COLA senator

Hello all! I am Brendan Malloy. I am currently a third-year student double majoring in Criminal Justice and Biomedical Sciences. During my time at RIT, I have come to value interdisciplinary education and that it is essential for developing accountable and structured leadership.

On campus, I serve as a Resident Advisor, President of the Deaf Volleyball Association, and a SDC Student Assistant (SSA) team lead of the NTID Student Life Team (SLT). These roles allow me to collaborate with multiple departments, advocate for students' needs, and develop inclusive and engaging campus environments. In addition to my leadership roles, I am actively involved in theatre, which has strengthened my communication skills and deepened my engagement within the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) community.

Through my experience as a multidisciplinary student and active member of the leadership community, I understand the value of having quality representation in COLA. The diversity of interests within COLA deserves to be clearly heard and meaningfully represented in college decision-making.

As a multidisciplinary student deeply involved in leadership, I understand how important strong representation is within the College of Liberal Arts. COLA is home to students with diverse goals and passions, and those voices deserve to be clearly heard and meaningfully represented in college decision-making.

As a COLA Senator, my goal is to strengthen representation through structured, actionable initiatives and ensure student voices are not only heard but also included in college leadership processes.

C - Confidence

Students in COLA should feel confident about their academic path and potential career. Internship and co-op opportunities are a great way for departments to work together; however, information can still feel scattered. I will work to better organize career resource information, advisor support, and professional development opportunities so students have easier access to the tools they need.

Students should not feel overwhelmed trying to navigate multiple tabs and systems to determine if they are taking the correct classes, registering for classes or checking their degree progress. I will work to make it easier for students to find this information.

O - Opportunity

Students in COLA deserve to have access to various types of experiences including internships, networking opportunities, interdisciplinary collaborations and leadership opportunities. I will help ensure students are made aware of all of the opportunities available to them in COLA. I will improve the dissemination of opportunity information (physical and digital) so students may more easily locate the resources available to them.

L - Leadership

Leadership means listening and following through. I will strengthen collaboration between students, the Student Advisory Board, and the Dean’s Office by providing consistent communication and creating a structured framework for students to provide feedback. Meaningful representation should result in meaningful action, not conversation alone.

A - Action & Accountability

Leadership does not end after the election. I will continue to hold open office hours, provide regular updates to keep students informed of the actions I am taking to represent them, and work collaboratively with fellow senators to address the issues facing students related to academic systems, course clarity, and student support.

Together, we can build a COLA where every student is supported, confident, and ready to shine.