J. Rex Tolliver

J. Rex Tolliver was appointed Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Support at the University of South Carolina on August 22, 2022.  

As the Chief Student Advocate for over 40,000 students, Tolliver provides leadership to the Student Success Center, Career Center, University 101, Campus Housing, University Union, Student Media, Campus Recreation, Multicultural Affairs, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Dean of Students, Student Health, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the National Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition to name a few.  He provides leadership to over twelve hundred team members and over hundred million dollars in budget as they redefine the student experience at USC. 

Prior to joining USC, Vice President Tolliver served as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago where he 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.

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 USC, he currently services on the Association of Public and Land-Grant University’s (APLU) Council on Student Affairs (CSA, the Board of Directors for the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) Foundation, and the Board of Directors of Credit Union 1.  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 both from the E. J. Ourso College of Business at LSU and a Juris Doctor from Mitchell Hamline School of Law.