Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, has advised the Board of Governors that, due to family circumstances, he will not seek re-appointment when his current term ends on June 30, 2026.
In a statement, Goel said that "given personal family circumstances, the time will not be right for me to continue in this role after I complete this term. After more than 25 years in senior leadership roles, I need to prioritize time with my loved ones."
President Goel is announcing his plans now to allow time for the University to begin the processes to appoint a successor.
Goel, Waterloo's seventh president, began his five-year term in July 2021. He joined Waterloo from the University of Toronto where he held several senior roles, including Vice-President and Provost, and Vice-President of Research and Innovation.
In an email to employees, Murray Gamble, Chair of the Board of Governors, paid tribute to President Goel's accomplishments in his tenure to date. Goel has led the University to collaborate on a new strategic vision - Waterloo at 100 - as well as new institutional values. He has prioritized Indigenous reconciliation, supported and driven governance reviews for the Board of Governors and Senate, driven the development of integrated planning and was integral to the University's campus being selected as the preferred site for a new hospital serving Waterloo-Wellington.
"On behalf of the Board of Governors and the entire Waterloo community, we offer our sincere thanks for his dedicated service so far to the University and we look forward to working together until the end of his term," said Gamble. "He has already left a lasting impact on the University and we look forward to seeing what more he accomplishes. We wish Vivek all the best when he steps back to focus on his family."
President Goel emphasized that he will continue to act as a catalyst for change at Waterloo in the remainder of his term. This will include the establishment of the Global Futures Networks which aim to leverage Waterloo's strengths and differentiators through collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches in its educational programs, research and innovation activities to address the world's most pressing challenges.
"While I am announcing that I will not seek a second term, there are still twenty months to go and much work to be done. I will be focusing on the work we have started on integrated planning and budgeting to help us meet the challenges of our ongoing operating budget challenges. I will also continue to focus on the Indigenization and decolonization of our institution, implementation of our values framework and development of the Global Futures Networks."
A search for Goel's successor will start in the coming weeks. In line with Policy 50, the chair of the board will appoint a nominating committee made up of members of the board, senate, alumni, students, faculty and staff.
