By Bill Sniffin, publisher
The University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges are partnering to help improve the state’s economy, UW President Ed Seidel said earlier this week.
Seidel, speaking in Riverton on Monday during the first of the university’s presentations on “The World Needs More Cowboys — And So Does Wyoming,” said by working together, the university and the state’s colleges can promote entrepreneurship.
“We are working with the community colleges to build the state’s economy,” he said. “We are building partnerships with the community colleges and aligning all forms of higher education. We are promoting entrepreneurship and statewide cooperation,”
Seidel cited the efforts of Central Wyoming College and its president, Brad Tyndall, to work with the university.
CWC hosted the event at the InterTribal Center on the campus.
Several current and former students spoke about the ease with which they could complete their first two years of college at CWC and transition smoothly to the UW.
Seidel also pointed to the new School of Computing that is starting at UW that will also involve the community colleges.
Meanwhile, he said COVID continues to be a problem at the university.
“We are prepared to do what is necessary,” he said.
He recalled some of the problems during last year’s school year with the university being open and closed. He was proud of the fact that the UW was able to have an “in-person” graduation.
“It meant a lot to everybody,” he said.
Seidel also said he was happy to be the new president of UW, a position he was appointed to in March 2020.
“I had waited until I was 63 years old to finally get the job I wanted where I wanted,” he said.
He added, however, that being greeted by a COVID pandemic and a $50 million budget shortfall were challenges.
He invited everyone to come visit the campus to see what all is happening. “It is a very exciting time,” he concluded.
