McGrath also said Harvard should consider providing scholarships to Cambridge schoolchildren.

"I don't know if there is a way to increase that, but a lot of people ask about it at School Committee meetings," McGrath said.

One factor that could influence Harvard's relations with the community is the selection of Kristen S. Demong to replace Vice President for Administration Sally N. Zeckhauser as head of Harvard Real Estate. Demong, who yesterday took over as director of the University's nonacademic holdings, will be a key player in many controversial policy decisions.

Demong said she will try to continue O'Neill's policy of open discussion.

"I'm a big believer in making sure that people know what's on the agenda," Demong said. "As long as people know what's going on and they have a chance for input, concerns tend to dissipate."

Shattuck said the office of state and community relations probably will not change after O'Neill departs.

"We're not going to invent a new office," he said.

And, as O'Neill said in an interview last week, Harvard is here to stay, so it must maintain comfortable relations with the community.