In his nearly 40 years at Liberty University, Dr. Ronald E. Hawkins, who will be transitioning from his position as provost and chief academic officer this summer, has seen Liberty grow from humble roots into a world-class evangelical university.
Hawkins first joined Liberty in 1977, teaching Bible classes and homiletics, and he assumed a variety of leadership roles before becoming provost. After June 30, he’ll have mixed responsibilities, still playing a role in the Provost’s Office while also teaching a limited number of graduate courses in the School of Behavioral Sciences and the Rawlings School of Divinity.
“I often tell people that the greatest privilege of my life has been being a part of the amazing story that is Liberty,” Hawkins said. “Liberty is a phenomenon, something that occurs once in a generation or once in a century. This is the first time the world has ever seen an evangelical Christian university grow to this size and make the impact that Liberty has.”
“I always had the sense that God called me here,” he added, noting that he will value the opportunity to continue serving on a provost’s leadership team and interacting with students in the classroom.
“The people I get to interact with on a daily basis keep me young and in good health,” he said. “At its very best, life is circular. You put something into the heart of a person and you go downstream, and it comes flowing back to you. If you are a giver, and you love serving, leading, and teaching people, then they feed you back. That’s exciting.”
Hawkins led Liberty through its institutional accreditation process with SACS and led many of its programs through additional accreditation with other organizations. He was dean of the College of Arts & Sciences from 2000-06 and is the founding dean of Liberty’s School of Behavioral Sciences. Hawkins has worked in the university’s counseling program and has over 20 years of experience in mental health counseling, counselor training, and consulting.
As provost, Hawkins also helped institute the Provost’s Award for Research Excellence (P.A.R.E.), which funds domestic and international research programs for students.
At Commencement, tears were in Hawkins’ eyes as he conferred the degrees. “But they were not tears of sadness,” he said. “They symbolized an overwhelming gratitude for what God has done at this place and for the reality that I’ve been privileged to be a part of this.”
