Leaving a Gap
Although Epps--who was not involved in thesearch for his replacement--praised the choice ofIllingworth, he said he is worried about the fateof undergraduates after he gives up the positionhe has held for so long.
"Adults here--not Faculty, the otheradults--are running a major corporation and may betoo preoccupied with the bottom line and issuesthat have little to do with the experience ofundergraduates," he says.
"That's what underlies my advocacy for thestudent center--it's emblematic," Epps adds.
Epps says he believes students may once againcall for a minority student center after heleaves, depriving the administration of one of thestrongest, most credible opponents to such acenter.
"When I leave, I think some of these issueswill surface again," Epps says last month. "Oneexample of this is the area of fraternities,"referring to the founding of two new campusfraternities this past year.
But after nearly a half-century of involvementwith the College, Epps says his own biggestresponsibility will be giving up his connectionsto the College.
"My challenge in the next phase is not toinsist that my way is the best way," Epps says. "Ihave to find a way to be honest andstraightforward but to give the new administrationa chance to find its own approach."