MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins says he doesn’t know how many more years he’ll remain at the school, but wanting to see it earn a research university designation is part of why he’s sticking around.
“I’m rejuvenated,” Hawkins told Alabama Daily News about the conversations that led to him reversing course on an announcement earlier this month that he’d retire in October 2025. Hawkins, who will be 80 in March, said he didn’t have a timeline for how long he may stay.
“I began talking with so many people about the continued vision of the university,” Hawkins said about what happened after his retirement announcement.
Hawkins has been chancellor for 35 years, making him the longest-serving public university leader.
On Sunday, hundreds of Troy alumni and supporters gathered at Troy’s Davis Theater in Montgomery for the premiere of “Beyond a War,” which focuses on Hawkins and a Vietnamese counterpart demonstrating reconciliation and partnership 50 years after the Vietnam War. Multiple speakers thanked Hawkins publicly for reconsidering his decision.
Troy Trustee and graduate Cam Ward told Alabama Daily News he expects Hawkins to remain at the university a year or two longer than previously planned.
Ward was a freshman at the university when Hawkins began as chancellor.
“He is wildly popular with the Troy community and the Troy family,” Ward said. “So I think the idea of him staying on one or two more years is popular to let him finish out some legacy building projects he’s been working on.”
Hawkins was asked by the board to stay. Ward said the board President Pro Tem Gibson Vance talked to every other member before approaching Hawkins.
“Every board member was unanimous in that, yes, please consider staying on a little longer to finish up some of these big projects we have going on,” Ward said.
Troy Trustee and fellow state senator Gerald Dial also said he didn’t know how long Hawkins will stay, but he was asked to finish some projects. Those include expanded programs at the school’s Montgomery and Dothan campuses.
“We have some pretty big changes going forward and some new innovative programs that he started, we just felt like we needed to ask him to stay,” Dial said. “Those things are just too exciting to leave to someone new coming in.”
The university, formerly known as a regional teachers college, began offering its first doctoral program in 2010 and is still expanding those offerings. Next, Hawkins wants to be a research university, earning what’s known as an “R2” classification.
“I learned a long time ago, people don’t get excited about little ideas,” Hawkins told ADN. “They get excited about big ideas. And for our Troy community, the R2 is a big idea, but a reachable idea.”
The university recently dedicated its first research building. The focus, primarily, will be polymer science and materials. The world’s largest plastics recycler, KW Plastics, is headquartered in Troy.
“But the good thing about an R2 status, it would really invigorate all of our faculty, regardless of whether they’re in science or technology or in health care or in other areas,” Hawkins said.
Preliminary fall enrollment numbers show 9,483 undergraduate and 2,784 graduate students at Troy. That 12,267 total is down from about 16,000 in fall 2019 and 13,340 in fall 2014, according to data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
Asked if he’ll have a new contract, Hawkins said he doesn’t currently have one and hasn’t for a few years. He still pledges to give the board a year’s notice before retiring.
Hawkins’ annual salary is about $767,220, making him one of the highest-paid university leaders in the state.
“It’s just like football (coaches), whoever comes in new, it’ll take them a few years to get up to speed and we don’t have a few years to lose on some of these projects,” Dial said.