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New York City Council
Oversight - Study Abroad Opportunities at CUNY
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
A Council staff member welcomes attendees to the Committee on Higher Education hearing and instructs witnesses to fill out testimony slips. Staff also says no one may approach the dais, asks attendees to silence devices, and turns the hearing over to the chair.
Council Member Rita Joseph introduces herself as chair and welcomes attendees to the oversight hearing on study abroad at CUNY. She describes her own study abroad experiences in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria and says every CUNY student deserves similar opportunities.
Chair Joseph says research shows study abroad builds leadership and 21st-century skills, improves on-time graduation, and especially benefits underrepresented minority and need-based students. She quotes researchers on equity and compares access for community college students to students at Harvard.
Chair Joseph says the committee wants to know how CUNY advertises study abroad, whether students can afford it, and who enrolls. She notes interest in CUNY's summer and fall programs and in plans to sustain and expand them.
Chair Joseph acknowledges Council Member Ariola on Zoom and thanks her chief of staff, policy staff, counsel, and analysts. She reminds witnesses to fill out slips, limits testimony to two minutes and member questions to five minutes, and says in-person witnesses will go before Zoom participants.
Council staff asks witnesses to raise their right hands and affirm to tell the truth. The witnesses are identified as Kim Holland, Stephen Ferst, and Jessica Rothman, and they are told to begin when ready.
Kim Holland, University Director of Global Education and Initiatives, thanks the committee and introduces Stephen Ferst of the College of Staten Island and Jessica Rothman of Hunter College. She frames study abroad as part of CUNY's mission to provide affordable public education and says the programs often represent students' first experience away from home.
Holland presents data from fall 2025 through summer 2026: 1,512 undergraduates from 15 campuses studied abroad in 49 countries. She notes 89.1% used CUNY-sponsored programs, most participated in winter or summer sessions, and 28% were community college students.
Holland describes CUNY-sponsored programs as exchange, faculty-led, and affiliated. She explains how faculty-led and affiliated programs are financed through tuition and fees, while exchanges let students pay home-campus tuition and often rely on scholarships or Gilman funding for Pell-eligible students.
Holland thanks the committee and argues that study abroad gives CUNY students judgment, adaptability, and emotional intelligence employers seek. She says it prepares graduates to compete in New York City's economy and turns to Stephen Ferst for a campus perspective.
Stephen Ferst, Executive Director of the Center for Global Engagement at the College of Staten Island, says study abroad is integrated with international recruitment, programming, and faculty development. He says CUNY's 136 programs aim to offer every student in every major an overseas opportunity.
Ferst identifies time, family and work obligations, curricular constraints, and finances as barriers. He highlights the Asia Pacific University program in Beppu, Japan, where students pay CUNY tuition, receive financial aid, and study on a bilingual campus with students from many countries.
Ferst tells the story of Catherine Yena, who studied in Greece and went on to become a Watson Fellow, Fulbright recipient, and Peace Corps member. He says expanding access to study abroad is key to CUNY's mission and describes students as global citizens.
Jessica Rothman, professor of anthropology at Hunter College, says she grew up in the Bronx and studied wild gorillas in Uganda as an undergraduate. She now leads CUNY programs in Uganda, including a winter course and summer research, with 89 CUNY students participating to date.
Rothman explains that students observe wild monkeys and apes, record behavior data, identify trees, use GPS, and learn from Ugandan wildlife practitioners. She says students eat meals with faculty and Ugandan experts, participate in a naming ceremony, and receive orientations on culture, wildlife safety, and expectations.
Rothman says winter program students often self-pay with aid, while summer researchers are funded by National Science Foundation grants that have supported 22 students with funds for 16 more. She highlights alumni who pursued PhDs, fellowships, and careers in science and public service.
Chair Joseph thanks the witnesses and recalls adjusting to an eight-hour time difference during her own study abroad. She says the committee wants to know what works, how to expand study abroad, and how the Council can support that work.
Chair Joseph cites a report that 87% of U.S. higher education institutions expect study abroad participation to increase or hold steady in 2026-2027. Kim Holland says CUNY sees upward trends despite geopolitical factors, and Stephen Ferst says applications are up across several campuses.
Chair Joseph says every accepted CUNY student should learn about study abroad opportunities in their welcome packet. Kim Holland says this is handled campus by campus and should become a best practice, while Stephen Ferst says CSI includes study abroad in admissions materials and parent messaging.
Chair Joseph asks whether CUNY partners with New York City Public Schools to relay study abroad opportunities. Stephen Ferst says CSI admissions staff visit schools and he gives College Day lectures, where he also tells students he could send them abroad if they enroll.
Chair Joseph asks if CUNY helps returning study abroad students connect their experience to career readiness and job searches. Kim Holland says some campuses do this, but study abroad staff are stretched thin and stronger reentry work depends on resources and coordination with career services.
Ferst describes revised CSI advising sheets that include workforce preparation and study abroad timing, new coordination with career services, and plans for international internships across CUNY. He says returning students often become go-getters who know how to pursue graduate school and jobs.
Rothman says she directs Hunter's human biology program and has a CUNY Inclusive Economy career advisor. The advisor helps students find internships, and after study abroad meets with them to translate their experience into resumes and career plans.
Chair Joseph says CUNY should explore international internships and mentorships with New York City companies that have global footprints. She says students who studied in a particular country develop cultural knowledge and empathy that could support future partnerships.
Chair Joseph cites research that study abroad students are more likely to graduate on time and with higher GPAs, asking how important active recruitment is. Stephen Ferst says students are not running to the door and describes a national drop-off from 80% interest in high school to 6-7% participation in college.
Holland says CUNY created a consolidated study abroad directory to help students find programs available by e-permit. She says the directory is necessary but insufficient because students need a campus culture where they see peers studying abroad and feel they have the right to participate.
Chair Joseph suggests recruiting returning students as credible messengers and ambassadors because students listen to peers. Ferst recalls a CSI anti-litter campaign with student posters and says CUNY could copy that model to show New York City students taking on the world.
Chair Joseph cites an almost 8 percentage point graduation-rate difference for underrepresented minority study abroad students. Holland says last year's participants were 34.2% Hispanic, 11.7% Black, 4.5% multiracial, 27.4% white, and 22% Asian, and that 48.7% were Pell eligible but only 1.2% had public assistance history.
Chair Joseph asks whether barriers for underrepresented students are financial, fear, or lack of information. Rothman says extra mentoring is needed and notes her Uganda programs have largely matched Hunter's underrepresented student population, including the four alumni she highlighted.
Chair Joseph asks whether campuses share best practices for recruiting underrepresented students. Ferst says education abroad liaisons meet monthly, then notes that study abroad historically served mostly white, upper-middle-income women and that moving the needle on diversity remains difficult nationally.
After recognizing Council Members Dinowitz, Brewer, and Epstein, Chair Joseph asks about top study abroad countries. Holland says Italy leads since 2013, followed by Spain, Japan, China, France, England, South Korea, Germany, Greece, and Australia, with Spain tripling and China dropping 78%.
Ferst says CUNY's top destinations differ from national trends, where the UK, Italy, Spain, and France have long dominated. He says CUNY has purposefully created programs reflecting its students' diversity rather than replicating decades-old destinations.
Chair Joseph asks about emerging countries and mentions Uganda. Jessica Rothman cites Morocco, and Ferst describes a CUNY-wide medical internship in Morocco where students do observational hospital rounds in obstetrics, oncology, pediatrics, and pharmacy, shaping their career decisions.
Council Member Gale Brewer says private high schools offer abroad programs and asks whether CUNY has a central grant for study abroad. She asks how funding is assembled from foreign governments, U.S. sources, New York, philanthropy, and foundations.
Holland welcomes advice on funding and says CUNY can identify which students are missing out. She says many students express interest but back away when they realize the cost, and CUNY needs to increase the share who actually depart.
Brewer recalls her work under Mayor Dinkins, when city agencies applied for federal money and secured $90 million in six months. She asks who at CUNY is responsible for pursuing every possible dollar, including conservative foundations interested in international experience.
Rothman says faculty can include students in international research grants, which has funded 22 students with support for 16 more. She warns that federal grants are rapidly depleting.
Brewer says federal help is unlikely now but private foundations remain interested and CUNY must apply. She tells CUNY to focus on pursuing those opportunities.
Ferst says study abroad offices share grant opportunities, use CUNY tools, and pursue programs like 100,000 Strong and Gilman. He says the federal government rescinded $69.4 million overnight, and CUNY is working to get that money back.
Council Member Eric Dinowitz, a Hunter alum, asks whether CUNY has a goal for study abroad enrollment as a percentage or number. Kim Holland says CUNY wants growth but has no specific target, including within programs like SEEK or ASAP.
Dinowitz asks what groups CUNY wants to reach. Holland identifies vertical transfer students as a major target and says they face mindset and academic integration barriers, including fewer electives and difficulty fitting study abroad into degree plans.
Ferst says many campuses have goals and notes CSI aims for 10% of graduates to have a substantial international experience. Dinowitz says concrete goals like 10% would help engage students and make stronger funding pitches.
Dinowitz notes calls to boycott relationships with Israel and asks whether CUNY intends to cease relationships or reduce programs. He asks whether the number of Israel programs has remained the same or increased over four years.
Holland says CUNY reviews programs for safety and does not approve unsafe travel. She says a multi-institution Israel exchange program was sunset before current events due to lack of reciprocal demand, rebuilding efforts are paused, and students can still study in Israel independently with a travel warning waiver.
Ferst says around 2018 CSI developed agreements with four Israeli universities, some offering up to $6,000 per semester scholarships. The agreements were interrupted by the pandemic and then the war, but he maintains relationships and says CSI is ready to resume when safe.
Dinowitz asks to be kept informed on numbers and outreach for Israel programs. He says travel abroad, especially to a fellow democracy, has value during polarized times and says he will follow up with CUNY.
Chair Joseph thanks Dinowitz and asks how CUNY can fund study abroad through private-public partnerships. Rothman says departments and faculty have pursued outside funders and small private grants, but these efforts vary by campus and depend on individual faculty and chairs.
Chair Joseph calls the CUNY study abroad search engine a great tool and asks how many students use it and how success is measured. Holland says usage data is limited because there is no login requirement, but e-permit participation is an important indicator.
Ferst says CSI and Hunter use application software that tracks student progress and a 43% melt between phases. He also describes a sophisticated transfer credit system being rolled out to show students exactly how overseas courses count back at CUNY.
After Chair Joseph recognizes Council Member Wilson, Council Member Harvey Epstein asks for data on household income of study abroad participants. Holland says 48.7% are Pell eligible but only 1.2% have qualified for public assistance, showing steep barriers at the lowest income levels.
Epstein asks what percentage of students in ASAP or EOP receive institutional support for study abroad. Holland says ASAP and CUNY Edge have funded students, and Bronx Community College has partnered with a Salzburg institute for over two decades for a seminar embedded in a spring course.
Epstein asks specifically about semester-long study abroad for students in SEEK or ASAP. Holland says she needs to get back to him with data and agrees to examine barriers for those students.
Holland says semester abroad may be affordable for private residential students because expenses transfer overseas. For CUNY students, however, they lose family housing, meals, and jobs that help with household expenses, so stipends would be an important resource.
Ferst points to exchange programs where students pay CUNY tuition and a reopened China program under $10,000 for the semester with room, board, and tuition. He says some countries allow work authorization, which helps students afford going abroad.
Epstein says he wants data on what percentage of students in supported programs access study abroad. He says money is a factor and wants to explore what could help targeted populations make those choices, turning back to the chair for possible conversations.
Chair Joseph thanks Epstein and says the committee began discussing from the start how the Council can support study abroad expansion. She says money makes things work and the Council must talk about funding.
Chair Joseph recognizes Council Member Maloney and a Brewer follow-up. Brewer asks whether CUNY tracks Fulbright and Marshall scholars and how it prepares students for those opportunities.
Brewer says CSI does a great job but asks about other campuses. She says every campus needs to be more hard-hitting in applying for Fulbright, Marshall, and similar opportunities.
Holland says students who studied abroad are best positioned to compete for Fulbright, Marshall, and Rhodes opportunities. CUNY met with scholarship advisors to connect returning students and is sharing Gilman Scholarship information with campuses, even where no scholarship office exists.
Chair Joseph asks whether all community colleges will meet to share best practices for study abroad and recruiting underrepresented students. Holland says she supports the idea but notes competitive dynamics and says leadership should come from community colleges with central support.
Chair Joseph notes dissatisfaction with demographic participation and asks what advertising and promotion CUNY uses. Holland cites the weekly CUNY This Week email, campus outreach, and efforts to help campuses with low participation connect with neighboring study abroad fairs.
Ferst says CSI uses every outlet available, including Instagram, Facebook, mailers, posters, fairs, email, EAB Navigate, and text systems. He says they aim to tell students 15 times in 10 different ways that they can study abroad, competing against commercial advertising while keeping academics central.
Chair Joseph asks whether CUNY has set a target number of students for study abroad. Holland says numeric targets are important but CUNY needs to come back with a goal and should also consider future students and whether they view CUNY as offering these opportunities.
Rothman says her program has sent students into middle schools to talk about chimpanzees, gorillas, and study abroad experiences. She also hosts high school students in her lab and says returning students recruit peers by sharing stories and photos in classes.
Chair Joseph asks whether CUNY offers study opportunities in other U.S. states. Holland says Queens College administers a domestic study away program through a fixed set of universities using tuition reciprocity, but CUNY does not require campuses to report domestic study away data.
Chair Joseph asks if CUNY plans to expand overseas study abroad once systems improve. Holland says programs will evolve with demand and safety, citing past programs in Mali that are no longer feasible and current interest in Morocco as Middle East options shift.
Chair Joseph says the Council must support expanding study abroad so every New York City student can have the experience. She thanks the witnesses, says CUNY has a partner in this work, and emphasizes funding and the Muse scholarship database.
Chair Joseph asks whether Rothman does anthropology work beyond Uganda. Rothman says she travels to study monkeys and apes and colleagues work in Iceland and Madagascar. Joseph proposes a CUNY pipeline for bioanthropology and African burial ground research in New York City, and Rothman says students and CUNY anthropologists would be interested.