Council of Trustees Approve Admissions Welcome Center to be Named in Hawkinson's Honor

KU Council of Trustees Approve Admissions Welcome Center to be Named in Hawkinson's Honor

April 24, 2025

KUTZTOWN, Pa. - The Kutztown University Council of Trustees approved the naming of the Hawkinson Admissions Welcome Center in honor of university president, Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, at the council's April meeting, Thursday, April 25.

The Hawkinson Admissions Welcome Center, located at the corner of Kutztown Rd. and College Blvd., will include a renovation of the Poplar House and a new 10,300-square-foot addition. The new addition will include a lobby and gathering space with a reception/information counter with interactive displays and kiosks; a large multi-purpose meeting room, capable of both table seating for receptions or lecture style layout for presentations; a catering kitchen to support special events; offices for a portion of admissions department staff; and a lounge for student tour guides. The facility will also include state-of-the-art HVAC, lighting and audio/visual features.

The building is set to be dedicated at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 5.

"President Hawkinson has demonstrated outstanding and fearless leadership as the 12th president of Kutztown University," said Dennis Giorno, chair, KU Council of Trustees. "Over the past decade, he has guided the university through challenges to keep KU stable and successful. This has included enhancing the academic profile of the university through student recruitment and retention; a continuous balanced budget despite no tuition increases; a record-setting fundraising campaign, with the establishment and refurbishment of facilities; unparalleled success on our athletic venues; and enhanced diversity, particularly among the student body."

Over its nearly 159-year history, Kutztown University has named several of its facilities in honor of the institution's great leaders, including Presidents McFarland, Stratton, Beekey, de Francesco, Rohrbach and Rothermel, and normal school principal Nathan Schaeffer.

In other business, the KU Council of Trustees approved the spring 2025 graduates, as well as:

* Approved meeting minutes from March 13, 2025.

* Approved internship agreements with the Roberto Clemente Charter School, Allentown, PA; Monroe County Probation Department, Stroudsburg, PA; Lafayette College, Easton, PA; Delaware Blue Coats, Wilmington, DE; Preventative Measures, Inc., East Stroudsburg, PA; Universal Phoenix Group, LLC., Stone Mountain, GA; Blue Ridge Cable Technologies, Inc., Palmerton, PA; Historic Yellow Springs, Chester Springs, PA; JuxtaHub, Emmaus, PA; George Washington High School, Philadelphia, PA; Wyomissing Area School District, Wyomissing, PA; Novus Medical Services, Reading, PA; George Washington High School, Philadelphia, PA; Schuylkill County Municipal Authority, Pottsville, PA.

* Approved school-based internship agreements with Huntingdon School District, Pottstown School District, Manheim Central School District, Fleetwood Area School District and St. Lucy School.

* Approved dual credit agreements with Tamaqua Area School District, Boyertown Area School District, Schuylkill Haven Area School District, Catasauqua Area School District and Wyomissing Area School District.

* Approved the Capital Spending Plan.

* Approved the tuition technology fee.

* Approved miscellaneous fees.

The KU Council of Trustees next public board meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m., Thursday, June 5, 2025.