University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel plans to step down next year, officials announced Monday.
Seidel, who has been president since July 2020, plans to leave at the conclusion of his contract next June, after a tenure marked by noted accomplishments and sharp criticisms.
The university did not specify why Seidel did not intend to seek renewal of his contract but pointed to various successes at the university under his leadership, including obtaining Research Level 1 status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education earlier this year, and launching the School of Computing and Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Seidel also provided stability at Wyoming, which has seen high presidential turnover in the past.
The announcement comes three months after faculty voted no confidence in Seidel’s leadership, following his removal of a popular dean who reportedly challenged the president over plans to shift $500,000 in funding to the School of Computing, which is led by Seidel’s romantic partner. University officials have disputed that was the reason for the dean’s demotion.
Local news outlet WyoFile reported that the Wyoming community was split over Seidel’s planned departure, with supporters praising him as an innovator while critics argued that he failed to demonstrate leadership and lost the trust of the faculty, prompting some to leave.
