Presidents Leadership Class

The Presidents Leadership Class (PLC) is a scholar community with academic and experiential curricula with focus on leadership development based on program pillars and values. Skills are developed in interdisciplinary, academic, experiential and service environments and through exposure to key social issues and complex problems. PLC students are enrolled in all the schools and/or colleges across campus and participate in the PLC curriculum as a complement to their regular coursework.

The PLC is a program of CU Boulder and has a Board of Advocates representing Colorado business, educational, nonprofit and government communities.

Admission and Enrollment

Admission to the PLC is part of being welcomed onto campus and a feeling of belonging for incoming CU Boulder students. Most PLC students are admitted prior to the beginning of their first year at CU Boulder; however,  limited spots are reserved for qualified rising sophomores through a second point-of-entry application. Selection criteria include academic performance, mindset, a willingness to challenge oneself, and displays of empathy, humility and resiliency. Each year, 35-40 first-year students are enrolled, comprising both Colorado residents and non-residents. Instructions on how to apply to PLC are available on the PLC website. The application is part of the CU Boulder Scholarship Application through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services. The application is due by February 15. To access the application, visit the Apply Now webpage.

PLC students receive credit for the General Education requirements for Social Sciences for PRLC 1810 and PRLC 1820 in their first year of PLC. Students are required to take three additional PLC courses (PRLC) with a few exceptions: PRLC 2820, PRLC 3810 or PRLC 3800 and PRLC 2930 (the complement course for the ALE experiential requirement).

Academic Program

The PLC provides students with unique academic courses, purposeful experiential education and real-life experiences that support:

• Academic rigor and professional readiness.
• Growth in critical thinking, research, analytical and synthesizing capabilities.
• Development of innovative and practical creativity in problem solving.
• Opportunities to apply new abilities of thoughtful implementation of sustainable solutions.
• Cultivation and understanding of moral reasoning and ethical decision making.
• Development of an appreciation for a community to which students want to impact and contribute to.

PLC provides opportunities by uniting the support of the university, local, statewide and national leaders. The academic curriculum is supplemented by a substantial experiential learning curriculum and professional development opportunities.

For more information on the PLC Curriculum Strategy and the research behind it, visit the Presidents Leadership Class website.

Required Courses and Credits

PLC students tend to declare and complete the Leadership Studies Minor (LSM), however, it is not a requirement of the PLC program. Courses in addition to the courses listed below have been added to the list of courses accepted to complete PLC. Information about the other courses and many academic/experiential opportunities available is on the PLC website.

The capstone course, LEAD 4000 is not required for PLC students but is required for the Leadership Studies Minor.

Scholarship Programs and Opportunities

The PLC offers many scholarships to fully participating students over the course of their undergraduate careers. The first-year award is a merit award of $1,000 that is awarded upon selection into the program. The first-year scholarship is non-renewable and not awarded automatically after the first year. PLC students have the opportunity to apply or be nominated for a number of other scholarships to substantially help fund their undergraduate education upon their second semester in the program. Below is a list of available scholarships primary to PLC students. All PLC-allocated scholarships are dispersed through the Office of Financial Aid and are calculated directly against the cost of attendance.

• William A. Douglas Endowment
• FirstBank Scholars
• Dr. Larry Allen Endowment
• Flanagan & Walker Scholarships
• Hoelscher Memorial Scholarship
• Annabelle K. Lutz Voss Scholars
• Tim Pestotnik Scholarship
• Leo Hill Endowment
• The Ruyle Family Scholarship
• PLC Enrichment Fund Scholarship
• PLC Student Staff Fellowship

Courses