J. Rex Tolliver

Vice President, Student Affairs and Academic Support
University of South Carolina

How do you feel South Carolina colleges and universities are preparing students to meet the state’s future workforce needs?

While I can’t speak for all South Carolina colleges and universities, I can attest that the University of South Carolina is working diligently to ensure that our students are prepared.  I’ll highlight a couple of things:

We recently launched new certificate programs in digital studies, data analytics and visualization, project leadership and management, and strategic thinking and communication.  Students in any degree program can complete one of these specializations during their regular course of study without having to add any additional credit hours.  This provides our students with a leg up in that they can increase the value of their degree with specializations that companies and organization are seeking in today’s graduates.

With the support of the General Assembly, we have launched the South Carolina Internship Program. This program aligns with the new State Workforce Development Plan and  provides opportunities for students to complete internships in priority, high-demand occupations requiring a post-secondary education, including Aerospace, Automotive, Business Management, Construction/Civil Engineering, Energy, Financial Services, Health & Life Sciences, Human Resources, Human Services and Social Work, Information Technology, Insurance, Law and Public Safety, Manufacturing, Sales, and Transportation/Logistics. Additionally, internships in local, state, or federal agencies, non-profits, and the private sector, are eligible.

How is your institution preparing for the looming drop in traditional college-age students and the so-called “enrollment cliff?”

A first-rate education, an outstanding student experience, and a great location.  Well, we don’t have much to do with the latter, but it certainly helps.

Students want to attend a college where they know they are getting a great education first and foremost.  USC is home to nation’s top first-year student experience among public institutions, and its living-learning communities are ranked 10th best in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.

USC also has several highly ranked programs including our #1 ranked international business degree in the Darla Moore School of Business, which we have held for over twenty years. We also have the #1 Honors College among public universities.  Nursing, sports and entertainment, and exercise science and sports training consistently rank among the top programs in the country.

These programs and so many others continue to make USC a destination campus, and we believe it will continue to provide us a solid foundation to avoid the “enrollment cliff.”

What can be done to counteract government funding cuts and reduced federal research grants?

The world-class research being conducted at USC is helping us keep our state’s brightest students in the Palmetto State. Even with a shifting government funding climate, the USC research effort has set new funding records in each of the past four years.

 Our research enterprise not only helps us attract and retain our best students; it’s also a key driver of our state’s economy. From fueling energy research to expanding healthcare for South Carolinians, USC is our state’s most comprehensive research university. In the coming years, USC will open an advanced battery and energy storage institute, a Brain Health center for advanced brain health diagnostics, a health sciences campus, and eventually a first-of-its-kind clinical neurological and rehabilitation center that will offer highly specialized treatment and rehabilitation for neurological disorders like stroke, cancer and much more. Each of these new facilities will supercharge our research and increase our Palmetto State impact.

 These efforts are possible in large part because of a combination of federal funding and generous support from our own General Assembly. I’m proud of all that our research faculty and leadership are doing to make our state more competitive and our neighbors safer and healthier.

What is your institution’s strategy in addressing the increased integration of artificial intelligence and automation and the expansion of online and hybrid learning models?

As the largest university in South Carolina, we recognize the importance technology and fully embrace its use in helping us better meet the needs of our students and those we serve.

We recently announced a partnership with OpenAI that provides all members of the university community with ChatGPT.  AI is being utilized to help students study and plan, and it’s also helping create organizational efficiency.  We also recognize that AI is becoming a skill employers look for when hiring and equipping students with the ability to not only use AI but also use it correctly and make their workflow more efficient, will only make them more marketable once they are ready to enter the job market. 

We also recently hosted a symposium on how AI and innovation are shaping the future and redefining what it means to be career ready and will soon be incorporating an AI module into our nationally recognized U101 courses.

What is something people might be surprised to know about you?

I’m a Mardi Gras baby. I’m from Louisiana and was given the name Rex, which is the King of Carnival in New Orleans. Laissez les bons temps rouler!