Jay Hartzell didn’t set out to leave the University of Texas’ flagship campus for a smaller private college near downtown Dallas. But after SMU board members began aggressively recruiting him for their soon-to-be-vacant president job,

As regents prepare to replace the top leader, faculty ask to be involved in the process and students say they hope a new leader will prioritize them.

Hartzell leaves UT-Austin after four years of tense political battles and legislative efforts to implement a more conservative vision of public higher ed.

The Southern Methodist University Board of Trustees is expected to approve Jay Hartzell’s hiring Tuesday morning.

After five academic years as the president of the University of Texas, Jay Hartzell is stepping down to become the next leader at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

University of Texas Austin President Jay Hartzell is leaving his position to become the next president of Southern Methodist University. He begin that position on June 1.

After spending more than two decades at The University of Texas at Austin, UT President Dr. Jay Hartzell will soon serve as the next president of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, SMU announced Tuesday.

UT Austin president Jay Hartzell has accepted a new job as president of Southern Methodist University starting this summer.

Texas president Jay Hartzell, one of the key figures in the Longhorns’ move to the Southeastern Conference, will be the president at SMU, the schools announced Tuesday. SMU’s board of trustees unanimously voted Tuesday to name Hartzell as the successor to R.

Following an extensive national search, the SMU Board of Trustees named Jay Hartzell the 11th SMU president, effective June 1, 2025.