The University of St. Michael’s College President David Sylvester has been reappointed for a third term to run through June 30, 2031. This three-year extension beyond his current term will help the university navigate several major projects, launch a new institutional campaign, and deliver upon the priorities of the St. Mike’s 180 strategic plan in time for its 180th anniversary in 2032.
The Collegium initiated an early reappointment process for Dr. Sylvester in March 2026. Members of the Collegium’s Executive Committee led by Chair Susan Helstab undertook confidential consultations with senior leaders, faculty and staff, and both internal and external stakeholders. Upon receiving the Committee’s report, the Collegium was unanimous in its recommendation that the Superior General of the Congregation of St. Basil appoint Dr. Sylvester for a third term—the Very Rev. Kevin Storey, CSB confirmed Sylvester’s reappointment on June 16th.
“There was a strong consensus that Dr. Sylvester has done extraordinary work in this role and has shown considerable vision over the last eight years at St. Mikes,” says Collegium Chair Helstab. “The road to 2031 will be significant, transformative years, requiring stable leadership. We believe David’s dedicated vision will continue to bring the steady hand needed to ensure the university’s continued growth. I invite everyone in the St. Mike’s community to join me in congratulating David on his reappointment, and I look forward to working with him.”
President Sylvester is one of Canada’s most experienced leaders in Catholic higher education. He began his administrative career in Vancouver in 1999 as the founding president of Corpus Christi College at UBC and was the first lay principal of St. Mark’s Theological College. He served nine successful years as Principal of King’s University College at Western in London, Ontario. Since coming to the University of St. Michael’s College in 2018, the university has flourished.
His tenure at St. Michael’s has been marked by comprehensive institutional renewal efforts made possible through the establishment of a strong and visionary leadership team and the support of faculty, students, trustees and alumni. Together, they led the St. Michael’s community through the pandemic, developed a visionary multi-year strategic plan (2020), animated the federation of Regis and USMC to create the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology (2021), established a comprehensive model of Campus Ministry (2021), revitalized the Division of Continuing Education (2023), oversaw the purchase of institutional rights of Loretto College (2024), partnered with Victoria and Trinity to forge a new Operating Agreement with U of T (2024), launched the Catholic Religious Communities Archive in the Kelly Library (2025), and completed a new Campus and Landscape Plan (2025).
The theme of sustainability permeates Sylvester’s time at St. Michael’s: financially, his team has presented consistent balanced budgets, retiring USMC’s historic deficit in 2025, and attracted unprecedented philanthropic support for university programming and student financial aid and wellness initiatives. Academically, St. Michael’s has established new professorships and chairs, and restructured undergraduate student services and residential life to integrate more fully with SMC’s academic programming. In 2025, USMC fully divested from fossil fuels and established a sustainability committee to benchmark and track environmental advances through new builds and deferred maintenance while reducing energy costs.
“When I arrived at St. Michael’s in 2018, it was clear to me that the strength of this community is and has always been its people: the faculty, staff, alumni, partners, and students who bring St. Mike’s to life,” says Sylvester. “My role as president over the last eight years has not been complicated—I have simply encouraged all those who believe in this place to imagine what it means today and tomorrow to be the leading Catholic university in Canada. This is certainly about academic reputation and cultivating a welcoming home for the almost 6,000 students who come to study here, but it is also about inviting our community to reflect on our mission to serve as source of goodness, hope, and justice for Toronto and the world.”
“As we prepare to mark our 175th anniversary next year in 2027, we will celebrate the many men and women who built and continue to sustain St. Mike’s: the Basilian Fathers, the Sisters of Loretto and St. Joseph, and the many around the globe who proudly call themselves St. Michael’s friends and alumni,” says Sylvester. “I am honoured to continue to serve as president during this historic and promising time.”