Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Institutional neutrality sounds simple.
Until a crisis hits.
In this excerpt from Heterodox Out Loud, University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel reflects on adopting institutional neutrality—and the moment it was tested.
After the October 7 attacks, Seidel made a public statement. It didn’t fully satisfy anyone. But it opened the door to something deeper: sustained, face-to-face dialogue with students from across campus.
From late-night dinners to difficult conversations after antisemitic incidents, Seidel explores the tension between policy and presence.
Do statements matter?
Or is leadership about what happens around a dinner table on a Tuesday night?
Neutrality, he argues, is not passive. It requires judgment—and sometimes second-guessing yourself.
Institutional neutrality sounds simple.
Until a crisis hits.
In this excerpt from Heterodox Out Loud, University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel reflects on adopting institutional neutrality—and the moment it was tested.
After the October 7 attacks, Seidel made a public statement. It didn’t fully satisfy anyone. But it opened the door to something deeper: sustained, face-to-face dialogue with students from across campus.
From late-night dinners to difficult conversations after antisemitic incidents, Seidel explores the tension between policy and presence.
Do statements matter?
Or is leadership about what happens around a dinner table on a Tuesday night?
Neutrality, he argues, is not passive. It requires judgment—and sometimes second-guessing yourself.
