Kim Holland explains CUNY study abroad directory and campus culture barriers
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.
Thank you.
We have to find a way to keep the 80% hands up.
Chairperson, just to add something to this, I think there's a measure that we took probably about 12 years ago, which we previously had each college had its study abroad page.
And even though some campuses are very generous in opening their programs to students throughout CUNY, it wasn't effectively available because it required those students to hunt through all of those websites.
So we now do have a consolidated directory, which, among other things, allows students to focus on programs that are available by e-permit.
Now, I will say I was really proud of this step forward.
And now I realize how insufficient.
It's necessary, but it's not sufficient.
And here's why.
It goes to a mindset issue, which is the student level factor that is alongside culture at the campus.
Faculty can talk about it, but if students don't see their peers on their campus studying abroad, if you can't jumpstart that,
It's going to be extremely difficult, even if you have programs available through a different CUNY campus, even if you can pay CUNY tuition and get your CUNY financial aid, you're going to be effectively
pioneer in your space.
So students we do know are very much tied to the culture of their campuses and we do have some campuses where we need to do more to support just the beginnings of that culture and so that students understand themselves
as really having the right to participate in these experiences and that they they're equally relevant for them as well.