UW Trustees Approve New Contract for President

At its regular business meeting today (Friday), the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees approved a new contract for President Ed Seidel through June 30, 2026. His current contract was set to expire June 30, 2023.

“Over the past several months, the board has discussed and taken to heart feedback received from constituents regarding President Seidel’s tenure,” board Chairman John McKinley says. “The board is pleased to enter into a new contract with President Seidel beginning July 1, 2023, and looks forward to the university advancing in providing an excellent education for students while moving the state forward in key research areas for the benefit of Wyoming and the region.”

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to lead UW for the next three years and am proud of the progress we’ve made as a community for Wyoming during my first term,” Seidel says. “I approach my next term with an even stronger commitment to honoring UW’s heritage and growing to meet our challenges and opportunities.”

During its meeting this week, the Board of Trustees also accepted the university’s new strategic plan, developed over the past year with extensive input from UW faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders. The strategic plan identifies five major objectives: enhance student success; pursue institutional excellence; provide a supportive community; engage with and serve the state of Wyoming; and cultivate financial stability and diversification.

Seidel’s goals for the next three years are aligned with the strategic plan and set the stage for him to work closely with the faculty and staff to help the university reach new levels of excellence in education, research and service to Wyoming.

Seidel became UW’s 28th president July 1, 2020, with an annual base salary of $365,000, a $60,000 housing allowance and a $50,000 contribution to a deferred compensation plan. Key terms of the new contract include an annual base salary of $390,000 for the first year of the three-year period, $395,580 for the second year and $403,767 for the third year, with the housing allowance going from $60,000 in the first year to $64,000 in the third.