Dear FAS colleagues, 

While you will have seen President Hartzell’s March 8th announcement, I am sure many of you have no idea who I am. So, let me begin with a brief introduction.

I started at UT as an assistant professor in the Department of Economics which remains my academic home. I have spent my entire career at the university and have witnessed its transition from a very good university to one of the best academic institutions in the world. Over the last fifteen years or so, I started my second career as an academic administrator first in the College of Liberal Arts and later in the Provost’s Office. I have interacted with many of you over the years and am experienced enough to know that I will need your help and guidance as we navigate this period of change and transition for the FAS portfolio. I am very much looking forward to renewing old partnerships and meeting new colleagues. 

To begin, I am setting aside time this week to meet with all the associate and assistant vice presidents and my direct reports to learn more about your work, your priorities, and how I can best support your areas. My hope is that I will have the opportunity to meet with many of you over the coming months. 

I know that my transition into this interim role is in addition to many other organizational changes that have impacted our portfolio recently. While these changes can be daunting, I want to assure you that the work you do is vital to the experiences of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the university. I want to thank each of you for your dedication to the work that supports our university. 

Finally, I would like to thank Darrell Bazzell for his extraordinary service to the university. FAS reflects his powerful vision for a service organization that supports all of the great things that happen at UT. The university is a much better place because of his untiring efforts, and I wish him continued success in the future. 

Dan

Daniel T. Slesnick
Interim Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Financial and Administrative Services Portfolio
The University of Texas at Austin