HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Northern Kentucky University's president is stepping down, the school announced Thursday.
Dr. Ashish K. Vaidya, the university's sixth president, will leave on Dec. 19 after he and the Board of Regents decided it was time for a leadership transition. The university said the departure is part of a "multi-year repositioning effort" due to the financial pressures put on higher education.
Vaidya has been at NKU since 2018. During his tenure, the school created a "Success by Design" strategy to increase retention and graduation rates. The university also created chief diversity officer and chief strategy officer positions.
"On behalf of the Board of Regents, I'd like to thank Ashish for his many accomplishments at NKU, and also express our deep appreciation to Nita and the whole family for the sacrifices they have made over the past four-and-a-half years in service to our mission, our students and the region,” said board chair Rich Boehne. "We know that transitions in leadership can be difficult, and often sad, but when embraced as opportunity, transitions can serve to reinforce our most essential goals and accelerate our efforts to achieve them."
Vaidya has served as chair of the Horizon League Board of Directors, been on the American Association for State Colleges and Universities’ Board of Directors and more. He said he and his partner, Dr. Nita Vaidya, plan on returning to their home state of California.
"Nita and I have been away from California for nearly eight years now and we are ready to return home to our roots and explore opportunities there," said Vaidya. "I would like to thank Chair Rich Boehne and members of the Board for this opportunity. Nita and I are grateful to the community for welcoming us into the region as well."
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His parents were concerned he was playing video games too much. Then it started paying for his tuition.
