College of Liberal Arts

The College of Liberal Arts (CoLA) is building meaningful momentum. CoLA currently serves 512 undergraduate majors, and its fall-to-fall student retention rate is 84.85%—nearly 20 percentage points higher than SIU’s university-wide rate. Interest in the college also continues to grow, with 554 students admitted to CoLA programs for Fall 2026, compared with 358 at the same point last year. These numbers reflect the strength of our academic programs, the commitment of our faculty, and the supportive community students find within the college

This year, your generosity can support any designation within CoLA; however, we invite you to consider supporting Dean’s Club and the Center for Virtual Expression.

The CoLA Dean’s Club Fund provides flexible funding that allows college leadership to respond to emerging needs and invest in opportunities that may not be covered through traditional university funding. Support from Dean’s Club members can help fund student scholarships, faculty and student initiatives, alumni engagement, professional development, special events, classroom and laboratory improvements, and innovative programs throughout the college.

The Center for Virtual Expression (CVEX) addresses the way that artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies continue to transform the way people learn, work, and communicate. The staff and programs at CVEX recognize that students need more than the ability to use new technologies; they need the critical-thinking, ethical-reasoning, communication, and analytical skills to understand their influence and use them responsibly. Your support of CVEX enables students and faculty to explore emerging technologies while considering the human, cultural, and ethical questions surrounding them.

Your support helps ensure that CoLA students have access to the experiences and opportunities that will shape their futures. Your generosity on SIU Day of Giving is impactful!