Such periods may be becoming more and more common as the average term of the university president decreases. Professional presidents move from university to university, serving terms that average less than 10 years--often at schools with which they have had no prior affiliation.

In an extreme manifestation of this trend, E. Gordon Gee announced his resignation from Brown University in February, succumbing to the allure of the Vanderbilt chancellorship and its million-dollar paycheck. He had spent only two years in Providence; Vanderbilt will be his fifth university presidency in two decades.

Though he will have served a decade at his retirement, Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine is the shortest-serving Harvard president in modern times--and only the second not to graduate from the College. Indeed, before assuming the presidency, he was closely tied to Princeton University, where as provost he was second in command.

In contrast, Derek C. Bok, his predecessor, went to Harvard Law School, served as dean there and then served as president of Harvard for two decades.

Despite the differences between these two presidents, Harvard's prestige has helped to insulate the University from changing times. Administrators now move between schools almost as fast as corporate executives switch companies, but search experts say that Harvard's present search will not be more difficult than those before it.

The University has not even hired a consulting firm to help with the search--unlike most other universities.

The Professional President

In the last half century, as universities got bigger, fund-raising became more important and campuses grew more politicized, the university presidency has transformed from an easy job for the tweed-wearing academic into a high-powered position for the smooth-talking politician-fundraiser.