Course:ELEC300E/CaseStudies/NavigatingGoodFood
Context: Food Security on Campus
| Navigating Good Food |
|---|
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| Content / Topics |
| Axiological Design |
| AI |
| Sustainable Computing |
| Indigenous AI |
| Relevant Analysis Strategies or Tools |
| Decision Impact Assessment |
| Iceberg Model |
A foundation for academic excellence is access to good nutritious food. This can be difficult for university students as they juggle commuting, multiple jobs, and extra- curricular activities all on top of a heavy course load.
University students might not have the cooking skills needed to make affordable food. They might feel exhausted and burnt out and not have the time to cook. They may be facing rising grocery prices and face various other social and political factors. Poor food security during university can impact students even after they graduate:
UBC researchers found that "a person’s poor eating habits established during post-secondary studies can contribute to future health issues including obesity, respiratory illnesses and depression"
Imagine you are an Electrical or Computer Engineer who has been tasked with improving students’ nutrition on campus through technology!
Investigate food insecurity, and initiatives related to food security on your campus. For example, at UBC:
- A student-led study at UBC showed that the following barriers got in the way of students affording or finding food: high housing costs, high costs of groceries, shopping for multiple dependents, low wages, job insecurity, tuition (and international student fees), other expenses, insufficient funding, transportation issues, dietary restrictions, and disabilities. On campus in particular, students reported expensive groceries, long lines, poor variety or quality and limited options for people with dietary restrictions.
- According to the 2025 academic experience survey, "51% of respondents reported harboring feelings of worry in the past year that they wouldn't be able to afford adequate groceries."
- Check out the Vancouver Food Asset map, which maps food banks, grocery stores and other relevant locations.
Discussion Questions
Here are a few questions to help you begin analyzing the issues discussed in this case study. The purpose of these questions is to prompt reflection and further consideration: there are no right or wrong answers!
- Personal response: Statistically this issue likely impacts you or people close to you! What has your personal experience been navigating food on campus. Have you faced any barriers, frustrations, inequities or other problems?
- Contradictory viewpoints and outcomes: Define two different student architypes (eg. students who commute, students who study late / arrive early, have classes in a food desert, etc). Draw on personal experience or the experience of your peers for inspiration. What are the needs of each students, what barriers might they face, and how do they differ?
- Social and Historical Context: Many UBC students face issues finding and affording healthy food but some do not. What factors explain these differences in the experiences of different students on the same campus? Which students are most impacted by this issue?
- Interruptions and invitations: Consider the privacy concerns (the UBC food bank collects personal information) or stigma that can be associated with traditional free food programs. What might make food security programs (like food banks) uninviting to students?
- Physical connections: Day in the life - Construct a timeline of your own typical day, with special attention to when you have opportunities to eat, when you have access to a grocery store, etc.
- Positive Practices: Many initiatives addressing food security on the UBC campus are student-led or co-led (eg. Sprouts, UBC Food Hub). What is one local initiative that you could get involved in, or make use?
- Positive action: Think of a way in which a technology intervention could help address an issue discussed in this case study. What would your elevator pitch be if you were pitching such a project to investors or to the university?