AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell is leaving the school to take over as president at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

SMU’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Hartzell’s hiring Tuesday morning. Hartzell will take over at SMU on June 1.

What You Need To Know

  • University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell has been hired by Southern Methodist University in Dallas

  • Hartzell has been UT's president since 2020. SMU President R. Gerald Turner announced in August that he was stepping down after 30 years

  • SMU has about 12,000 students compared to UT’s nearly 54,000 students

  • Hartzell will begin his tenure at SMU on June 1

“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 in a news release provided by SMU. “SMU’s stellar – and rising – national reputation, decades of extraordinary internal and external leadership, strong board of trustees, accomplished alumni, and impressively strong and diverse students and faculty made this an opportunity that Kara and I could not pass up. I look forward to building upon the University’s remarkable momentum and leading SMU into its next era.”

Hartzell on Tuesday sent a written message to the UT community explaining his decision. 

"When students ask for advice, I typically respond thematically: Follow your passions, take some chances, stretch outside your comfort zone, and think of how you would like to make an impact," he wrote. "Today, I am writing to let you know that I am following my own advice, which has led to my decision that this semester will be my last as the president of The University of Texas at Austin."

SMU President R. Gerald Turner announced in August that he was stepping down after 30 years.

SMU has about 12,000 students compared to UT’s nearly 54,000 students.

Hartzell served as a faculty member in the McCombs School of Business at UT beginning in 2001. In April 2020, he was appointed interim president of UT. He was named the 30th president of UT in September 2020.

“As SMU continues into its second century, it is important to identify a leader who can follow in the footsteps of Gerald Turner and former presidents who also made an indelible mark on our University community, including Umphrey Lee and Willis M. Tate,” said Ray L. Hunt, a search committee member, former Board chair and trustee. “Dr. Hartzell is that person, and SMU’s future is secure in his hands.”