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,

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Jay Hartzell, current UT Austin president, will become SMU's 11th president in June 2025, following a unanimous vote by the SMU Board of Trustees.