The Commission on the Liberal Arts (CoLA) is expanding its scope, for the first time seeking Emory staff members interested in serving on a trio of committees designed to explore the future of liberal arts at the University.  

CoLa Chair Robyn Fivush, Samuel Candler Dobbs professor of psychology, and vice-chairs Deborah Bruner, School of Nursing professor, and Karen Stolley, Spanish professor and chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, are inviting Emory staff participation on three new committees:

• Learning through Instruction

• Learning through Innovation

• Learning through Integration.

The invitation is part of a larger call for nominations extended to faculty, staff and students within a plan to re-energize CoLA as it continues its work this semester.  

Launched last year by former provost Earl Lewis, CoLA was created to take a "broad, deep look" at liberal arts at Emory over the next quarter-century — an in-depth exercise intended to examine all aspects of the liberal arts experience.  

Moving forward under the support and guidance of Provost Claire Sterk, herself a former CoLA co-chair, Fivush says that wider participation is now being sought "because staff are critical to everything we do — we could not run as a university without them."  

Although serving on a CoLA subcommittee will involve a "substantial commitment," including several meetings in the fall and spring semesters, committee members will have the opportunity to shape the future of Emory in significant ways, Fivush notes.  

Once nominations are received, invitations will be extended to ensure broad representation. Nominations should be submitted to Shondra May at shondra.may@emory.edu by Sept. 13.

For more information, visit liberalartsforwardemory.com.