Here’s What President Fenves’ First Day Was Like

By Rose Cahalan in 40 Acres on June 4, 2015 at 3:02 pm | No Comments

If Greg Fenves was feeling any first-day jitters Wednesday, he didn’t show it.

On his first day as UT president, Fenves sailed through a packed schedule of meet-and-greets. He kicked things off with an 8 a.m. taco breakfast with UT Facilities Services staff—a symbolic nod to the university’s blue-collar employees that went over well in the media, as did Fenves’ rejection last month of the $1 million salary he was offered in favor of a $750,000 one.

Fenves then headed to David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in East Austin for a meeting with community leaders, where he spoke about how UT has become more diverse since he first came to the campus in the 1980s. “One is my memories of the university at that time as a young faculty is it was a white old boys network,” he said, to murmurs of agreement. “Austin in the 1980s was a different city than it is now.”

At a press conference, Fenves took questions on campus carry, research initiatives, student success, and beer sales at football games (he’s in favor of them). His day also included meetings with students; Dell Medical School leaders; Gov. Greg Abbott, BBA ’81, Life Member; Austin mayor Steve Adler, JD ’82; and UT supporter Joe Jamail, BA ’50, JD ’53, Life Member, Distinguished Alumnus. A group of faculty members ate dinner with Fenves in his office, the Longhorn Band played “The Eyes of Texas,” and the Tower was lit orange in celebration of the new president.

Below, see how the day unfolded on social media.

Greg Fenves and Joe Jamail take in a Longhorn Band performance on June 3. Photo via @GregFenves

Tags: Fenves, Greg Fenves, ut president