Willie Banks Jr.

Institute Director

Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
University of California, Irvine

Willie L. Banks, Jr., Ph.D. currently serves as the Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs at the University of California, Irvine, a position he has held since July 15, 2019. In his position, Dr. Banks is charged with providing oversight and direction to the Division of Student Affairs, which is comprised of clusters addressing the whole development of UCI students. These clusters include Auxiliary Services, Student Life & Leadership, and Wellness, Health & Counseling Services. The division employs over 900 fulltime staff and 2,000 student employees. The division is dedicated to transforming the lives of the more than 36,000 students attending UCI.

Prior to joining UCI, Dr. Banks previously served as the vice president for student affairs at Indiana State University from 2015 to 2019. Dr. Banks also held an appointment as an assistant professor within the Bayh College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership in the Student Affairs and Higher Education program. Dr. Banks served as the chief student affairs officer and reported directly to the president of the university. Under Dr. Banks’ leadership the Division of Student Affairs at Indiana State provided programs and services that supported the co-curricular involvement of over 13,500 students.

Dr. Banks has also held a number of administrative roles at Cleveland State University, and the University of Georgia.

Dr. Banks received his undergraduate degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia and his Master’s and Ph.D. in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia.