State auditors found SUNY generally keeps study abroad programs running smoothly, but gaps in oversight allowed students to travel under expired or missing agreements.
A new audit from the state comptroller says SUNY’s Office of Global Affairs oversees hundreds of study abroad programs, yet lacks strong controls to ensure all campus agreements stay current and approved.
Hundreds of programs, fewer safeguards
During the 2023–24 academic year, 26 SUNY campuses ran 508 study abroad programs across 67 countries, serving 3,304 students. Participation remains down 42% from pre-pandemic levels, when more than 5,600 students studied abroad.
Auditors said SUNY generally required campuses to have agreements with foreign partner institutions and kept documentation to support payments. But they found oversight weaknesses that left SUNY without a full picture of those agreements.
Missing and expired agreements
Auditors reviewed 104 agreements at three campuses: Binghamton University, Buffalo State University, and the University at Albany.
They found 12 agreements that were not submitted to SUNY’s Office of Global Affairs for review and approval. Six were never submitted at all. One of those agreements was still active during the audit period.
Another six agreements were only submitted after the audit began, following reminders from SUNY officials. Review and approval for those agreements remained pending months later.
The audit also found 16 agreements had lapsed at some point. Eleven of them had been expired for more than two years. In one case, an agreement had been expired since 1998.
Because of these lapses, campuses sent 258 students abroad under agreements that were expired or could not be located.
Systems didn’t catch the problems
SUNY officials told auditors they use an automated system to remind campuses when agreements near expiration. But staff at one campus said they never received those alerts, and auditors found SUNY did not follow up to confirm the messages were received.
The audit said SUNY also lacks formal policies spelling out when campuses must submit agreements or what happens if they don’t.
Campuses said delays often stemmed from negotiations with foreign partners, pandemic disruptions, staffing changes, and legal reviews.
Recommendations and response
Auditors recommended SUNY develop clear policies to track and monitor agreements and work with campuses to renew them before they expire.
SUNY officials agreed with the recommendations and said they plan to strengthen reminders, require regular reporting from campuses, and better reconcile active programs with SUNY’s records.
The comptroller’s office said SUNY must report back within 180 days on steps taken to address the findings.
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