For the last 28 years, Dean of the Students Archie C. Epps III has mediated racebased campus conflicts, negotiated with the presidents of Harvard's final clubs and met with bright-eyed students eager to start yet another student organization.

But when Epps leaves his office for the final time July 1, the question remains as to who, if anyone, will move in.

An ad hoc committee to search for Epps' successor has not yet been formed, said Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, who learned of Epps' decision early this past summer. Lewis, who would head any such committee, says he has not yet decided whether a successor to Epps will even be appointed.

"I have not come to any conclusion yet about structure, titles, etc. for the future," Lewis wrote in an e-mail message yesterday. "Certainly all of the things Dean Epps certainly all of the things Dean Epps has hadresponsibility for will be taken up by others,except for the things he is going to continuedoing in his half-time role."

In an interview with The Crimson earlier thismonth, Lewis said that he would take thisopportunity to re-assess the College'sadministrative structure.

"Dean Epps plays many roles and has aparticular set of strengths he brings to hisoffice," Lewis said. "I'm trying to make sure thatall the things he has taken care of arecompetently covered."

"There could be some moving around of thepieces," Lewis added.

'Let's Have a Think'

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles agreesthat now might be the right time to re-evaluatehow the College fulfills student needs.

"I am sure Dean Lewis is saying right now,'Let's have a think. Is there another way to dothis?'" Knowles says. "The system is certainly notbroke. Whether we might decide if there are betterways to do things remains to be seen."

But some University Hall observers see anypossible changes prefigured by a 1994 report onthe structure of Harvard College, which Lewisco-authored before he was named Dean of theCollege. In the report, Lewis presents threemodels, one much like the organizational structurein place today with a Dean of UndergraduateEducation and Dean of the College and a largelynon-existent Dean of Students.

The Dean of Undergraduate Education would belargely responsible for curricular concerns, andthe Dean of the College, while still "broadlyresponsible for the educational development ofstudents," would directly oversee House life,student discipline and extracurricular activities.

In the 80-page report, the office of the Deanof the Students is referenced only four times, inrelation to responsibility for issues such asmusical groups, race relations, sexual harassment,sexual assault and gay and lesbian issues. Inalmost all of these areas, the report notes thatthe Dean of Students currently sharesresponsibilities for those issues with a number ofother deans or agencies.

Former Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57says that over the years, the College has addedadministrators and student services on an asneeded basis, decentralizing many of theresponsibilities that were once concentrated underthe Dean of Students.

"The role of the Dean of Students has changedsome," Jewett says. "Most of the new positionswere not created to take responsibility away fromthe Dean of Students, but they were created totake on new issues as they developed."

Knowles points to the 1997 appointment of SusanT. Cooke, director of student activities as anexample of an administrative response to a growingstudent demand.

"The College has to be responsive--and isresponsive--to the changing needs of students,"Knowles says. "If we make any changes it does nothave to do with Dean Epps. It has to do with thefact that there have been changes in students'lives."

Over the past 15 years, the numberA-7ANALYSI