisions to APM Section 016, University Policy on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline
The University invites comments on proposed revisions to the following Academic Personnel Manual policy:
- APM - 016, University Policy on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline
Summarized below are the proposed key policy revisions that are being distributed for systemwide review.
Key policy revisions
The policy revisions respond to the need to revise APM - 016 to address the handling of simultaneous academic misconduct investigations and personnel actions and include:
- Pause on Academic Personnel Review Actions: At the beginning of a formal investigation of alleged misconduct by a faculty member, if the Chancellor (or Chancellor's designee) finds that any of the alleged misconduct is relevant to the assessment criteria for academic personnel review actions, the Chancellor (or Chancellor's designee) may impose a no-fault pause on any current or future academic personnel action (e.g., for merit, promotion, or advancement) of that faculty member. Locations are responsible for developing implementation procedures that address at what stage in existing local procedures the pause occurs and that identify the offices that have responsibility for providing written confirmation of the pause to the respondent, giving a respondent periodic updates on the status of the investigation, and for notifying relevant administrators of the beginning and end of the pause.
- Conclusion of the pause: The pause will end when the investigative and disciplinary processes are concluded. In the event of a disciplinary process following a formal investigation, the pause will end when a final decision is made whether to impose disciplinary sanctions. The academic personnel process may then proceed according to campus procedures.
Assistant Professors in Year 8: If the investigative and disciplinary processes are not concluded by the beginning of the faculty member's eighth year of service at the rank of Assistant Professor (or a combination of equivalent titles), the Chancellor is authorized to recommend to the President that the appointment be extended beyond the eighth year, in accordance with Regents Bylaw 40.3(c).
The proposed APM - 016 is posted to the Academic Personnel and Programs website under the “Systemwide Review” tab. It can also be reviewed here: https://ucanr.edu/sites/PCPA/Revisions/.
If you have any questions or if you wish to comment on this policy revision, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than July 1, 2024. Please indicate “APM-016 Revision” in the subject line.
Employee Comment: Proposed revisions to APM-710, leaves of absence/sick leave/medical leave
The University of California Office of the President invites comments on the following proposed policy:
- APM - 710, Leaves of Absence/Sick Leave/Medical Leave
The policy is proposed to be revised and includes the following key revisions:
- Proposed effective date of the policy revision is January 1, 2025.
- Policy title updated to clarify the policy applies to paid sick leave.
- Policy updated to provide paid medical leave to Agronomists, Astronomers and Curators who have a full-time appointment for at least a full academic year.
- Policy updated to permit paid sick leave accrual and usage to certain academic appointees who have a paid appointment of at least thirty (30) calendar days, and to those with less than 50% appointments.
- Policy updated to provide a paid sick leave bank to all faculty, Agronomists, Astronomers and Curators who have an appointment of at least thirty (30) calendar days.
- Policy updated to provide a paid sick leave bank to academic appointees in university extension who do not accrue sick leave who have an appointment of at least thirty (30) calendar days.
- Policy updated to include protected paid sick leave.
- Policy updated to extend the period during which accrued and unused paid sick leave may be reinstated if an appointee is reemployed after a separation from employment and to address reinstatement of unused days from a paid sick leave bank.
- Policy updated to allow use of paid sick leave for additional reasons, including preventive care and for specified purposes for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
- Policy updated to provide notice requirements for an academic appointee to use paid sick leave.
- Policy updated to include recording of paid medical leave, paid sick leave bank, and paid sick leave accrual and use.
The proposed APM - 710 is posted to the Academic Personnel and Programs website under the “Systemwide Review” tab. It can also be reviewed here: https://ucanr.edu/sites/PCPA/Revisions/.
If you have any questions or if you wish to comment on this policy revision, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than April 22, 2024. Please indicate “APM-710 Revision” in the subject line.
Pork prices may reflect uncertainty around Prop 12
California's farm animal welfare act, approved in 2018, fully implemented in January 2024 after delays
Since being passed by California voters in 2018, Proposition 12, a farm animal welfare law, has faced a series of legal challenges that have led to uncertainty and delays in the implementation and enforcement of its requirements for the treatment of breeding pigs. A new Special Issue of ARE Update sheds light on its contentious path to eventual full implementation on Jan. 1, 2024, and analyzes how these delays have affected the retail and wholesale pork market.
Preliminary data suggest that Prop 12, and the uncertainty surrounding it, have led to an average retail price increase of 20% for covered pork products (i.e., those included under the regulation, mainly uncooked cuts of pork), as well as significantly higher prices for wholesale pork products during the implementation period and as hog farms nationally continue to adjust to the law.
Prop 12, officially known as the “Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act,” was approved by 63% of California voters. The law requires housing standards for egg-laying hens, veal calves and breeding pigs for the eggs or meat of these animals or their offspring to be sold in California.
While these standards first went into effect for egg-laying hens and veal calves as early as Jan. 1, 2020, many farms and businesses were hesitant to make large investments in the sow housing and traceability requirements until legal issues were settled for Prop 12-compliant pork.
On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Prop 12. As a result, and consistent with rulings of the Sacramento Superior Court in California, California began requiring Prop 12-compliant pork on July 1, 2023, while allowing remaining non-compliant pork already in the supply chain to be sold until Jan. 1, 2024. Although full enforcement began almost eight months after the Supreme Court ruling, hog farms, almost all of which are outside California, continue to expand the supply of pork from hogs born of mother pigs that meet California housing and treatment standards.
“A long complicated process is not uncommon for major regulations,” said Daniel A. Sumner, a study co-author and distinguished professor in the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Economists Hannah Hawkins, Shawn Arita and Seth Meyer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of the Chief Economist have been documenting prices and quantities of hogs and pork as the industry has adjusted to Prop 12. Using Circana retail scanner data, they found that in the past nine months covered pork products sold in California increased in price compared to the rest of the United States. While there was significant price fluctuation between the partial and full implementation dates, the initial price impacts were higher than would be expected after full adjustment, with price increases of 16% for bacon and 41% for pork loin.
Based on USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, the authors found that wholesale prices for compliant pork cuts also increased substantially during the adjustment period, with an average price premium of 22%. Due to the many delays in implementation, Prop 12-compliant pork volumes are not yet sufficient to meet quantities that would have been demanded without these significant price increases. As the industry catches up to supply sufficient quantities of compliant pork meat to meet the California demand and a new market equilibrium is reached, both retail and wholesale prices may settle at lower price premiums. However, we may still be several months away from understanding the full impact of Prop 12 on meat and egg producers and consumers.
To learn more about the implementation of Prop 12 and its impact on the retail and wholesale pork market, read the full Special Issue of ARE Update 27(3), UC Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, online at https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1710543749/20936/.
ARE Update is a bimonthly magazine published by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics to educate policymakers and agribusiness professionals about new research or analysis of important topics in agricultural and resource economics. Articles are written by Giannini Foundation members, including University of California faculty and Cooperative Extension specialists in agricultural and resource economics, and university graduate students. Learn more about the Giannini Foundation and its publications at https://giannini.ucop.edu/.
/h3>New presidential practices and policy on anti-discrimination
UC ANR is deeply committed to supporting our community and building a positive work environment that is welcome, accessible and inclusive to all. We are pleased to announce, that in collaboration with the entire UC system, there has been a strategic evaluation of initiatives and activities in relation to the prevention, detection and response to harassment and discrimination. As a result, President Drake shared in his letter to the UC community that a Presidential Workgroup has reviewed and recommended a number of systemwide initiatives including a new policy and procedural framework that will offer enhanced protection, support and resources to the entire UC community.
- The Systemwide Office of Civil Rights: This new umbrella office has just been launched to provide systemwide leadership, uniform guidance and support on issues related to protecting civil rights at UC locations. It will encompass the existing Systemwide Title IX Office, a new Systemwide Anti-Discrimination Office and a new Systemwide Disability Rights Office.
- Systemwide Policy: Effective February 20, 2024, President Drake, has implemented a new consolidated policy on Anti-Discrimination.
- Reporting an Incident: Should any member of our community wish to discuss or share an incident, please continue to utilize the Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP). HDAPPserves as the central office for receiving, maintaining and evaluating harassment, discrimination and Title IX complaints. They provide support in prevention of harassment and discrimination from occurring and by educating the communities about the issues and assisting individuals and units to resolve conflicts and complaints related to harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence and hate and bias.
For more information, please contact humanresources@ucanr.edu. For concerns of harassment or discriminatory activities, please reach out to hdapp@ucdavis.edu.
Bethanie Brown
Interim Executive Director of Human Resources