But education's not the only thing on his mind. In an interview with The Crimson last spring, Rudenstine said he would like to travel post-presidency. His list of desired destinations "stretches from Istanbul...to Marrakech...to St. Petersburg," he said at the time.

Now he says that while he would like to take short trips, he won't be away for any long stretch. And since he and his wife, Angelica Zander Rudenstine, will be vacating Elmwood House--the president's official residence--they have looked at some properties in Cambridge. (Too expensive, he grumbles good-humoredly after a decade of hearing exactly that.)

And while he's still working hard at the University, he's beginning to curtail his presence in some areas, feeling that his successor should be the one to make certain decisions.

"I don't want the next person to be stuck," he says.

"Stuck" might not be the word that springs to mind. Just as Rudenstine is staying out of some things, he's spending time in areas he considers important to the long-term goals of the University, like technology and globalization.

His successor will also benefit from another aspect of his handiwork: the highly regarded deans of the faculties--almost all handpicked by Rudenstine through meticulous search processes.

"I would advise the new president to hang onto them," Rudenstine says. "They're a terrific group. You don't want to go off on a lot of searches right away."