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Hawkins Settles in as Dean of Campbell Business
School
 Since taking over the job of dean of Campbell
University’s Lundy-Fetterman School of Business in June, Dr. Ben
Hawkins has had time to assess his new role and responsibilities.
He’s taken stock of the school’s current programs and direction and
is drawing up a tentative list of goals that he would like to see
implemented. Hawkins sees a future ripe with possibilities, and he
is looking forward to the fall semester.
“Of course, I’ve only been at Campbell for a short
time,” Hawkins said, “but I feel that I can talk about future goals
in general terms at least.”
Hawkins, who was vice president for Academic Affairs
and Student Life at Louisiana College in Pineville, L.A., before
coming to Campbell, helped implement a SACS (Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools) re-accreditation that focused on enrollment
growth without jeopardizing academic quality. It was very successful
and is now part of the standard SACS accreditation process.
“I am interested in emphasizing recruitment at
Campbell in both undergraduate and graduate programs at the business
school,” he said. “I’d like to see us recruit more and better
students, and I believe that can be accomplished by focusing on the
variety of majors Campbell has to offer such as the professional
golf management and the trust management and investment programs.”
Hawkins would also strengthen the academic
curriculum and work on developing and enhancing alumni relations
with a special emphasis on fundraising among the alumni population.
At Louisiana College, Hawkins was instrumental in
developing several initiatives of which he is proud. He helped
expand the chapel requirement into a cultural and spiritual
enrichment program, which exposed students to campus events such as
plays, concerts, and art exhibits.
“It was very successful,” Hawkins said. “It
introduced students to cultural activities they might not otherwise
attend and brought attendance at these events to some of the highest
levels ever recorded.”
Institutional research was another area of
improvement at Louisiana College during Hawkins’s tenure. While
information and statistics concerning the school abounded, there was
no centralized repository for comprehensive records and analysis.
Hawkins helped create an Office of Institutional Research that
compiled statistical data and factual information and not only
served as a resource but a venue for institution-wide analysis on
projects such as new programs and enrollments.
Of course, the major objective of any new leader is
to apply the knowledge and wisdom gained from previous experience to
a new situation. Hawkins sees many similarities between Campbell
University and Louisiana College, but he also sees some fundamental
differences.
“In some ways the schools are exactly alike in that
they are both mission-driven-that’s part of their Baptist heritage”
he said. “But Louisiana College is a small, liberal arts school and
Campbell is a comprehensive institution that focuses on the
development of a wide range of programs, including professional
schools such as law and pharmacy. Colleges have to recruit
accordingly.”
Regardless of size or mission, Hawkins believes
excellent leadership at any institution of higher education is
necessary for success.
“Campbell has enjoyed an administration that has
been well-grounded in the institution’s mission, that understands
who Campbell University is, and what it takes to make Campbell
strong-an administration dedicated to making things happen,” he
said.
A native of Rock Hill, S.C., Hawkins also held the
Hubert and Mandolene D. Reding Professorship in Business at
Louisiana College. He received a Bachelor of Arts in business and
economics from Furman University in Greenville, S.C., and a Master
of Arts and doctorate from the University of Kentucky.
Prior to moving to Louisiana College in 1998,
Hawkins served as a professor and dean of the business schools at
Berry College in Rome, G.A., and William Carey College in
Hattiesburg, M.S. He was also associate dean and professor at the
Winthrop University School of Business in Rock Hill, S.C., and
taught at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.
The son of a Baptist minister, Hawkins and his wife,
Linda, are the parents of a daughter, Ashley.
Bulletin
0209-07/30/04
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