The mission of COPLAC as found on their website:
The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) advances the aims of its member institutions and drives awareness of the value of high-quality, public liberal arts education in a student-centered, residential environment. Established in 1987 and now consisting of 30 colleges and universities in 28 states and one Canadian province, COPLAC represents a distinguished sector in higher education.
COPLAC serves both external and internal constituencies. It communicates to state and federal policy makers the vital importance and benefits of providing students with comprehensive public higher education in the liberal arts and sciences. It collaborates with major national higher education organizations like the Association of American Colleges and Universities to advance the aims of liberal learning in a global society.
COPLAC enjoys an organizational and administrative structure that facilitates member collaborations, including multi-campus faculty and student research projects, professional development opportunities for faculty and professional staff, and enhanced information sharing through its interactive web portal. COPLAC has developed regional undergraduate research conferences and a web-based platform for outstanding scholarship at the undergraduate level. Thanks to generous support from the Teagle Foundation and the Mellon Foundation, COPLAC campuses share courses in Native American Studies and in Digital Liberal Arts. Students who enroll at a COPLAC institution are now directly engaged in the wider mission of public liberal arts education, the best preparation for a meaningful life and professional career.
The COPLAC central office and staff are located on the campus of the University of North Carolina – Asheville. The staff works actively with member institutions to improve the quality of liberal arts and sciences education on each campus. For additional information or inquiries concerning membership, please contact Director Cole Woodcox at (828) 350-4590 or Program Associate Claire Bailey at (828) 258-7879.
