Dear UT Faculty and Staff,

The Texas Legislature is on the verge of passing Senate Bill 37, so we will begin planning changes to be ready for the fall semester. SB 37 will enact several changes to the governance and academic operations of Texas public universities and colleges that go into effect at various times, starting Sept. 1. We will adopt the requirements of SB 37 honestly, decisively and positively. Our implementation will maximize student success, promote a diversity of viewpoints and academic freedom, uphold our core mission of education and research, and align our public University with the public’s expectations.

Settled and stable academic leadership is crucial for our University to move forward with clarity and momentum. I am grateful to our current academic leadership, and I recognize the urgent need to resolve uncertainty in the provost role. Additionally, there is consensus in the Legislature that SB 37 should give boards of regents a more substantial role in filling key campus leadership roles, particularly the role of provost. With all of this in mind, after a period of deliberation and consultation with Chairman Kevin Eltife of the UT System Board of Regents, I have determined it is in the University’s best interest to name a sole finalist for Executive Vice President and Provost who will be reviewed by a select group of faculty, students, alumni and leadership, then considered by me for recommendation to the UT System Board of Regents for approval in a manner consistent with the new law.

I am excited to name Dr. William Inboden as the sole finalist for the position of Executive Vice President and Provost. Will is currently professor and director of the Alexander Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida and Peterson Senior Fellow with the Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He is also someone who knows our University well, having served at UT Austin for 13 years including as William Powers, Jr. Chair and executive director of the Clements Center for National Security, faculty member at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and Distinguished Scholar at the Strauss Center for International Security and Law. He has earned numerous teaching honors and is an award-winning scholar of American foreign policy. He received his Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in history from Yale University and his A.B. in history with honors from Stanford University.

I believe Will’s vision, academic leadership experience and institutional knowledge make him a very strong candidate for this position, and I am grateful that he is open to exploring a return to the Forty Acres.

During the coming weeks, Will is going to meet with various UT deans, faculty members, students, alumni and University leaders — all of whom will share feedback with me. Our process will be comprehensive but quick. It will also help Will identify the University’s present needs and future opportunities.

This is a pivotal moment for The University of Texas at Austin — an opportunity to build on our remarkable strengths and cultivate new ones. I am optimistic that we will have the leaders we need in place this fall to begin shaping what comes next.

Sincerely,

Jim Davis
Interim President