Westminster College Announces the Appointment of Dr. James "Cid" Seidelman as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Helen Langan
(801) 832-2680

February 16, 2005

SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 16, 2005) - Westminster College is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. James "Cid" Seidelman to the position of Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs. The appointment follows a national search which attracted many highly qualified candidates from across the country. Dr. Seidelman originally joined Westminster College in 1980 as an Instructor in Economics. Over the years he has served as Director of the Economics program, Director of the MBA Program and for thirteen years, as Dean of the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business.

For the past year and a half, Dr. Seidelman has served as Interim Provost. Westminster President Michael Bassis remarked, "I couldn't be more pleased that Cid has agreed to become Provost. In each one of Cid's assignments his contributions to the college have been remarkable. I have no doubt that record will continue."

During his tenure as dean, Seidelman focused on building the Gore School of Business into a highly competitive and well-respected business school. He provided leadership to the school during a period of unprecedented growth in students and faculty, led the process of achieving national accreditation, cultivated close relationships with the business community and oversaw the $7.7 million expansion of the Gore School of Business building into the Gore Center for Business, Aviation and Entrepreneurship. The centerpiece of the new building is the Center for Financial Analysis, one of the most advanced, information rich financial research centers in the West. In addition, Seidelman played a key role in the development and implementation of the Sam and Ailene Skaggs Aviation Center which includes state of the art flight operations and simulation facilities in support of the college's aviation program.

Dr. Seidelman has also served as an evaluator for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities for more than a decade and currently serves as a Commissioner for Northwest. In addition he sits on the Board of Directors of the C.I.T. Bank and on the Board of Trustees for the Utah Information Technology Association.

Dr. Seidelman received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Utah and his B.A. in Economics from Eastern Illinois University. In addition to Westminster College, he has taught at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, the University of Utah, and the National Defense University.

Westminster College, founded in 1875, is a private, comprehensive, liberal arts college dedicated to students and their learning. Impassioned teaching and active learning are the hallmarks of the Westminster experience. The college prepares its students for success through a strong foundation of liberal education combined with cutting-edge professional programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located where the magnificent Rocky Mountains meet the vibrant city of Salt Lake, Westminster blends classroom learning with experiences presented by its unique location to help students develop skills and attributes critical for success in a rapidly changing world. U.S News & World Report consistently ranks Westminster in the top tier of regional colleges and universities in the West, and as an excellent educational value. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu.