President’s Leadership Program
www.unco.edu/hsl/PLP
The President’s Leadership Program (PLP) is a four-year academic leadership program that incorporates leadership theory with hands-on learning and practical application. It is a selective program open to incoming freshman who demonstrate leadership potential. Students will receive leadership training and development through guest speakers, classes, community service, activities, and leadership summits.
Program Highlights
Year One : The first year includes participation in the Center for Honors, Scholars and Leadership’s first year seminar curriculum. Freshman in PLP will take PLP 100 and MIND 289 with the PLP cohort. These classes will connect students to community, allow them to explore personal values, and encourage perspective taking through civic engagement and service-learning. Students will also attend the Leaders Engaging in Action through Passion (LEAP) Summit.
Year Two : In the second year of the program, PLP students will explore the idea of risk and change as they relate to leadership. They will also be asked to increase their involvement on campus and/or in community in a meaningful way. In PLP 200, The Entrepreneur in America, entrepreneurial leadership will be looked at in its broadest sense, exploring the calculated risk and social change inherent in leadership.
Year Three : Gives the students space to complete and get credit for their internship or study abroad experience, while continuing to work on their leadership portfolio.
Year Four : Fourth year students will take Capstone, which asks students to complete and in-depth, hands-on, capstone project where they will work with community and with each other. This project incorporates the previous years of theory and experience, making room for a creative space to explore change, civic values, and community impact.
Program Requirements
- Completion of 20 hours of service within the community per semester
- Completion of an extensive Leadership Portfolio, turned in each semester
- Completion of extracurricular programmatic elements
- Completion of all PLP required courses: a total of 11-13 course credits
Required Courses
MIND 289 Coming of Age in the Twenty-First Century (3)
PLP 100 Contemporary Leadership Theory (3)
PLP 200 The Entrepreneur in America (2)
PLP 492 Internship/Study Abroad (1-3)
PLP 499 Capstone (2)
Application Information
- PLP admits 20-25 incoming freshman (occasionally returning UNC sophomores may join)
- Must display interest beyond self: a desire to get involved on campus and in the community
- Application deadline is April 30th: up to 40 candidates will be interviewed for the 20-25 spots
- There is an annual PLP scholarship, based on funding, and access to additional scholarship opportunities once admitted into the program
Additional Information
Please contact the Center for Honors, Scholars and Leadership by calling (970) 351-2940, by visiting the office in Michener L-98, or by finding us online at www.unco.edu/hsl/PLP.