The president of the University of Wyoming said he's optimistic for the future of UW. During the annual State of the University address, Ed Seidel also highlighted some current difficulties.
"Universities are under siege. Presidents have been resigning," he said. "Both government and public opinion is in our news every single day — 68% of Americans think universities are going in the wrong direction."
Seidel said he’s proud of the way UW is navigating these challenges but acknowledged the campus community has "problems to address."
The institution has fielded legislative mandates about DEI, immigration and guns on campus. It faces federal shakeups to research funding and internal division stemming from a string of high-level ousters.
"There's been rapid and profound political and social change in a very short period," he said. "Federal and state funding landscape has changed dramatically, and technology disruptions, from social media to artificial intelligence — we're dealing with all of that."
But Seidel said UW has a bright future.
Achieving prestigious distinctions for its research has unlocked more funding, even as the federal government slashes traditional sources. Seidel added UW has seen its fundraising go up 10% in the last year.
He announced enrollment is stabilizing this semester after several years of decline. UW is seeing its first uptick in student headcount since 2018.
Seidel also touted UW's commitment to free speech. The university has branded itself as a haven for free inquiry, even as state laws targeting DEI have changed campus and frightened some faculty.
Seidel also said constructive dialogue is more important than ever in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination last week.
Midway through Seidel's speech, a storm knocked out power to the student union, plunging the president and his audience into darkness. Seidel continued using a phone light to read his notes.
The state of the university address was followed by a panel on constructive dialogue, also hosted in the dark, featuring Seidel, Interim Provost Anne Alexander and students.
At one point, the panel's host, assistant economics professor Matt Burgess, said he had counted about a dozen faculty nationwide who have been fired or put on leave for making comments about Kirk in the days since his murder.
In Wyoming, the state's right-wing Freedom Caucus has targeted a UW graduate student and the UW student newspaper for comments they either made or quoted about Kirk.
"How can UW uphold the appropriate standards of classroom conduct for faculty, but also protect our academic freedom and free expression rights?" Burgess asked. "Can faculty and students exercising their free expression rights trust that the administration will have their backs if there's a controversy?"
Seidel responded by highlighting UW's efforts to educate instructors on the parameters of the new state law banning DEI in classrooms. He reiterated the university's commitment to "inquiry, not advocacy of a political position" in its classrooms.
"As to whether the university will stand up for our faculty, staff and students, we will always do so for protected speech," Seidel said. "But not all speech is protected, and so the context and the details matter, and this is something that everyone needs to be thinking about."
