J. Rex Tolliver, JD

Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Success

University of South Carolina

Rex Tolliver was appointed Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Success at University of South Carolina in July 2022. Tolliver previously served as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). As the Chief Student Advocate for over 33,000 students, Tolliver provides leadership to the Dean of Students Office, Auxiliary Services, Student Engagement, Student Centers, Campus Housing, Career Services, the Center for Student Involvement, Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Counseling Center, Financial Aid & Scholarships, Student Support Services, Trio, the UIC Forum, and Pavilion to name a few. He manages a budget of approximately $400 million and provides leadership to over twelve hundred team members as they reimagine the student experience at UIC.

Since assuming his current role, Tolliver has engaged with the campus community to develop a new set of strategic priorities that ultimately led to the creation to IGNITE 2025: The Plan for Student Life at UIC. As UIC continues to grow its enrollment, the new plan provides the framework for intentional student engagement over the next five years.

Vice Chancellor Tolliver has successfully spearheaded several major construction and renovation projects across campus, including the first public private partnership (P3). These include the Academic and Residential Complex, Student Center East and Student Center West, and the Student Services Building. He has also created a new Faculty Research Fellows program that awards grants to faculty to conduct research that study barriers to student engagement and success.

Prior to his role as Vice Chancellor, he served as the Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Campus Auxiliary Services at UIC. He has also held positions in Student Affairs and Finance and Administrative Services at the University of Arizona, LSU, and Idaho State University.

In addition to his role at UIC, he currently services on the APLU Council on Student Affairs (CSA) Executive Committee, the Board of Directors for the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) Foundation, the Board of Directors of Credit Union 1, the Illinois Board of Higher Education Fall Opening Committee, and the University of Illinois Going Forward: Excellence Amid COVID-19 Task Force. He also served on the Regional Board of Directors for the Association of College and University Unions (ACUI).

Tolliver holds a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Master of Public Administration from the E. J. Ourso College of Business at LSU and a Juris Doctor from Mitchell Hamline School of Law.