"There probably wasn't much of a change in [Dukakis'] substantive knowledge," said Ronald F. Ferguson, assistant professor of public policy. "If you look at his political style, you will see more of a responsiveness in people's perceptions other than his."

Olivia A. Golden '76, a lecturer in public policy, said Dukakis learned "coalition building" during his Kennedy School years.

But other faculty caution that it would be difficult to trace which new traits Dukakis could have picked up at the Kennedy School.

As governor, Dukakis has received advice from a number of faculty members, including Professor of Government Joseph S. Nye, who worked with him on foreign policy.

Academic Dean Albert Carnesale said Dukakis asked him for his views on the implications of the Chernobyl accident and their bearing on the Seabrook nuclear power plant in New Hampshire. And Leonard directed Dukakis' task force on assisting families and students to deal with tuition increases, while Reich has advised on economic policy.

Most of the professors whom Dukakis has consulted say they are not officially advising him on his presidential campaign. But a few say they continue advise Dukakis staffers from time to time.

"The notion that the Kennedy School is Dukakis' brain trust is largely mythical," said Reich. "There are just a few of us advising him. It is a gross exaggeration to say the Kennedy School is largely and wholly involved on his campaign."

Even political analyists downplay the Dukakis-Kennedy School connection. Janet Smith, a political consultant with the Boston firm, Martilla and Kiley, which advised the campaign of Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D.-Del.) until his withdrawal, said Biden's staff never considered the governor's bond to the school unusual or worth turning into a campaign issue.

And a staffer on the Gephardt campaign said he did not consider Dukakis' K-School connections significant either. "There's no monopoly on political advice," he said. "Gephardt has his own prominent scholars giving him advice."

Amid early predictions of a Dukakis victory in November, professors discounted predictions that the governor would bring a cast of faculty with him to Washington.

"Just for political reasons, he would not want to take too many people from one place," Carnesale said. "I'd be surprised if it were a large number."

Nye said a large Kennedy School contingent probably would not arrive in Washington, considering Dukakis' chances of victory, then of his choosing people from the Kennedy School, and then of those people accepting the offer.

"Of the people Dukakis could ask," Ferguson said, "not many would even want to go." want to go."

Though most professors refused to speculate on Dukakis' choices should he be elected President, one tenured professor guessed that Dukakis might tap the expertise of Nye, Allison, Professor of Economics Jeffrey Sachs, or Boas Professor of International Economics Richard N. Cooper.