Why I’m supporting student priorities this Giving Tuesday

Coming to the end of another challenging year marked by the pandemic, I am inspired by the resiliency of our University community. I also understand the toll that COVID-19 has had, especially on our students. This Giving Tuesday, I am personally supporting the Waterloo Fund because it offers the University the ability to quickly respond to the most pressing priorities, including supports for students.

As a university president and public health physician, I am acutely aware that learning within a pandemic environment has taken its toll on our
students’ mental health, and it has affected their studies. Since COVID-19 lockdowns, young people aged 15 to 24 reported the greatest declines in mental health compared to all other age groups in Canada.

Since COVID-19 lockdowns, young people aged 15 to 24 reported the greatest declines in mental health compared to all other age groups in Canada.
VIVEK GOEL, President and Vice-Chancellor

This coming year, supporting our students’ wellbeing and their university experience will be more important than ever. The most significant experiences in a student’s development can be participation in athletics, arts, student clubs and governments. At our institution in particular, co-operative education, with its placements in workplaces, forms an essential part of the post-secondary experience for many students. These experiences have all been impacted by the pandemic. As we seek to gradually return to “normal” operations, our students will need extra support.

Giving to the Waterloo Fund will support the University in priorities areas such as:

building a campus community where all students feel safe and empowered
ensuring students feel supported as they continue to return to campus
creating new ways to help students find meaningful work experiences
making sure students have learning and research tools at their fingertips even when they can’t be on campus
supporting our student-athletes as they continue to return to competition

As we continue to respond to the changing public health situation, the way we support our students will need to be flexible. If you have the ability to give, I would encourage you to support the Waterloo Fund as it has the built-in flexibility to redirect funding to emerging initiatives as they develop.

These young people are our best hope for a sustainable, equitable future. Your generosity can help support the best-possible experiences for our students and enable them to thrive.

Visit the Giving Tuesday website to see all the challenges, and return November 30 to make your gift.