By The Keystone Newspaper PASSHE Chancellor grants KU Council of Trustees authorization to initiate search process
By Bethany McDonald
On Aug. 23, Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, the current president of KU, announced his upcoming retirement at the University 2024 Faculty and Staff Convocation and Celebration.
Hawkinson, the 12th president of KU, stated his resignation will occur summer of 2025, after completing 10 years of presidency.
Photo Credit: Chris Sponagle, Kutztown University
Hawkinson contributed to many KU accomplishments since he joined office in 2015. Whether it was partnering with the KU Foundation on its $47 million comprehensive campaign, conducting construction plans, or presiding over a six-year tuition freeze, Hawkinson worked alongside staff, students, and the community to enhance KU and the surrounding area.
Since Hawkinson’s term, the campus has gone under various renovations such as turning the former campus Profession Building into the DeLight E. Breidegam Building, the headquarters of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center. In addition to renovations, new facilities have been added, such as the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research. The latest structural project is the new Admissions Welcome Center, scheduled to be completed spring of 2025.
Financially, Hawkinson founded a merit-based scholarship program, increasing institutional aid from 2% in 2015 to 14% in 2023. Within the past couple of years, new student enrollment has increased by 1.7%, in addition to the retention rate increasing from 72% to 79%. Furthermore, enrollment of minority students increased from 15% to 26%.
After completing his academic career at Elgin Community College, Western Illinois University, and Southern Illinois University, Hawkinson spent 27 years working for WIU. Hawkinson contributed many roles while working for WIU, one of them being an adjunct professor in African American Studies. Globally, from 1990-91 Hawkinson taught American studies at the University of Ouagadougou (Waa-ga-doo-goo), Burkina Faso, West Africa. On July 1, 2015, Hawkinson started his term as KU’s 12th president.
Outside of being an academic, Hawkinson served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa from 1986-88, in addition to three years on active duty as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army.
Hawkinson delivered a heartfelt speech the morning of his retirement announcement on Aug. 23, beginning by acknowledging a dear friend of his, Dr. Tom Pace, who had recently passed away at age 94. Pace was the graduate director at the same university where Hawkinson had received his doctoral degree.
Photo Credit: Chris Sponagle, Kutztown University
“And so, it was for Tom Pace who taught and changed the lives of so many over the years. I have always thought that it is not so much what we know that makes us great teachers, but who we are,” Hawkinson said.
Pace played a big contribution to Hawkinson’s life, inspiring him to be the humble leader he is today. “Tom contributed so much to who I became as a teacher, administrator, and person,” Hawkinson said.
Hawkinson expressed the desire instilled in him to be a teacher and college administrator but stressed the importance of developing a voice first to do so.
“I wanted to be a teacher, and eventually a college administrator, but I first had to find myself and to be confident that the knowledge I gained and the person who I became was worthy to share,” Hawkinson said.
Hawkinson conveyed that knowledge comes from freeing the talent and words from within oneself. This was illustrated by reading “The Poet,” a poem by James Kirkup.
“As teachers, we too are poets. We try to put into the spoken word the unutterable, the unwritten, and the unspoken. We teach our students to give an ordinary tongue to their ideas, to speak as if it is as natural as a breath, yet to inspire” Hawkinson said.
Hawkinson voiced the many gifts KU has given him, and how he is now ready to pass the gift on to someone else. Hawkinson’s announcement provided the university a year to conduct a national search and ensure a smooth transition to a new president.
Hawkinson concluded by thanking the many people who had supported him over the last decade, such as his vice presidents, staff, office team, local community members, and more. Lastly, he thanked his wife and best friend, Ann Marie, for giving up her career to support Hawkinson’s position as president.
“Let me just say how grateful I am for being given this wonderful opportunity to be president of Kutztown University,” Hawkinson said.