UW President Avoids Dismissal

4/9/2025 |

Bigfoot 99 file photo

In Laramie on Tuesday, University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel avoided being dismissed this week following a Board of Trustees meeting where his tenure was on the chopping block in a “no confidence” vote.

Seidel came under scrutiny following the demotion of Cameron Wright, the acting dean of UW’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Wright’s demotion came after he refused to shift $500,000 annually earmarked for the engineering college to the School of Computational Science, which is run by President Seidel’s partner.

Upon his dismissal as dean by the board of trustees in early April, UW placed Wright on the faculty of in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Accusations and counter-accusations soon followed.

On Monday, the UW Faculty Senate drafted a resolution of “no confidence” in President Seidel’s leadership. The resolution reports that Seidel’s “lack of leadership” had resulted in “loss of trust” among the faculty. The president addressed the board before they adjourned to meet privately.

The trustees, who were meeting virtually on a Zoom computerized platform, then discussed the matter privately for over an hour in executive session.

Seidel was not asked to join the closed door meeting, but looked relieved when the regular meeting resumed.

Board of Trustees President Kermit Brown summed up the path forward, saying that he said he would appoint a committee that would include two trustees — Laura Schmid-Pizzato and Michelle Sullivan.

Here’s how the University of Wyoming student newspaper, The Branding Iron, summed up the vote and decision to retain Seidel as president. “The coming weeks will likely determine whether this moment becomes a turning point or a deepening of division at the University of Wyoming.”