Vicki Hawsey Karolewics, EdD President, Wallace State Community College

The INSIGHT Into Diversity Giving Back Award honors college presidents and chancellors who go above and beyond their everyday duties to give back to their institutions and communities. President Hawsey Karolewics was nominated by colleagues and selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity as a 2016 Giving Back Award recipient for her dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion and encouraging community service both on her campus and in the surrounding community. 

Established Initiatives
Circle K (Kiwanis) and Rotaract (Rotary), service organizations for students focused on improving the lives and well-being of the citizens served by Wallace State Community College

Improving Diversity
As part of her five-year diversity plan to help ensure underrepresented students’ success, she led the college in improving career pathways through stackable credentials and expansive credit and noncredit offerings. As a result, Wallace State’s most recent graduation rate increased from 24 to 34 percent — the highest in Alabama.

Nomination Excerpt
“Karolewics is an outstanding, socially responsible leader because of her full support of the mission of the community college system, which is to teach, support, and train all members of our community in the broadest sense. Not only does she devote considerable time and energy to supporting the community at large, but [she also] uses every opportunity to professionally develop both faculty and staff on cultural differences, unintentional biases, sexual orientation, inclusive classrooms, high-impact practices, innovative pedagogy, and socioeconomic differences.”