Harry R. Lewis '68 may not take any official action in his new post as Dean of the College until July when he takes over for L. Fred Jewett '57. But his appointment has already impacted the future direction of Harvard College.

Lewis, who is Gordon McKay professor of computer science, was a co-author of the report on the structure of the College. The controversial report issued to Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles last August recommended a variety of organizational changes to the current College bureaucracy. Specifically, Lewis and Co-author Nancy L. Maull, administrative dean for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) recommended a restructuring of the dean of the College--the position which Lewis will occupy.

The report also recommended establishing a new assistant dean of public service to oversee a consolidated College public service structure, increasing faculty oversight of undergraduate organizations such as the Undergraduate Council (UC) and randomizing the house lottery system.

Lewis said in an interview Wednesday that he agrees with all of the recommendations made in the report.

But that report touched off a series of fiery debates last fall among student leaders who said they should have been included on the 13-member Committee on the Structure of Harvard College.

Students leaders clamored to be included in the process of planning for the new Dean of the College--the administrative position which most impactsstudents. Some students said they were angrybecause they were not consulted about the new deanstructure or about Jewett's successor.

While Lewis's appointment is a significantchange for the College as a whole, sources withinthe Computer Science Department, where Lewis washead tutor and taught three courses, said hisdeparture will affect the department as well.

Public Service

The most vocal reaction to the Report came fromthe College's public service community. Studentsand public service administrators objected to therecommendations made by a subcommittee on publicservice.

These recommendations would combine theCollege's current two-tiered public servicestructure under a single assistant dean for publicservice and housing the resulting public servicestructure in Phillips Brooks House (PBH) andcreate a standing faculty-student committee onpublic service which would have "ultimatejudgment" on public service activities.

The College currently has two public serviceorganizations: Phillips Brooks House Association(PBHA), a student-run, staff-supported volunteerorganization with over 1500 members and theUniversity's Office of Public Service, whichoversees approximately 700 students in a varietyof projects such as the Housing and NeighborhoodDevelopment (HAND) program.

Last fall, student service leaders andadministrators compromised on the reportsrecommendations. Facing threats of succession fromthe College from then PBHA President John B. King'95-'96, Knowles announced that he will maintainthe current structure until the spring of 1996.

But Knowles's conciliatory gesture loses muchof its effect with his choice of Lewis. Knowlesindicated in November that he would leave thedecision on the committee's recommendations up tothe new assistant dean, who would be advised byLewis.

In a memo to Jewett last November, Knowleswrote, "With your help and that of your successor[Lewis], the assistant dean will be able toassess...the internal structure and the strengthsof the staff...before making changes consistentwith the spirit of the Report and with themaintenance of the current overall size of thestaff."

But PBH Executive Director Greg A. Johnson '72said yesterday the selection process for the newdean has been slow thus far. Knowles, whoappointed Lewis, had promised to appoint a searchcommittee for the new dean in December, but thatcommittee has still not been formed.

"They haven't advertised the position, "saidJohnson. "We've all recommended that they do notcombine the director and dean of publicservice...because that would be putting twopositions into one."