The President's Leadership Academy experience begins with an intensive four-week Summer Program. This program gives scholars
the opportunity to experience college life firsthand and to familiarize themselves with the Bowling Green State University
campus and community. PLA scholars tend to perform better academically in the first semester as a result.
During the academic year, the program follows a curriculum designed to build leadership competence while developing skills
to assist in academic success. Progression in cohorts coupled with a thematic track system encourages sequential learning
and appropriate development.
Providing structured opportunities for all PLA cohorts to collectively associate is as equally important to developing curricula
for each cohort. To that end, the following components (not an exhaustive list) serve to bring together all PLA students throughout
the course of the academic year:
Topical leadership presentations
Community Leadership panel discussion
Collaborative scholar presentations
Women and leadership
Core values education
PLA Alumni presentations
Study Abroad and Conference presentations
Yearly community service project
On-going assessment and research
One-on-One meetings
Each member of the President's Leadership Academy is required to meet on an individual basis once a month with a member of
the PLA Staff. This personalized contact helps the scholar navigate through the academic, systemic, and social difficulties
they may encounter at BGSU to ensure a smooth matriculation.
Study Tables
Academic success is the main priority of all BGSU students. To assist with the difficult academic transition from high school
to college, the PLA requires all first year scholars (regardless of incoming credit status) to participate during Fall Semester
in the PLA Study Tables Program. This program emphasizes the importance of achieving and maintaining good study habits and
encourages improvement of time management skills. Furthermore, any scholar who does not maintain satisfactory academic achievement
is required to participate in study tables in both Fall and Spring Semesters until his or her GPA is above the minimum 2.5
program requirement.
