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University of Texas at Austin president Jay Hartzell is moving 200 miles up the interstate to take the helm of Southern Methodist University, the private Dallas college announced Tuesday.
Hartzell has spent 24 years at the flagship Texas university, working as a faculty member and then dean of the business school before he became president in September 2020. He’ll start at SMU on June 1, taking over from President R. Gerald Turner, who led the university for 30 years. The job change comes as Hartzell has faced criticism for his handling of campus protests last spring and wrangled with state lawmakers, who are increasingly interested in the operations of the state’s public universities.
“Whatever you feel about certain things that happen in the Legislature in the state, being in Texas has huge advantages,” Hartzell said at a news conference Tuesday. “I do also think that the chances at a great private institution are special. It can be a little more nimble. It can move a little differently.”
SMU officials noted in its announcement that under Hartzell, UT Austin has seen “all-time highs in applications, enrollment, graduation rates, research expenditures and philanthropic support.” The university also has become more selective, announcing last fall that it will automatically admit the top 5 percent of graduating high school seniors in the state. Previously, the university admitted the top 6 percent.
Hartzell, who didn’t initially apply for the position, per The Dallas Morning News, said in a statement that he couldn't pass up the opportunity.
“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, and excited to see how I can make the greatest impact as a leader,” Hartzell said.
SMU has more than 12,000 students and a $2.2 billion endowment. By comparison, UT Austin has more than 51,000 students, and the University of Texas system has an endowment of $44.9 billion.
In a joint statement, University of Texas chancellor J. B. Milliken and board chairman Kevin P. Eltife congratulated Hartzell.
“We greatly appreciate his service as UT Austin’s president since 2020 and on its faculty since 2001,” they said. “UT Austin is one of the world’s outstanding universities, with an exceptional faculty, staff, and leadership team in place to position it for even greater influence in the years ahead.”
