University of Texas President Jay Hartzell will not allow the dean of the College of Liberal Arts to pursue a second term in the leadership post, according to an email obtained by the American-Statesman.
In a Wednesday afternoon email, Dean Ann Stevens told college leaders that Hartzell told her "I did not have a grand enough vision for the college," which she disputed.
"While I disagree with that assessment, it is clear that he and I have different values and different goals for the college," she told Liberal Arts leaders.
The College of Liberal Arts has nearly 800 faculty members and serves about a fifth of UT's almost 54,000 students.
Stevens' term will expire August 2025. She told her colleagues that she does not know what the next steps are for the college and that she was honored to serve with them.
"With your help, we have made enormous progress in COLA: building academic excellence; improving research support and infrastructure; investing in student funding, research, and career support; and supporting a culture of respect and care for staff, faculty and students," Stevens said in the email. "You should have no doubt that COLA is in a very good place today."
The dean's news comes after multiple high-level leadership changes at UT in the past several weeks, including sudden resignations from UT's police chief and the university's provost. UT's vice president for research leadership resigned effective in August 2025, and a new vice president for marketing and communications started in September after a department restructuring in which 20 people were laid off.
Stevens could not be reached for comment immediately, and the College of Liberal Arts' media representative directed the Statesman to UT spokesperson Mike Rosen, who declined to comment on the president's involvement in the dean's nonrenewal.
Hartzell later emailed the college to say that Stevens will "conclude her tenure" and continue as a faculty member, and that the university will launch a national search for a new dean. In the email, he complimented Stevens' term and leadership and said she had a significant impact on the college. He did not mention Stevens' revelations that he wants a different vision for the college or that he told her she would not have a second term in the post.