Billy C. Hawkins

Billy C. Hawkins is an academic administrator and the current president of Talladega College. Hawkins also serves as a board member of the United Negro College Fund and is a member of the White House Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Billy C. Hawkins
Born
William C. Hawkins

Kent, Ohio, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationFerris State University
Central Michigan University
Alma materMichigan State University
OccupationAcademic administrator
EmployerTalladega College
Notes

Early life and education

William C. Hawkins was born and raised in Kent, Ohio, and graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1972.[2] He completed his bachelor of science in teacher education from Ferris State University, followed by a master's degree in education administration from Central Michigan University. Hawkins earned his PhD from Michigan State University, followed by post-doctoral work at Harvard University.[1]

Career

Hawkins first job in education was as a teacher in Lansing, Michigan. He entered a career in higher education administration as provost and vice president of academic affairs and a professor at Mississippi Valley State University. He proceeded to work in academic and leadership positions at Saint Paul's College, Ferris State University, and Morrisville State College.[1]

From 2000 to 2007 he was president of Texas College.[1] While at Texas College, Hawkins regained the college's accreditation and increased enrollment by 82 percent.[3]

Talladega College

On January 1, 2008, he became the 20th president of Talladega College.[1] During his time at Talladega, Hawkins sought to bring the college out of debt and increase enrollment. He began partnering with companies based in Talldega, including Honda, and the state of Alabama's work release program, to secure volunteers and staff to help maintain and care for the college grounds. The project included renovations of every campus building - the first in twelve years. Hawkins also relaunched the school's sports programs after ten years. The college has won seven national championships since Hawkins relaunched athletics. He also helped the school regain it's accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and created the Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art.[3]

In 2017, the Talladega College band performed at the inauguration of Donald Trump. Funds for the performance were crowdsourced, including support from Bill O'Reilly. Hawkins experienced a backlash, including calls to be fired, however, student band members and the board of trustees supported the performance.[3]

Hawkins serves as a board member of the United Negro College Fund and is a member of the White House Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).[3] In 2020, he was named one of the 10 most powerful HBCU leaders in the US by the HBCU Campaign Fund.[4]

Personal life

Hawkins is a member of Omega Psi Phi.[1]

Works
  • Hawkins, B. C. (1994). Educating all students: A pathway to success. Lansing, MI: Shinsky Seminars.

References
  1. "Dr. Billy C. Hawkins". UNCF. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  2. Kano, Krista, S. (September 11, 2020). "Talladega College names building for Kent Roosevelt alum". Record-Courier. Retrieved September 14, 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Stewart, Pearl (6 January 2020). "Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Revives Ailing HBCU Amid Cheers and Controversy". Diverse. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  4. Braswell, Laci (4 January 2020). "Talladega College president named one of 10 most dominant HBCU leaders in 2020". The Anniston Star. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.