For the most part, I think this is a great idea, and the lecture series is outstanding. However, I’m concerned about the Leadership Studies minor and the lack of opportunities for graduate students. Regarding the minor, it seems strange to add a new program in a time of budget cuts, especially a program that seems largely non-academic. What sort of courses would one take in Leadership Studies? Business courses? Pedagogy courses? Public speaking? Would the credits be exclusively service-learning projects? A minor doesn’t seem necessary to this new initiative, and I highly doubt students would choose it over a more practical minor field. I’m also distraught at the exclusion of graduate students in this initiative. There are grants available for faculty and undergraduates, but this plan in no way involves a large portion of our campus population. Graduate students are often teachers and researchers, too, and are certainly capable of making meaningful contributions to our campus community. I’d like to see a Scholars Program or summer funding opportunities added for these hard-working and often underpaid students. Without graduate student involvement, the Leadership Initiative is not a truly campus-wide program.