At GSBC, the first-year curriculum is designed to immerse students in the broad foundations of banking leadership. Throughout their first year in the three-session program, students begin to gain more exposure to essential areas including asset/liability management (ALCO), risk, strategy and leadership. This grounding provides the framework for the deeper dives, applied projects and electives that define the second and third years of the program.

The Experience & Action Journals our students keep during their first year confirm just how powerful that foundation is: Their reflections show that they leave Boulder not just with new knowledge but with questions for their CEOs that connect GSBC learning to the realities of their own institutions. These reflections aren’t casual curiosities, they are evidence that our students are prepared to apply their growth in ways that make them more valuable to their banks.

The Top Questions First-Year Students Plan to Ask Their CEOs

In reviewing 143 first-year Experience & Action Journals, GSBC focused on the answers derived from two key prompts in the journal:

  1. What are three things you will discuss with your CEO following your first year at GSBC?
  2. What is your personal development goal between now and next year’s session?

From these reflections, five clear themes emerged. These questions show how students are taking broad concepts from the classroom and connecting them to the realities of their banks:

  1. How can I better contribute to ALCO and understand interest rate risk? Students want a greater role in asset/liability conversations and are eager to move from classroom concepts into bank-specific practice.
  1. What is our bank’s long-term strategic direction and where do I fit into it? Students are curious about their bank’s trajectory and how they can help lead it forward.
  1. What leadership skills should I strengthen to prepare for greater responsibility? Students are focused on becoming more effective leaders, supporting their teams and preparing for greater accountability.
  1. How does our bank define and manage risk beyond interest rates? Students are looking to understand how their banks assess and mitigate risk across lending, compliance and operations.
  1. How can I apply GSBC learnings directly back at the bank? Students leave their first year ready to bring tools and frameworks home, demonstrating tangible return on investment for their organizations.

The Bigger Picture: Laying the Groundwork for Years 2 and 3

These questions illustrate the intentional design of the GSBC curriculum. Year 1 provides broad exposure to essential concepts. Students then return to their banks ready to connect what they’ve learned to the specific needs of their organizations. In Years 2 and 3 they will take those questions further through applied projects, advanced electives and deeper dives into the same core themes.

This progression from foundational learning to focused questions to applied projects is what equips GSBC graduates to deliver measurable value to their organizations. The Experience & Action Journal, now used across all three years of the program, ensures students not only reflect on what they learn but also apply it, set goals and report back to leadership. GSBC’s aim is that this intentional reflection becomes a tool for lasting impact for the student and the bank alike.

GSBC’s 75th Annual School Session is scheduled for July 19-31, 2026, at the University of Colorado Boulder. Learn more.