Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 8-14-20

Feature
Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Will Be First Black President At Talladega College To Have Building Named In His Honor
Naming Ceremony is Friday, August 14th
Talladega, AL -- Tal- ladega College will hold a naming ceremony for the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center on Friday, August 14, 2020, at 3 p. m. The newly constructed 47,000-square-foot student center/arena will be the first-ever campus facility to be named in honor of one of the institution’s African American presidents.
In 2008, when Dr. Billy C. Hawkins became the 20th president of Talladega College, the institution was struggling to survive. Dr. Hawkins implemented rig- orous plans for renovation
and growth that trans- formed the college. As a re- sult of his vision, enrollment doubled from just over 300 students to 601 students in one semester; athletic pro- grams were reinstated for the first time in ten years; and major campus beautifi- cation projects were under- taken.
The College enjoyed record-high enrollment in both the 2018-2019 aca- demic year and the 2019- 2020 academic year. Talladega College now has over 1,200 students.
Under the leadership of Dr. Hawkins, Talladega College is listed among Princeton Review’s best col- leges in the Southeast, U. S.
DR. BILLY C. HAWKINS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER
DR. BILLY C. HAWKINS ...President, Talladega College
News and World Report’s
most innovative colleges, and Kiplinger’s Best Value Colleges. Talladega’s 2019 SACSCOC Accreditation was reaffirmed through 2029 with no recommendations for change in any of the standards reviewed and, for the first time, the College is accredited to teach at the master’s degree level.
Talladega recently launched its first-ever grad- uate program, an online Master of Science in Com- puter Information Sys- tems. In addition, the campus is undergoing a major physical transforma- tion.
New construction on campus includes a 45,000- square-foot, state-of-the-art residence hall, which opened in 2019, and the Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art, which opened in 2020. The Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art houses six critically-ac- claimed Hale Woodruff mu- rals, including the renowned Amistad Murals. To con- struct the museum for Woodruff’s murals, which are valued at $50 million, Dr. Hawkins secured Tal- ladega’s largest-ever finan- cial gift, a one million dollar donation from alumnus Dr. William R. Harvey. Dr. Hawkins also secured a $1.5 million contribution from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and the State of Alabama.
“Dr. Hawkins took over as president in 2008 when Talladega College was struggling to survive. As a
result of his leadership, the College is once again recog- nized as one of the most well-respected HBCUs (His- torically Black Colleges and Universities) in the nation,” says Isaiah Hugley, chair- man of the Talladega College Board of Trustees.
Dr. Hawkins serves on the U. S. President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs and also serves as chair of the 37 presidents of member insti- tutions for the UNCF (United Negro College Fund).
In addition, he was ap- pointed by Alabama Gover- nor Kay Ivey to serve on the Alabama Opioid Over- dose and Addiction Council. He is the first African Amer- ican to chair the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the author of two books, and a member of the Talladega Rotary Club, the Delta Up- silon Boule and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
He was ranked first place among the Top Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2020 by HBCU Campaign Fund. He is also a recipient of numerous other awards.
The Kent, Ohio native holds a B. S. in Teacher Ed- ucation from Ferris State University; an M. A. in Edu- cation Administration from Central Michigan Univer- sity; and a Ph.D. in Educa- tion from Michigan State University. He has com- pleted post doctorate study at Harvard University. Dr. Hawkins and his wife, Lucy reside in Talladega, AL.
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