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.

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.

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

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

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.

The University of Texas President Jay Hartzell is leaving his post atop one of the state's most influential public schools and will join SMU.

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.

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

Jay Hartzell, the 30th president of the University of Texas, announced his departure today. Hartzell will leave the Texas Longhorns and Austin to lead SMU. “I am honored to serve as the next president of an exceptional institution like SMU in one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing cities in the nation,