Last June, CSU’s Fort Collins campus was among the first to receive a Comprehensive Basic Needs Campus Designation, the highest rank of the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Inaugural Basic Needs Campus Designation. The new Basic Needs Campus Designation consolidates these recognitions and expands upon them, evaluating how institutions help students succeed and access various basic needs such as food, transportation, technology services, legal services and more. Michael Buttram, program manager for CSU’s Office of Basic Needs, said the designation points to a larger conversation surrounding basic needs in Colorado’s state government. Known as the Basic Needs Collective, various CSU offices collaborate to maximize benefits for CSU students and staff: The Office for Basic Needs, Student Case Management, Off-Campus Life and Housing and Dining. As students prepare for the school year, there are several CSU basic needs resources that are available to them:Food and nutritionPerhaps the most notable of CSU’s basic needs efforts is Rams Against Hunger, a collection of services that address food insecurity.