Since he was announced as interim president in February, Jim Davis has participated in a series of public events, introducing himself to students and faculty and laying out his presidential agenda. Here’s what you need to know about Jim Davis:
What’s Davis saying?
Over the last two weeks, Davis has announced his priorities to increase communication with faculty, confront the maintenance challenges of UT’s older buildings and work with city officials to increase affordable housing around the University. Davis cited aging buildings as a way to free up more funds for research.
“We talked about Waggener Hall where I studied when I was in college here, it was bad back then,” Davis said at a Faculty Council meeting on March 24. “Half of our buildings are my age. They were built in the 1970s or the ’60s, that’s half, and they haven’t been maintained the way we would like to, which you probably already know from the leaks in your roofs.”
Davis has not shied away from some of the political challenges UT faces, fielding questions from faculty about scrutiny from the state Legislature and funding cuts from the Trump administration. Davis said telling the stories of good things the University does will help funding cuts.
“We are under a time where faculty, faculty council and the University are under scrutiny,” Davis said. “It’s not lost on any of us that the public trust in education is not particularly high. That’s true of other institutions, not just education.”
Do we know if Davis is permanent?
The UT System Board of Regents has not announced whether it will create a search committee to find a replacement for former President Jay Hartzell, who announced his departure in January. If the Board does announce a search committee, the Regent’s Rules and Regulations dictate that the UT System Board of Regents will gather a group of faculty and other University of Texas System presidents to interview and recommend finalists to the board.
The Board of Regents can also decide to bypass the process and appoint somebody as the only finalist, which happened with the appointment of Hartzell in 2020.
What is Davis’ background?
Davis has close ties to both the University and the leaders of the state Republican party. Since graduating from UT with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1996 and Harvard Law in 1999, Davis has maintained an active license to practice law in the state of Texas, according to the State Bar of Texas. He also previously worked as a clerk for former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales when he was a Texas Supreme Court Justice.
“He was funny,” Gonzales said. “He’s got a sharp wit and is very bright, very hard working. …We had a good relationship. I’d like to think that he felt the same way. I’m pleased with what he’s doing now and the success he’s enjoyed.”
Davis went on to work for the law firm formerly known as Locke Lord L.L.P., where he eventually became the head of their Regulatory and Administrative Law Division, which interacted with the government about regulatory compliance. Lawyers from the Troutman Pepper Locke L.L.P. firm, a combination of Davis’ old office with other firms, declined to comment.
Davis also worked for Attorney General Ken Paxton as a deputy attorney general for civil litigation, defending state agencies in federal courts. However, he returned to the University and was appointed by Hartzell to serve as vice president for legal affairs and business strategies in 2018, with the University promoting him to senior vice president and chief operating officer in 2023.
“My essence is of this place, and I love this place as you do,” Davis said. “I care about its future. I care about how we can steward it in a positive, constructive (and) optimistic way, recognizing that there are real challenges.”
