Recent budget cuts have eliminated the University of Northern Colorado’s faculty led study abroad program leaving students to wonder what is next for their traveling hopes.
In November of last year, students and faculty received an email from UNC president, Andy Feinstein, titled, “Update Regarding Budget and Personnel.” This email addressed UNC’s proposed budget cuts, solving the problem by permanently eliminating over 80 staff positions throughout the college and altering many university programs.
According to 2026 UNC graduate, Catie Peterson, the layoffs impacted the Office of Global Engagement in a huge way. She was called in as backup.
“I was contacted as a former study abroad student to basically become an ambassador," Peterson said. "To do student employee kind of tasks for the school to help students, either with their visas or if they had questions––so yeah, that impacted me a lot. I had to step up a little bit for that.”
Peterson was only one of the many students who were impacted by the elimination of the faculty led study abroad program. “H,” a junior at UNC studying criminology, is about to take her last faculty led trip. Aside from her own disappointment about the removal of the program, “H” also expressed concerns about how the elimination of the program will impact enrollment.
“I think that a lot of the draw to UNC is their study abroad programs and stuff," "H" said. "Especially weeklong trips instead of full semesters, which most universities don’t really do. So, I don’t think the changes will reflect as well financially as they think it will."
LaSota, interim director with the Office of Global Engagement, is confident that students will find the support they need to travel abroad.
Faculty within the Office of Global Engagement are operating under a heavier workload while simultaneously responding to student complaints. Kara LaSota, interim director within the Office of Global Engagement, has shouldered a lot of the workload.
“I can say that we've received concerned phone calls and emails in our office, but there's a misperception that study abroad simply won't be available in the future," LaSota said in an email. "It will look different, but it will still be available.”
According to UNC’s study abroad website homepage, the school has no current plans to bring back the faculty led study abroad program. Although this brings the weeklong faculty trips to an end, Peterson’s attitude is optimistic for the aspiring travelers within the student body of UNC and encourages them to seek out other travel options on their own.
“There are so many study abroad programs that you can do that don’t have to be through your university," Peterson said. "ISEP direct is a really great one. If you just look up your major and study abroad, that brings up a bunch of different options.”
Students are not alone. Faculty within the Office of Global Engagement are committed to helping students achieve their traveling goals. The office located in Wilson Hall on Ninth Avenue provides passport and visa services and can help direct students to the resources they need to travel abroad independent from the university. LaSota and her staff are faithful and have been an instrumental support to students traveling to Italy over spring break for UNC’s final faculty led trip.
“I've been genuinely moved by the number of faculty and staff who've expressed interest in making sure that we continue to support these experiences for students, in whatever form takes shape," LaSota said. "We know it's a high impact practice, and despite cuts impacting the way it may look in the future, there's clear support for UNC Bears having an opportunity to go abroad, if it's their dream to do so.”
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