Willie L. Banks

Trustee Emeritus

Former Board Chair Willie L. Banks Jr. is a 2002 initiate of the University of Georgia Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa and served as an advisor to the circle for a number of years. Previously, he was elected to the Society Board of Directors in 2018. During his tenure on the board, Willie served as the chair of the Board Nominations, Executive, and Governance and Trusteeship committees. His term on the board as an at-large trustee ended in June 2023, and he was named emeriti trustee in the same month.

Willie currently serves as the vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of California, Irvine, a position he has held since July 15, 2019. In his position, Willie 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 and leadership; and wellness, health, and counseling services. The division employs more than 800 fulltime staff and 1,000 student employees. The division is dedicated to transforming the lives of the more than 35,000 students attending UCI.

Previously, Willie was the vice president for student affairs at Indiana State University. While at ISU, he also held an appointment as an assistant professor within the Bayh College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership. The Division of Student Affairs at Indiana State provides programs and services that support the co-curricular involvement of more than 13,500 students.

Prior to joining Indiana State University, Willie worked for Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, for three and a half years in a variety of positions including associate dean of students, interim assistant vice president for student affairs, and interim vice president for student affairs. He previously worked at the University of Georgia for more than 18 years in a variety of positions within the Division of Student Affairs including as director of the Tate Student Center and Campus Life and associate dean of students for intercultural affairs.

During his time at the University of Georgia, Willie held graduate faculty status with the College of Education and served as an instructor for a number of courses within the College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program including College Student Ecology, Issues in Student Affairs Administration, and College Student Affairs Interventions.

Professionally, Willie is involved with American College Personnel Association (ACPA), Association of College Unions International (ACUI), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA). Willie previously served on the Board of Directors for the Association of College Unions International, the United Way of the Wabash Valley, and was member of the Terre Haute Rotary Club. He received his undergraduate degree from Mercer University in Macon, Ga. and his master’s and Ph.D. in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia.