University of Texas to pay interim President Jay Hartzell $795,000

Interim President of the University of Texas at Austin Jay Hartzell. Eddie Gaspar/The Daily Texan

The University of Texas System Board of Regents on Monday approved an annual salary of $795,000 for the flagship's interim President Jay Hartzell.

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The board approved Hartzell's salary during an online executive session. Hartzell, dean of UT-Austin’s business school, was named interim president in April after former President Greg Fenves announced his departure. The school has yet to announce steps to identify a permanent replacement for Fenves.

After a five years serving as president, Fenves will step down Tuesday, prompting even more disruption for students, faculty, and staff as they face a change in leadership during the pandemic. Come August, Fenves will start his new job as president of Emory University in Atlanta.

In 2018, Fenves earned $762,220 as UT-Austin's president. He also turned down a salary offer of $1 million when he was hired in 2015.

“I’m very proud of President Hartzell at UT-Austin and all of our presidents for listening closely to their students, alumni, staff, and supporters,” Chariman Kevin Eltife said. “I’m proud of them for trying to work together with their community members to decide on the next steps in making our UT institutions even greater than they are.”