The Student Council of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (SCOLAPS) officially came into existence on July 1, 2009, concurrent with the opening of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. SCOLAPS' serves as the student government for the new Faculty and is built upon the traditions of the antecedent student governments. Under the leadership of the Faculty of Arts Student Council with cooperation from the Atkinson Students' Association, discussions were held over several years to ensure an appropriate transfer of student representation to the new Faculty. SCOLAPS is the outcome of these discussions.
There is a strong tradition in SCOLAPS of meaningfully representing the student perspective on academic and governance issues at both the faculty and university-wide level. A culture of commitment exists within the organization, creating opportunities for a greater contribution by students to the LA&PS Faculty and York University.