INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION REPORT CUNY STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

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1 INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION REPORT CUNY STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS Joy Phaphouvaninh International Education Coordinator Office of Undergraduate Studies City University of New York July 26, 212

2 Introduction This report aims to provide a snapshot of student participation in international programs at the City University of New York (CUNY) from Summer 21 to Spring 211. A survey was sent to Directors of Study Abroad and International Education Liaisons at CUNY s undergraduate campuses during the Fall of 211. As sponsors (or organizers) of study abroad, student exchange and faculty-led programs, they were asked to submit the number of students who participated in each of their programs, per term and per home campus. They were also asked to submit any known information about students from their home college who studied abroad in non-cuny programs. Study abroad directors were asked not to report on students from their specific home college who studied abroad in other CUNY colleges sponsored programs because the respective CUNY program sponsor reported on those students. Using the information submitted by the colleges, the following charts show student participation trends in study abroad, student exchange, and faculty-led programs for that academic year. The primary findings are that 1,528 CUNY students participated in study abroad, student exchange and faculty-led programs from Summer 21 to Spring 211, which is a 1.5% increase from the previous year; most of the students who studied abroad came from the senior colleges; CUNY students who studied abroad tended to participate in short-term programs; and the predominant region for study was Europe. The last three findings are consistent with the conclusions from the previous reports reviewing participation data from 28-9 and This document also includes a summary of international education activities carried out by the Office of Undergraduate Studies in the past year to improve internal procedures and suggests areas for future investigation if the university is to grow education abroad. A note on terminology: Study abroad in normal parlance refers to any international study outside of the United States. In this report, study abroad will be employed in the same way for the most part. Exceptions are the discussions on pages 1-13 in which CUNY s existing and specific policy definition for study abroad is explained in detail. 1

3 Number of CUNY Students CUNY Student Participation in All Programs Student Home College Figure 1: Number of CUNY students who studied abroad in international education programs in the year This chart shows all reported student participation in both CUNY and non-cuny international education ( study abroad ) programs, by student home college. A total of 1,528 students were reported to have studied abroad in all types of CUNY and non-cuny programs in the Summer 21 Spring 211 period. Hunter College was the leading home college, with 423 students abroad, followed by Baruch College with 211 students abroad and Queens College with 28 students abroad. Combined, community colleges sent 113 students abroad, which is about 7% of the total number of CUNY students who studied abroad. Approximately 12 students from the Graduate Center, Graduate School of Journalism and the School for Professional Studies were reported to have studied abroad in CUNY programs, as reported by CUNY program sponsors. More students at the graduate level may engage in international activities than are reported here, so the total number of CUNY students who travel abroad for a variety of purposes may exceed the numbers presented in this report. The graph and table below show study abroad participation trends over the past three academic years. Hunter College students who study abroad have been increasingly steadily from 31 in the 28-9 year, to 361 in the 29-1 year, to 423 students in the year. Brooklyn College students abroad followed that upward trend, as well. Baruch, City, John Jay, and Lehman students studied in higher number in the 29-1 year than in the 28-9 or years. Queens students patterns were the reverse of that, with fewer students abroad in 29-1 than in 28-9, but then rebounded in the year. 2

4 Number of CUNY Students Home College Figure 2: CUNY students participation in all international education programs over a three-year period Table 1: CUNY students participation in all international education programs over a three-year period Home College Baruch BMCC Bronx CC Brooklyn CCNY CSI Hostos Hunter John Jay KBCC LGCC

5 Number of CUNY Students Home College Lehman Medgar Evers NYCCT Queens QBCC York Graduate Center Journalism N/A N/A 1 SPS N/A 12 9 CUNY Student Participation in CUNY versus non-cuny Programs Non-CUNY Programs CUNY Programs Home College Figure 3: CUNY students participation in international programs by home college and by CUNY or non-cuny program type 4

6 Number of CUNY Students Figure 3 enumerates the number of students who participated in CUNY versus non-cuny programs, per home college. One thousand three-hundred and sixty-one (1361) students participated in CUNY-sponsored programs. One hundred sixty-seven (167) students participated in non-cuny programs, with 48 of those students from Queens, 47 students whose home college is Hunter, and 38 from Baruch. Students who participate in non-cuny programs may do so in order to study certain topics, enroll in specific institutions, travel for a certain length of time, or travel to a specific country or region that CUNY s colleges currently do not offer. Bronx Community, Kingsborough Community and Queensborough Community College students participated in the week-long Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria in the Spring 211 semester, which is considered a non-cuny program for the purpose of this report. CUNY College as Program Sponsors CUNY Sponsoring College (Program Sponsor) Figure 4: CUNY student enrollment in programs sponsored by CUNY colleges The figure above shows the number of CUNY students enrolled in CUNY programs, per the college sponsor. Queens College enrolled 356 students in its sponsored programs, while Hunter enrolled 34 students in its programs and the College of Staten Island enrolled 22 CUNY students in its programs. As also shown on page four, 167 CUNY students enrolled in non- CUNY programs. As program sponsors, CUNY colleges are responsible for all aspects of program development and implementation. The colleges ensure academic and safety standards; maintain partnerships with host institutions abroad; collaborate with faculty and departments to ensure that courses offered are aligned with the curricula and that credits will transfer; perform outreach to students; prepare students to study abroad by conducting pre-departure orientations; enroll students in international insurance plans and collect all required medical and legal forms; liaise with various student services offices such as the registrar, bursar and financial aid offices at the sponsoring college and the students home college; mobilize the college s emergency response in times of crisis; and conduct follow-up activities. 5

7 Number of CUNY Students Number of Students Program Sponsors - CUNY and Non-CUNY Non-CUNY Students CUNY Students CUNY Sponsoring College (Program Organizer) Figure 5: Enrollment in CUNY-sponsored programs, including students from CUNY colleges as well as students who are matriculated at colleges/universities outside CUNY The chart above shows CUNY and non-cuny student enrollment in CUNY programs by sponsoring college. Nearly 3 non-cuny students enrolled in CUNY-sponsored international programs. The College of Staten Island (CSI) sponsored 263 non-cuny students. Thirty-three (33) non-cuny students enrolled in programs sponsored by Brooklyn, Hunter, and Queens Colleges Sponsoring College (Program Organizer) Figure 6: CUNY students enrollment in CUNY-sponsored programs, per college sponsor, over a three-year period 6

8 Number of CUNY Students Table 2: CUNY students enrollment in CUNY-sponsored programs, per college sponsor, over a three-year period Sponsoring College Baruch BMCC BCC Brooklyn CCNY CSI Hostos Hunter John Jay KBCC 14 LGCC Lehman Medgar Evers 12 9 NYCCT Queens QCC York International Education Destinations Regions of the World Figure 7: CUNY students enrollment according to host region 7

9 Figure 7 shows the general world regions where CUNY students studied abroad in the year. Consistent with the previous CUNY survey results, Europe remains a top destination for CUNY students. According to the Institute of International Education Open Doors Report on national study abroad trends, 53.5% of U.S. study abroad students chose to study in European countries; 15% of students studied in Latin America; 8.8% of students studied in Asia; and the rest traveled to Africa, countries in Oceania, the Middle East, North American and multiple regions. 1 Two students traveled abroad to unknown destinations. Registration records indicate that these students were approved for study abroad for non-cuny programs, but the locations were not recorded or confirmed with the students study abroad office. The table below breaks out study abroad enrollment by destination country and by CUNY vs. non-cuny programs. Although students traveled to Europe overall more than any other region, the top five destinations include countries in Asia and South America: Italy (35), China (19), France (175), Spain (122), and Argentina (89). Table 3: CUNY students enrollment according to destination country Country Number of CUNY Students in CUNY Programs Number of Students in Non-CUNY Programs Total Argentina Armenia 1 1 Australia Austria Bahamas Barbuda and Antigua Belize 1 1 Brazil Chile 2 2 China China (Tibet) 1 1 Costa Rica Cuba Czech Republic 2 2 Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt Institute of International Education Open Doors 211 Fast Facts: Publications/Open-Doors/Data/Fast-Facts 8

10 Country Number of CUNY Students in CUNY Programs Number of Students in Non-CUNY Programs Total Ethiopia France Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala 1 1 Honduras 2 2 Iceland 2 2 India Ireland 7 7 Israel Italy Japan Jordan 2 2 Kenya 2 2 Korea (South) Lebanon 1 1 Malaysia 1 1 Malta 1 1 Mexico 1 1 Morocco Nepal 1 1 Netherlands 1 1 New Zealand 1 1 Peru 2 2 Poland 6 6 Rwanda 9 9 Senegal 1 1 South Africa 2 2 South Korea 4 4 Spain Sweden Tanzania 5 5 Thailand 1 1 Tunisia 3 3 Turkey 1 1 Ukraine 1 1 9

11 Number of CUNY Programs Country Number of CUNY Students in CUNY Programs Number of Students in Non-CUNY Programs Total United Kingdom United States (Hawaii) United States (Puerto Rico) United States (US Virgin Islands) Vietnam 1 1 Multiple 4 4 Unknown 2 2 TOTAL Types of CUNY Programs CUNY sponsored/organized 112 programs in the year. The graph to the left breaks down the three types of credit-bearing program offerings: study abroad, student exchange, and faculty-led. CUNY Study Abroad CUNY Student Exchange CUNY Faculty Led Figure 8: Number of CUNY programs by program type The typology of programs currently operationalized at CUNY follows. A Study Abroad Program is defined as a program that CUNY develops in partnership with host institutions abroad in which students engage in academic and cultural activities taught by local (international) faculty and staff. In a Student Exchange Program CUNY and the host institution agree to reciprocally exchange students on a 1:1 basis. Students pay home tuition and enroll in coursework abroad with no additional instructional fees (students pay out of pocket for room, board, and travel expenses). Exchange programs are typically an entire semester or longer depending on the host institution s academic calendar. Exchange students are generally expected to develop strong language skills of the host country given that they take courses with students at the host institution and spend more time in the host country. CUNY Faculty Led Programs are courses developed and taught by CUNY faculty. These programs are typically short-term and take place during the January intersession period or summer. Non-CUNY programs are offered by educational institutions and organizations outside of CUNY, and students must plan in advance to ensure that credits and grades will transfer back to their home institution and that they will maintain matriculation status if they are away for a semester or more. 1

12 Number of CUNY Programs The number of CUNY programs grew by 23 percent from the previous reporting period (91 programs in 29-1). See chart below CUNY Study Abroad CUNY Student Exchange CUNY Faculty Led Figure 9: Number of three types of CUNY programs over a three-year period Although there are three broad categories of international activity, there are variations in program design such as credit-bearing service-learning and internship programs that were not specifically or uniformly collected from the most recent survey. One such example of a specialized study abroad program is the New York City College of Technology s hospitality program in France in which students apprentice for three months at French restaurants, gaining valuable field experience in the culinary and pastry arts, which may count toward their degree requirements. There are also numerous opportunities for students to travel abroad for volunteer service and general cultural exchange that may not necessarily count for academic credit but may be organized by CUNY student clubs, activities, and departments. These experiences have not been considered as part of this particular survey/report, but may be useful collect moving forward as we consider the breadth of international opportunities that CUNY makes available to its students. 11

13 Number of CUNY Students Number of CUNY Programs 3 CUNY Faculty Led * CUNY Student Exchange CUNY Study Abroad * Sponsoring CUNY College Figure 1: Number of CUNY programs per sponsoring CUNY College The chart above breaks down the number of each type of CUNY program per sponsoring college in the year. Queens College has been credited for the sponsorship of two universitywide exchange programs: NY/Paris and the CUNY Italy Exchange Programs, which are administered by Queens College. Brooklyn College administers the CUNY-wide Program for the Study in Israel, which is shown here as a CUNY Study Abroad Program. Enrollment per Program Type (CUNY and non-cuny) CUNY Study Abroad CUNY Student Exchange CUNY Faculty Led Non-CUNY Figure 11: Number of CUNY students enrolled in different types of programs 12

14 Number of Students Figure 11 shows the four main types of programs in which CUNY students participated. Over 7 students participated in Study Abroad Programs facilitated by host institutions and 475 students participated in in CUNY faculty led programs. These figures are consistent with the 29-1 report showed that 81 students participated in Study Abroad Programs and 469 participated in Faculty Led Programs. Enrollment per Program Length Academic Year Embedded Short- Term Semester Short-term Figure 12: Number of CUNY students enrolled in programs of different lengths CUNY students primarily participate in programs that are shorter than a semester and typically take place during the winter intersession or summer term. Included in this graph are those shortterm experiences that are week-long experiences embedded within the semester. The table below is adapted from the Duration of U.S. Study Abroad section of the Institute of International Education Open Doors Fast Facts Report ( and shows that across U.S. institutions, participation in shortterm study abroad is increasing while both mid-length and long-term programs have shrunk. Table 4: Percentages of U.S. student participation in study abroad by program length (Source: IIE Open Door Fast Facts 21-11, % of Students in 28/9 % of Students in 29/1 Short-term (summer or eight weeks or less) Mid-length (one or two quarters or one semester) Long-term (academic or calendar year) CUNY students participation in shorter term experiences (approximately 81% of the total number of students who study abroad) is consistent with the national trend. Anecdotally, students tend to partake in short-term programs because 3-4 weeks is the length of time they are able to be away from work or family obligations. The commitment of a semester or more may not be feasible financially if the student must work to support himself/herself and family and where working abroad may not be an option. Depending on the student s major, study abroad 13

15 Number of CUNY Students may not fit in easily with the curriculum. In other cases, students may not realize that studying abroad for a semester or more is doable within their majors or minors. Enrollment in Semester Programs Home College Figure 13: CUNY students enrollment in semester-long programs by students home college Of the 245 students who participated in semester-long study abroad, most of them came from the senior colleges. Hunter College students led the university with 9 students studying abroad for a semester, followed by Baruch with 63 students abroad for a full semester, and then Queens College. The CUNY Master Plan for listed several goals for globalizing undergraduate education including increasing the numbers of CUNY students who incorporate study and/or work abroad into their degree programs, as well as facilitating longer periods (moving beyond winter or summer break, which is when most students can currently manage the time away) for fullsemester and/or year-long experiences. 2 If CUNY is to increase the number of students participating in longer-term study abroad, it may be useful for the senior colleges that send the most students abroad to analyze their practices in the areas of financial aid and scholarships and campus-wide promotion of longer-term study abroad. Staffing Table 5: Staffing available for study abroad-related activities at CUNY colleges College Study Abroad Office Y/N - % of Director s Time for Study Abroad Office Responsible for Study Abroad Related Activities Baruch Y 1% Study Abroad (Weissman Center for.8 Number of Other FTE Staff for Study Abroad 2 CUNY Master Plan, pp

16 International Business at the Zicklin School of Business) BMCC N Individual Faculty Program Directors / Academic Affairs Bronx CC N Academic Affairs / National Center for Educational Alliances and BCC Global Initiative Brooklyn N Office of Associate Provost /.5 Individual Faculty Program Directors City Y 5% Office of Study Abroad & 2 International Programs College of Staten Island Y 4% Center for International Service 6.5 (CSI) Hostos N Institutional Advancement / Community Relations (25%) Hunter Y 1% Education Abroad 2.8 John Jay Y 1% Office of International Studies and.5 Programs KBCC N Office of Associate Provost /Faculty Liaison, Dept. of English (5%) LGCC N Academic Affairs Lehman Y 45% Office of Undergraduate Studies and 1 Study Abroad Medgar Evers N Academic Affairs and Individual Faculty Program Director NYCCT (City Tech) N Admissions / Individual Faculty QBCC Y 5% International Student/Scholar Services Queens Y 1% Education Abroad 3.4 School for Professional N Student Services Studies (SPS) York N Faculty Liaison, Dept. of Foreign Languages This table provides a view of the administrative structures to support international education activities/study abroad per college. For the year, eight colleges had a person designated as the college study abroad director or equivalent, although that person may not be engaged fulltime in study abroad related activities, and may be responsible for other areas such as international students, general education, or other areas. Ten CUNY colleges had no such study abroad director, but may have individuals who are assigned to oversee international education activity at the college as well as responsible for teaching courses, counseling, institutional advancement, or faculty development. While this table attempts to present the staffing levels at each college, the table may not accurately depict local context at each campus. Some of these colleges had robust study abroad activity abroad, led by individual faculty members, without much involvement of college administration. Some campuses may be focused on developing international or global awareness 15

17 by capitalizing on the diversity of its student body, hosting visiting international student and scholars, or leveraging the expertise, research, and backgrounds of its faculty in courses and oncampus activities. Although available staff members to develop programs and prepare students to travel are essential, staff positions alone may not result in increased numbers of students studying abroad or the growth of new programs. The entire college must work collaboratively between departments (business and administrative offices, student services, and academic areas) to build safe, cost-effective, and rigorous programs that yield global learning outcomes. Central Office Projects to Improve International Education In the past year, CUNY has continued to improve administrative operations and build institutional capacity in the area of international education. The CUNY International Travel Guidelines for Safety and Risk Management 3 were adopted by the CUNY Board of Trustees in November 211. The purpose of the CUNY International Travel Guidelines for Safety and Risk Management is to support chief academic officers, faculty and other campus leaders in mitigating the risk associated with international trips. The document provides a structure for international trip approval and accountability through model documents such as a proposal outline, trip approval cover sheet, and participation waivers, while also providing check-lists that address program director responsibilities and student behavioral expectations. As best practices for the implementation and oversight of travel programs evolve, the offices that created the Guidelines (Office of Academic Affairs, Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Environmental, Health, Safety and Risk Management) anticipate reviewing them on a regular basis and revising them as needed. A second major project completed since the last report (July 211) is the procurement of a university-wide international insurance policy, which was finalized in April 212. The vendor that CUNY selected after public invitation for bids solicitation process was Cultural International Services International (CISI). 4 CISI will provide a full range of medical and accident coverage, emergency medical and security evacuation, repatriation of remains, and a variety of travelrelated benefits such as for bedside visits and emergency return home for all CUNY students and faculty traveling on CUNY-sponsored international trips. A third project was the purchase of study abroad management software to track students, faculty and staff who travel internationally. The product selected in Spring 212 by CUNY is StudioAbroad by TerraDotta, an industry leader in study abroad data management. One of the primary functionalities of the tool is to assist colleges and the university in responding to emergencies. The software is web-based and available 24/7. The tool is also expected to benefit international education offices by streamlining study abroad student application processes and acting as a repository for forms and documents that students are required to submit. It may also advance web management, program promotion, and streamline financial management. 3 and

18 A fourth area is revision of the CUNY Tuition and Fee Manual to clarify the uses of tuition and fees for study abroad, exchange, and faculty led programs. Supported by the work of the Presidents Ad Hoc Committee on International Education, which was appointed by Chancellor Goldstein, the primary changes under review and consideration of the Office of Budget and Finance would allow colleges that are sponsoring faculty-led programs to collect tuition from each student s CUNY home college, allow those tuition monies to be used for faculty salary and instructional costs, allow sponsoring colleges to charge students administrative fees to cover the operational costs of faculty-led programs (an administrative fee for study abroad programs are already allowable), and allow such administrative charges to be put toward faculty-incurred charges such as airfare, accommodations, and other reasonable expenses. Areas for Continued Work and Further Study The Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of the General Counsel are currently revising the CUNY international agreement review procedure and model documents that were last examined and distributed in 26. A revised international agreements review procedure will undergird the campuses by accommodating various types of increasingly complex arrangements beyond the traditional study abroad or exchange models. The fact that students from across the university may participate in programs sponsored by other CUNY campuses highlights the complexity of the University and each campus s administrative processes. A document that would bring together and clarify all existing rules and procedures for student registration, billing, financial aid, and other services continues to be a need and one that the Office of Undergraduate Studies in collaboration with other divisions plans to spearhead in the coming year. Due to the decentralized planning of such international activities, it has been difficult to accurately count all of those students who do travel across borders for enrichment and learning. However, such a study may be beneficial to see how CUNY is fulfilling its mission to provide students high quality education to meet the needs of the 21 st century, which is increasingly global. Sending students abroad for credit-bearing study abroad and student exchange programs is just one method for internationalizing the college experience. International service or cultural exchange trips organized by student clubs, for instance, as well as internships abroad that may not carry academic credit are all valuable forms of international learning in which CUNY students actively engage. Finally, campuses efforts to globalize curricula and provide professional development opportunities for faculty to do so have also not been studied. There are some colleges at CUNY that may not focus on the development of trips abroad yet still provide students a portfolio of cultural exchange and global learning opportunities on-campus through international-focused curricula, faculty and scholar exchange, and work locally in NYC with international organizations such as the United Nations. 17

19 Summary In summary, during the year, 1,528 CUNY students participated in credit-bearing international study. The results of last year s survey that focused on international activity during the 29-1 year showed that 1,55 students participated in study abroad, exchange, and facultyled programs, which means that the number of students engaging in international education has grown 1.5%. It remains that about.5% of the CUNY student population studies abroad annually. The CUNY Master Plan for calls for the University to double the percentage of students who study abroad: Currently, only.6 percent of CUNY students study abroad in any given academic year. By 216 this percentage will double. 5 If approximately 271, students are enrolled in degree programs at CUNY, doubling the current percentage of students who study abroad would mean that by 216, closer to 3,25 students would study abroad. The challenge will be how to make sure colleges and students have the resources they need to meet the target. 5 Investing in Our Future: The City University of New York s Master Plan , p