Princeton junior Nathan P. Kitchens said Shapiro's decision wasn't entirely unexpected.

"It's a bit of a shock when someone that has been a part of Princeton as long as I can remember is gone," he wrote in an e-mail message. "Students knew that he has had a relatively long tenure, though, and we weren't too surprised that he would leave when it seemed like he had little left to accomplish."

Kitchens added that Shapiro focused his attention on undergraduates, investing resources in dorms and academic buildings.

"I'm currently living in one of the air-conditioned dorms he built two years ago, which is a minute away from the new campus center, so I feel his impact directly every day," he said.

Shapiro's willingness to take risks was also impressive, Kitchens added. In addition to expanding Princeton's student body, Shapiro ended a longtime Princeton tradition--the Nude Olympics--and was responsible for one of the most controversial faculty hires ever, bioethicist Peter Singer. Critics take issue with Singer's views on euthanasia.

"He put himself on the line," Kitchens said. "These gambles pushed the progress of the university beyond its normal pace."

While Shapiro could have consulted students more on some decisions, Kitchens said, "he may have felt the pulse of the undergraduates better than our student government at times."

"I can't think of anyone internally that could fulfill the duties, so I think the trustees will probably focus their search on other colleges," Kitchens said. "It just seems like there's little left for his successor to do."