"We get an aloof greeting," Childs says. "We know a lot less about him than we did about [former HUDS director] Mr. Berry. Sometimes we don't even remember his name."

And managers say meeting Mayer's expectations requires them to work longer hours with less direct support from the director's office. Hall managers regularly work as many as 14 hours per day, they say.

"Truth and respect seem to only go one way--down. Not back up," says the second former manager.

The Party Line

In response to complaints, Mayer repeatedly emphasizes "change is hard."

"A lot of misunderstanding takes place," Mayer says. "You're dealing with people who have been here a long time, but the environment has changed and what students want has changed."

"Things had to continue to change, but in order to do that, a greater degree of management expertise was necessary," he says.

Although Mayer believes he's on track, he admits to some managerial blunders.

For example, a number of staff members criticized Mayer's decision to travel to England with a handful of other administrators to check out cutting edge equipment while the renovated dining halls were reaching their peak stress level.

"The ill-fated trip to Europe was not a lark, but the timing was a failure," Mayer says. "That was when the staff at Eliot-Kirkland needed us the most."

Committed to his management strategies, Mayer says he believes these problems will smooth out over time if people just stick to his plan.

To assist, Mayer has employed a series of consultants, from the New England Culinary Institute for chefs, to Chanon and Reina Associates, Inc. for managers.

However, some of the staff take umbrage at the presence of the consultants.

"I've dealt with consultants and I think they are a waste of money," the first former manager says. "There's only so much trust and respect that we can talk about."

Because the consultants offer a highly visible outside voice, they provide Mayer a broader perspective on management issues, he says.

"I am much more aware of what's going on than people realize," Mayer adds.