Appointment of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Willie L. Banks Jr., a highly experienced leader in undergraduate campus life, has agreed to join UCI as our next vice chancellor for student affairs. After an extensive national search, he quickly emerged as the consensus No. 1 choice to lead our Division of Student Affairs, which is charged with developing and enhancing the student experience of our nearly 30,000 undergraduates.

Dr. Banks has more than 23 years of progressive experience in providing visionary leadership at higher education institutions. He comes to UCI from Indiana State University, where he has served as the vice president for student affairs, as well as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, since 2015. Prior to Indiana State University, Dr. Banks was at Cleveland State University, where he was interim assistant vice president for student affairs. He also served there as associate dean of students for student life and as interim vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Previously, he held a variety of student affairs positions at the University of Georgia, including associate dean and director of intercultural affairs.

Dr. Banks holds a Bachelor of Arts in public relations, with a minor in business, from Mercer University. He also earned two degrees from the University of Georgia: a master’s in student personnel and a Ph.D. in student affairs administration.

I am grateful to the search committee and its chair, Vice Provost Michael Dennin, for their hard work in identifying and helping recruit such an outstanding leader in student affairs administration. I also thank Edgar Dormitorio for his tremendous service to the university and its students as our interim vice chancellor for student affairs.

We all look forward to Dr. Banks’s joining us on July 15. 

Fiat Lux, 

Chancellor Howard Gillman