During Archie C. Epps III's first semester as dean of students in 1970, the young administrator radically restructured the independent study program and mediated a contentious race-related dispute, in addition to presenting disciplinary cases against students involved in the University Hall takeover the year before.

This semester has been much quieter for David P. Illingworth '71, the new associate dean of the College who has assumed most of Epps' responsibilities after Epps' retirement last year.

Students praise Illingworth as an approachable, responsive figure.

But Illingworth acknowledges he has not embarked on any single major project to improve undergraduate life at Harvard--and has no concrete policy plans for the upcoming semester.

"It's too early," he says.

Indeed, one semester after becoming the second most visible face in the College administration, Illingworth seems to hold a very different view of his role than his predecessor did.

Whereas Epps disagreed with Lewis publicly about the nature and aim of Harvard's undergraduate education and threw his weight behind projects Lewis opposed, Illingworth says he will not play the role of dissenting voice within the administration.

It's All About the Team