Chair Joseph asks how to encourage underrepresented students; Jessica Rothman responds
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.
How do we get our underrepresented students to want to take that leap of faith to say, I want to study abroad?
How do we create that opportunity?
What are some of the barriers we see?
Is it financial?
Is it just a fear?
Is it because they just don't know?
I think it is.
In some cases, it requires a little bit of extra mentoring and reaching out to those specific students
when they express an interest to identify barriers to participation, whether it be their family, whether it be financial, whether it be they're worried about their academics, to see where we can help.
And I think that faculty and advisors can do a good job of that.
I also wanted to mention that the four cases that I mentioned, the four students I mentioned in my testimony are all underrepresented minorities.
And my program actually seems to represent the student body at Hunter.
which is 70% is about, about 70% is our underrepresented students of color.
And that seems to be what my programs have, have been in the past.
So, so I, you know, I feel happy that we've been able to attract students that wouldn't traditionally go on study abroad.