Huidekoper praised the increase, calling it an opportunity to "make some real investments".

But, in the end, $25 million dollars can hardly be expected to transform a school with a budget of over a billion dollars.

And although other deans of the graduate schools also welcomed the extra windfall, none are planning grandiose new changes either. Deans interviewed indicated that the funds would primarily go towards strengthening established programs.

At the Medical School, Dean Joseph B. Martin says his priorities for the money include increased student aid, two new faculty chairs and the funding of new interdisciplinary programs.

Martin also plans to sink money into information technology, and is exploring both research computing and distance learning.

Harvard's smaller schools, with commensurately smaller endowment, also have plans for the increased funds they will receive. Jerome T. Murphy, dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSE) says the University's move is "wonderful for us."

Endowment income supplies Murphy with a quarter of his school's annual budget. GSE's one million dollar injection of funds will allow for the strengthening of established programs.

Murphy says he will now be able to increase student financial aid, improve technology and infrastructure and hire teaching fellows in order to lower the GSE's high student to faculty ratio.

In the School of Dental Medicine, Dean R. Bruce Donoff, says he plans to increase financial aid and develop a center for biomedical engineering research established jointly with the Medical School.

And in the School of Public Health, Dean James H. Ware says he will use the money to buy new technology for laboratory research and new space for classrooms and research.