Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 1 p.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 2
Committee: Committee on Higher Education
The Committee on Higher Education, chaired by Council Member Rita Joseph, held an oversight hearing on study abroad opportunities at CUNY. CUNY officials reported that 1,512 undergraduates from 15 campuses studied abroad in 49 countries during the most recent period, with 89.1% in CUNY-sponsored programs and 28% enrolled at community colleges. Discussion covered program structures (exchange, faculty-led, affiliated), funding sources including the Gilman scholarship and campus fundraising, demographic gaps in participation (only 1.2% of study abroad students had qualified for public assistance), top destinations, paused programs in Israel, and the College of Staten Island's goal of 10% of graduates having an international experience. Council members pressed CUNY on setting enrollment targets, tracking data, recruiting underrepresented students, and connecting study abroad to career services. No votes were taken.
0:09 Check the good afternoon and
0:09 welcome to the day's New York
0:13 City Council hearing on
0:14 committee on higher education
0:15 if you want to testify please
0:19 fill our testimony sleep even
0:19 if you feel it out online at
0:22 this time during today's
0:23 hearing no 1 approach the dais y
0:28 electronic devices you have
0:29 and cherry you begin good
0:33 afternoon I am councilmember
0:35 Rita Joseph chair chair of the
0:38 committee on education welcome
0:39 to today's oversight hearing
0:41 on study abroad opportunities
0:43 at cuny cuny legally mandates
0:44 mission is to maintain and
0:46 expand its commitment t
0:48 oacademic excellence and to the
0:49 provision of equal access
0:52 opportunity for students
0:54 faculty and staff from all
0:56 ethnic and racial groups and
0:56 from both sexes juni fulfills
1:00 its mission in part by
1:01 ensuring that cuny students
1:02 have access to the same
1:04 breadth of experience that all
1:06 college students should have
1:08 access to.
1:08 That would include study
1:11 abroad opportunities which
1:11 which can change a student's
1:13 life
1:13 . There's really no substitute
1:14 for immersing yourself in the
1:16 culture of another country and
1:17 gaining all of the academic
1:20 and life experiences that
1:21 studying outside of the u s
1:24 offers this topic is close t
1:26 omy heart because of my own
1:29 study abroad experiences as a
1:30 student I had the privilege of
1:31 studying abroad and in czech
1:34 republic
1:34 . Hungary and austria
1:35 . That experience allowed me
1:36 to work at the united nations
1:38 to see politics and decision
1:40 making to a different lens
1:42 afterwards I brought that
1:43 experience into my own
1:45 classroom as an.
1:45 Educator and I reminded my
1:47 students they are global
1:48 citizens every cuny students
1:50 deserve the chance to discover
1:52 that for themselves the
1:54 research shows that student
1:55 who study abroad develop
1:56 leadership skills in 2
1:58 1century skills often sought by
2:00 employers the research also
2:01 shows that students who study
2:03 abroad are more likely t
2:04 ograduate on time and further
2:06 their students from
2:08 underrepresented minority
2:09 groups on a need basis aid the
2:11 most from studying abroad.
2:13 Donald rubin co author of
2:15 one research research study
2:16 commented if we are concerned
2:18 with equity and higher
2:19 education and completing
2:21 college helping these students
2:22 study abroad seems but I seems
2:26 officious I believe that we
2:27 are concerned with that at
2:29 cuny looking specifically at
2:31 community college data shows
2:32 that under 2% of u s study
2:34 abroad students were studying
2:35 an associate degree from Susan
2:37 lavender former director of
2:40 international education at
2:40 community college in north
2:42 carolina remark if we want t
2:44 obe equitable our students must
2:45 should have the same access t
2:48 ostudy abroad as students as
2:50 harvard this is what I want
2:51 for our community college
2:52 students at cuny.
2:53 Today the community the
2:54 committee is interested in
2:56 house cuny study abroad
2:58 programs or advertise so that
2:59 as many cuny students as
3:01 possible I made aware of them.
3:03 And whether substantial
3:04 number of cuny students can
3:06 afford to participate in them
3:07 and how many cuny students
3:09 from what background enrolls
3:10 in the programs.
3:11 The committee is looking
3:14 forward to cuny's discussion
3:15 for their summer study abroad
3:16 program which had just
3:18 finished and therefore program d
3:21 finally the committee is
3:22 interested in cuny's plan for
3:24 sustaining and expanding these
3:26 programs
3:26 . Now I want to acknowledge
3:29 councilmember arriola on zoom
3:30 . I also would like to thank
3:32 giovanni piquant my chief of
3:34 staff ben atkinson my director
3:35 of policy and budget amita
3:38 kalle wan the committee's
3:40 senior legislative counsel
3:41 regina paul the committee
3:42 senior legislative policy
3:44 analysis and ally stouffer the
3:47 committee financial analysis I
3:48 would like to remind everyone
3:49 who wished to testify in
3:50 person today you must fill out
3:51 a witness slip which is
3:53 located on the desk of
3:54 sergeant at arms near the end
3:55 of this room.
3:56 Please fill out the slip
3:58 even if you're ready you have
4:00 already registered in advance
4:01 that you'll be testifying in
4:03 person today
4:04 . To allow as many people as
4:06 possible to testify testimony
4:08 will be limited to two minutes
4:10 per person whether you're
4:10 testifying in person or in
4:12 zone I'm also going to ask my
4:14 colleagues to limit their
4:15 questions and comments to five
4:17 minutes please note that
4:18 witnesses who are here in
4:19 person will testify before
4:22 those who are signed in on his
4:24 own.
4:25 Now in accordance with the
4:26 rules of counsel I have the
4:28 committee counsel
4:29 administrative firm
4:30 affirmation to the witnesses
4:32 . Would you all please raise
4:33 your right hand do you affirm
4:34 to tell the truth the whole
4:35 truth and nothing but the
4:36 truth in your testimony before
4:37 this committee and to respond
4:39 honestly to Council Member
4:41 questions questions kim
4:42 holland director of global
4:43 education and initiatives in
4:44 the office of academic affairs e
4:48 at staten island and jessica
4:54 rothman professor of
4:55 anthropology conservation
4:56 thank you you begin when ready l
5:00 . Right thank you very much
5:01 can you hear me clearly ah is
5:09 that better good thank you hmm u
5:13 . Good afternoon chairperson
5:14 Joseph chairperson Joseph and
5:15 members of the City Council
5:18 higher education committee
5:18 thank you for the opportunity
5:20 to speak to you today about
5:23 study abroad at cuny colleges
5:25 I am kim holland university
5:27 director of global education
5:29 and initiatives in kinney's
5:30 office of academic affairs I
5:32 am joined today by my
5:34 colleague stephen first
5:36 executive director of the
5:37 center for global engagement
5:38 at the college of staten
5:40 island and jessica rothman
5:42 professor of anthropology at
5:44 hunter college the trends I
5:47 will describe reflect the work
5:48 of staff faculty and
5:50 administrators who are
5:51 committed to study abroad as
5:52 part of cuny's mission of
5:54 providing a first rate
5:56 affordable public education t
5:59 oall students regardless of
6:01 means or background their
6:02 commitment is based on the
6:04 disproportionate impact that
6:05 study abroad has on cuny
6:07 students for whom these
6:09 programs often represent their
6:10 first experience away from
6:12 home or even outside of New
6:13 York City.
6:14 Stephen first will provide
6:15 the perspective of a campus
6:17 that offers 32 programs 101
6:20 7and which last year sent 151
6:23 undergraduate students from 1
6:25 2cuny colleges abroad jessica
6:27 rothman will describe how she
6:29 has used her networks and
6:30 access as an honorary wildlife
6:33 officer at the uganda wildlife
6:35 authority to create research
6:37 field work and credit
6:39 opportunities for cuny
6:41 students
6:41 . The following data are based
6:42 on activity at cuny's 11
6:45 4year campuses and seven
6:47 community colleges from fall
6:50 20 25 through summer 20 2
6:52 6during this period 1512 cuny
6:56 undergraduates from 1
6:58 5campuses studied abroad in 4
7:01 9countries 89.1% of these
7:03 students participated in a
7:04 program sponsored by cuny
7:07 campus while 10.9%
7:09 participated in an independent
7:11 program 24.4% of cuny students
7:14 who studied
7:15 . Abroad participated in a
7:15 program for one or two
7:17 . Semesters and 75.9%
7:21 participated in winter and
7:22 summer intersession programs
7:24 72% of these were students at
7:26 our four year campuses and 28%
7:30 studied abroad while enrolled
7:31 at a community college
7:33 . During this period 10 cuny
7:36 campuses offered whom 136
7:40 programs in 40 countries all
7:40 of which were operated each
7:44 cuny campus develop programs
7:46 that align with its respective
7:49 curricula institutional
7:49 relationships and faculty
7:51 available for in house program
7:54 development where appropriate
7:55 campuses are encouraged t
7:57 oopen their programs to
7:58 students from other cuny
8:00 campuses and last year 16.9%
8:04 of cuny students who studied
8:05 abroad did so using e
8:08 apartment cuny's mechanism for
8:09 cross campus registration this
8:11 collaboration among cuny
8:13 campuses substantially
8:15 broadens the scope of programs
8:16 available to students not only
8:18 in terms of geographic
8:20 location
8:21 . But also in terms of
8:22 curricular focus and available
8:25 terms.
8:25 Ginny sponsored programs are
8:27 structured in three different
8:29 ways as student exchange
8:32 programs as faculty led
8:33 programs and as affiliated
8:36 programs these three program
8:37 types are based on their cost
8:39 structure and on whether
8:41 academic content is delivered
8:44 by external institutions or by
8:46 cuny faculty who travel abroad
8:48 with students
8:49 . Faculty led programs are
8:50 designed and taught by cuny
8:51 faculty in the summer and
8:53 winter intercessions kinney
8:55 faculty led 25 programs in 1
8:58 6countries last year on topics
9:01 ranging from architecture in
9:02 spain to zen meditation in
9:05 taiwan
9:06 . Affiliated programs are
9:06 established when a cuny
9:08 college enters into an
9:09 agreement with a third party
9:11 provider or foreign university t
9:15 othe breadth of cuny offerings
9:17 . Faculty led and affiliated
9:18 programs are financed with
9:21 cuny tuition typically
9:22 supplemented by a program fee
9:23 that covers expenses that
9:24 exceed the cost of tuition
9:27 exchange programs are based on
9:29 partnerships between a cuny
9:29 college and a foreign
9:31 . University and allow
9:32 participants on both sides to
9:34 pay tuition only at their home
9:38 institution while studying at
9:38 the partner university.
9:40 In addition to processing
9:42 eligible financial aid several
9:44 campuses issue scholarship
9:45 awards to their students for
9:47 study abroad and some campuses
9:49 subsidize the cost of specific
9:53 programs
9:53 . Campuses also actively
9:55 promote external funding
9:57 opportunities in particular
9:58 the benjamin a gilman's
10:00 scholarship program which
10:01 focuses its resources on pell
10:04 eligible students for study
10:08 abroad
10:08 . In closing I would like t
10:09 othank the committee for its
10:10 interest in this important
10:12 topic
10:12 . At a moment when I and
10:14 related technologies are
10:17 reshaping labor markets
10:18 graduates applying for their
10:19 first professional jobs are
10:21 having to demonstrate judgment l
10:25 intelligence at the very
10:26 beginning of their careers
10:29 study abroad equips cuny
10:30 students with the professional
10:34 maturity that employers are
10:35 now demanding of their most
10:37 junior hires and in so doing
10:39 prepares them to compete in
10:41 and contribute to the economy
10:42 of New York City my co
10:44 presenters will provide
10:45 further context on how study
10:47 abroad as a high impact
10:49 practice like internships and
10:51 other forms of experiential
10:53 learning make a profound
10:54 difference in the academic and
10:56 professional trajectories of
10:57 cuny students and graduates
10:59 that concludes my testimony
11:01 thank you for your time I turn
11:03 now to stephen first to share
11:06 his perspective from the
11:06 college of staten island thank
11:09 you and good afternoon as kim
11:11 hong mentioned my name is
11:13 steven first and I am.
11:14 The executive director of
11:16 the center for global
11:17 engagement at the college of
11:19 staten island in this role I
11:22 coordinate the overall
11:24 internationalization and our
11:24 strategy at the college t
11:26 ooversee our efforts of
11:29 studying abroad bringing in
11:31 international students are on
11:34 campus international
11:35 programming our faculty
11:36 development our scholars and
11:39 our international intensive
11:39 english language program and
11:41 mentioned these specifically
11:42 as I want to highlight that
11:43 study abroad sits squarely in
11:46 the academic enterprise does
11:47 not exist in a vacuum but it
11:49 have gained from the previous
11:56 testimony the experiences we
11:57 offer are varied in nature and
11:59 appeal to a broad range of
12:02 students this is by design
12:04 with cuny's hundred 3
12:06 6programs we endeavor to offer
12:07 every student in every major
12:09 and opportunity to study
12:10 overseas during their academic
12:13 career this is central to our
12:14 mission and we hold these
12:15 values not just because we
12:17 understand the value of
12:18 enhancing the students world
12:20 view but also because we
12:22 understand the benefits of
12:24 studying abroad for all
12:26 students for example students
12:28 who study abroad heavy 95.1%
12:31 six year graduation rate a
12:32 full 30 points higher than
12:33 their peers who stay at home.
12:35 There are also 6.2% likely
12:39 to graduate in just four years
12:42 for first generation students
12:43 that number goes up to 11.6%
12:46 they graduate with higher gpas e
12:50 degrees and they earn 6.3%
12:53 more that's over $4000 in
12:55 their first job and find that
12:56 first job sooner than
12:57 graduates who do not study
12:59 abroad these hold true across
13:01 the nation succinctly put
13:02 study abroad is good for the
13:04 student it's good for cuny and
13:06 is good for New York City of
13:09 course study brought is not
13:10 without barriers to
13:12 participation many of our
13:12 students find that time
13:15 constraints grounded in family
13:16 and work obligations
13:18 curricular strengths that we
13:18 little have little electives
13:20 and of course financial
13:23 barriers that burden their
13:24 opportunity to study abroad at
13:25 cuny we work every day to hel
13:27 pstudents overcome these
13:28 barriers and our programming
13:30 often demonstrates that work.
13:32 As an example one of our
13:34 programs at asia pacific
13:36 university in peppone china
13:38 . Japan is a program that
13:41 combines flexibility of
13:43 academic programming lower
13:44 costs and strong international
13:47 students support
13:47 . As a special type of
13:48 university in that it was
13:49 founded based on the principle
13:50 that it would serve all
13:52 students mainly from across
13:53 the pacific rim but also from
13:55 across the world to do so they
13:58 pledged to offer 100% of their
14:00 courses in both japanese and
14:02 in english the students come
14:03 together on one campus to