Who We Are
The Liberal Arts Council serves as the official student voice and governing body for the College of Liberal Arts - one of the largest student populations at the University of Texas at Austin. By serving as the principal liaison among students, faculty, and administration we strive to improve student life and address academic concerns through active student government. The chief duties of LAC include representing students in academic affairs as one of the voting bodies in the Senate of College Councils, providing community service opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, promoting inter-college relations by increasing involvement with other College Councils, and offering an outlet to ensure that the opinions and concerns of COLA students are heard in legislation.
What We're Fundraising For
We are fundraising for the Allison McCarty Memorial Scholarship. Allison joined Liberal Arts Council as a writer for LAC’s The Liberator magazine in Fall 2018. She was a Philosophy and Journalism dual major from Cedar Park, TX, and aspired to have a career in radio journalism. Her passions included the 1970s, classic rock, HBO docudramas, stroopwafels, mockumentaries by Christopher Guest, writing for Afterglow, and her weekly radio show on KVRX. Allison served as the Editor-in-Chief for The Liberator and as an Executive Board member for LAC for the 2019-2020 school year until she passed away in Spring 2020. Her passions included the 1970s, classic rock, HBO docudramas, stroopwafels, mockumentaries by Christopher Guest, writing for Afterglow, and her weekly radio show on KVRX. In memory of Allison who was a commuter student herself, we want to honor her contributions, her quirks, her laughter, and her impact on the UT Liberal Arts Council, through this scholarship to help students who commute to and from UT’s campus. The scholarship we have created in her memory eases the financial burden on commuter students like Allison, offsetting the cost of gas and parking. Even though Allison’s light has been dimmed, we hope that this scholarship will help ensure that it is never extinguished.
Your Impact
The Liberal Arts Council is an organization devoted to making the College of Liberal Arts, and The University of Texas at Austin as a whole, a better place for students. Gifts to the Allison McCarty Memorial Scholarship will improve the experience for students who must commute to and from UT in particular. The cost of commuting to and from campus is one that can often go overlooked. For those who commute to UT by car, the cost of gas and parking can quickly add up. Even those students who ride the bus sometimes need a car just to drive to distant bus stops. This scholarship will help commuter students manage those costs. Moreover, while buses can afford students some mobility, their rigid schedules and routes can often make it difficult for students to participate in essential parts of the college experience, like on-campus events and extracurricular activities. In order to take full advantage of the opportunities UT offers, commuting students often need access to a car. Your contributions to the Allison McCarty Memorial Scholarship, then, will help deserving and motivated students fully experience what our university has to offer. By providing financial support for commuting, UT students will be able to spend more time on campus engaging in their college life-- whether that be spending more hours studying, hanging with friends, or working, students will be able to make the most of their college years without holding back.
