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,

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

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.

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

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.

University of Texas President Jay Hartzell is leaving UT to become the next president of Southern Methodist University, the private university announced Tuesday.

DALLAS – Southern Methodist University has named a new president. Jay Hartzell, currently president of the University of Texas at Austin, will assume the title effective June 1 after a unanimous decision by the university's board of trustees.

DALLAS — University of Texas President Jay Hartzell will become SMU’s next president. SMU’s Board of Trustees approved Hartzell’s hire Tuesday and he will become SMU’s next president effective June 1, 2025.

University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell will step down from the flagship this spring to serve as the next leader of Southern Methodist University.