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.

Those conversations culminated Tuesday, when the SMU Board of Trustees unanimously voted to name Hartzell the university’s next president. He will take over in June, capping the 30-year tenure of R. Gerald Turner.

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.

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

In recent years university presidents have been facing growing political pressures, student and faculty pushback and an increasingly demanding job.

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.

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