Jay Hartzell, president of the University of Texas at Austin, said on Tuesday that he has accepted a position as president of Southern Methodist University, a Dallas-based private university. The University of Texas System has announced that May 31 will be his last day at UT.
In an email to the UT community, Hartzell said, “I am very grateful to Chairman Kevin Eltife and the UT System Board of Regents for the incredible opportunity they provided me to serve UT Austin in this role.”
Hartzell was congratulated on the new position by Eltife and J.B. Milliken, Chancellor of the UT System.
In order to facilitate a seamless transition, we have collaborated extensively with UT Austin throughout Jay Hartzell’s five years as president, and we will do so in the months to come, they said in a statement.
Since 2020, Hartzell has been the president of UT Austin, having been elected by the Board of Regents of the UT System in a unanimous vote. Greg Fenves, who was president for five years before departing for Emory University in Atlanta, was replaced by him.
After a nationwide search, the SMU Board of Trustees unanimously decided to offer Hartzell the job. David B. Miller, the chair, commended Hartzell as a well-respected higher education leader.
“His leadership at UT Austin and commitment to advancing programs across diverse disciplines, including humanities, social sciences, arts, education, business, law, student life, and intercollegiate athletics, make him an excellent choice as SMU’s eleventh president,” Miller stated in a press release. “He also understands the vital role Texas and its universities play in the nation’s vibrant economy.”
The advise Hartzell provides students is to “follow your passions, take some chances, stretch outside of your comfort zone, and think of how you would like to make an impact.” He stated in his email that he was doing just that by accepting the position.
According to Hartzell, UT Austin set new records for applications, enrollment, and graduation rates while he was in charge. In response to the increasing volume of applications, he said just last year that UT Austin will tighten the conditions for Texas high school students to be automatically admitted. Compared to the previous year, there were approximately 24% more applications for freshman admission for the fall 2025 term.
Under Hartzell’s leadership, UT Austin also started renovating the Tower, added resources for student housing, started new academic programs, and joined the Southeastern Conference.
In addition to leading the university through pro-Palestinian demonstrations last spring and a state-mandated prohibition on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, his tenure as president was also fraught with difficulties and controversy.
Following the implementation of Senate Bill 17 in January of last year, UT Austin fired off scores of workers who had previously worked on DEI initiatives. Some staff members and students expressed worry that the flagship university was going beyond SB 17’s bounds by closing programs and offices that weren’t illegal. During a November hearing, Republican lawmakers stated that they intend to increase DEI limits at public schools and universities in the upcoming legislative session.
Hartzell’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus last year, which led to more than 130 arrests, drew both praise and condemnation. Republican leaders applauded his move to send in state police, while some students and professors criticized it.
Former McCombs School of Business dean Hartzell expressed gratitude for his nearly three decades at UT Austin.
He declared, “I will always be appreciative of my 29 years at UT as a student, instructor, and administrator. Even if my wife, Kara, and I are no longer professors or staff, we will always be Longhorns as parents, alumni, ardent supporters, and fans.”
A day after Rachel Davis Mersey was elevated to the positions of provost and executive vice president at UT Austin, Hartzell made the announcement that he was leaving the university. Since August 27, she has served in an interim capacity in the important role.
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