While Schroeder says he would have to put more time into studying the workings of Harvard before he could pinpoint the changes he would attempt to institute, he says the recent capital campaign forces a crucial rethinking of the University's goals.
"One of the fundamental issues for Harvard is to what extent it should continue to grow its endowment and to what extent it should begin to use it," Schroeder says.
Spending a portion of the endowment would provide numerous opportunities, Schroeder says, ranging from devoting more money to financial aid to offering increased rewards for excellence in teaching.
Serving in a position with such broad opportunity for change would not be a problem for Schroeder, according to his long-time colleague Lewis G. Sandy, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"I consider Steve a terrific example of a visionary pragmatist," Sandy says. "He has the capacity to think big and broadly, but he's also incredibly good at looking practically at what he can get done."