Presidents Leadership Class

The Presidents Leadership Class began as a conversation between William Douglas, Dean of Admissions, and Terry Heineman, Assistant Director of Admissions. Terry and Bill thought that it worthwhile to initiate a leadership program at CU Boulder as a strategy to recruit Colorado’s top students to attend the University and provide leadership in the state Colorado upon graduation. Both men felt it important to involve several outstanding leaders in the state to inform the creation of a pioneering leadership program. This led them to William Coors, President of the Adolph Coors Company. The three men moved forward with the development of the Student Leadership Institute and its premiere program, the Presidents Leadership Class, named in honor of the University of Colorado Boulder President and the corporate presidents involved in the program’s foundation.

Formerly an independently managed nonprofit, PLC is now a fully integrated program of the University of Colorado Boulder. PLC remains largely funded and influenced by alumni, an advisory board, and outside community members. However, the University continues to support PLC with over $100,000 in scholarship dollars each year. This helps fund the incoming cohort in addition to the growing student staff that numbers around 40-45 students each year. The student staff is organized into catalyst, community, connections, change, communications, and class advisor teams, but still works as a cohesive whole to influence and implement programming and opportunities for their peers.

Many people work together to make PLC an amazing opportunity available to 40-50 new students each year. Through the support of an extensive network of 50 years of alumni, parents, business, and community leaders, and a very involved Board of Advocates, PLC continues to grow and develop as a top leadership development program on campus. PLC is now an affiliate of the Center for Leadership, the hub of leadership practice under the Chancellor’s Office and the Quigg Newton Endowed Leadership Chair.

Academically, PLC students now earn a micro-credential badge in values-based leadership for completing the program; excelling in academics, community, experience, and service. PLC scholars can also earn a Leadership Studies Minor by taking an additional capstone course. Aside from the credentials on a diploma, the benefits of PLC reveal themselves as students depart the program and launch into their professional careers. We collect testimonials from PLC alumni that swear by the preparation that PLC provided in terms of public speaking, presentation preparedness, writing and composition, communication skills, critical thinking, decision-making, and above all else, integrity.

The program is very focused on developing leaders of character that live by the program values of courage, connection, wisdom, and opportunity - representing the principles of ethical, honest and transparent leadership.