Almost all parties agree that Nye will able to pick up momentum quickly as he gets acquainted with his new post. They argue that his years of experience in the public sector coupled with his distinguished academic record will appeal to contributing alums.

"He has credibility in many constituencies," says Holly T. Sargent, associate dean for external affairs at the Kennedy School. "People have read his work, so he's a scholar. And he appeals to traditional friends of the Kennedy School."

But Nye is not stepping up to the daunting task without experience. He has had to raise funds in each of his previous major administrative posts: associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and director of both the Center for Science and International Affairs and the Center for International Affairs.

Mission

When Carnesale took over as dean in 1991, most faculty members agreed that the school's next phase would be one of consolidation after years of growth.

Many faculty members agree that phase is over, or that the need for a focus on consolidation is receding. Some officials say the most important contribution Nye can make to the school will be a step beyond: redefining the mission of the school.

Nye himself points to the importance of vigorous discussion and debate about the role of government in the modern world. Asked to identify his top priorities for the coming years, Nye lists only one: focusing the school's resources to answer "the larger question of what's the role of government in our society and imperatively in modern societies today."

"There is a great amount of anxiety and lack of clarity, both nationally and internationally," Nye says. "The school is the right place to provide the forum for clarifying that debate."

Nye declines to offer specifics about how to promote that kind of discussion, but says he would never leave a job as interesting as the one he holds now if he didn't believe strongly in the importance of that debate.

Back in Cambridge, faculty and administrators are already discussing ideas about how to redefine the school's mission.

Several faculty raise the question of what the school's role must be when the mood of the nation has turned so sharply against government.

"At least since the current Congress has been moving in the direction of less government, we're producing a product for a that is in severe recession," says Professor of Business and Government Frederick M. Scherer. "That is going to be a real difficult problem for students coming on board this year."

Other faculty members call for increased use of resources to confront the changing international scene.

"The early emphasis of the Kennedy School, understandably was on the American economy. Internationally, most [work] was done in a Cold War context," says Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Emeritus Raymond Vernon, a friend of Nye for more than 25 years. "But that's over now, and now we confront a world that is experimenting in all sorts of variants of social safety nets, health care, business-government relations. And each of them is a sort of laboratory."

Others say that while the school's focus needs to be retooled slightly, no major changes are in order.

But no matter where the debate heads, Kennedy School officials say that Nye is an ideal person to foster it.