“Dean Gross has had a high profile this year—he’s not the first responder for a number of issues,” Dingman says, adding that he and others constantly keep Gross apprised of issues that arise.

DIVISION OF LABOR

Almost 15 months ago, when Lewis’ departure was announced in the same press release as the restructuring, some at Harvard—administrators, students and faculty—felt the move was an attempt by Summers to maintain his influence in the College by installing a more cooperative leader in University Hall.

Lewis had clashed with Summers by opposing preregistration and by remaining a steadfast supporter of extracurricular involvement, among other matters.

In contrast, Gross has kept up his regular regimen of recreational tennis with Summers.

This relationship dovetails with Summers’ demonstrated keen interest in the College, and especially in the curricular review.

“From his first day, Larry has been most concerned about the College,” former Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles said last year.

At a speech he delivered on the afternoon of last year’s Commencement, Summers laid out his vision for reforms in undergraduate education, including improvements to the advising system, more student-faculty involvement and a stronger science curriculum. All appeared prominently in the curricular review report.

Summers was also involved throughout the process of the review, which will determine the future of undergraduate life. He attended several of its steering committee meetings, and sources say he had a hand in the editing of the final report.

At the time of the restructuring, some were concerned that this closer connection with Mass. Hall would draw Gross away from the student issues representing the other half of his charge.

Gross this year has delegated many of his routine student life duties to Associate Dean of the College Judith H. Kidd, who has assumed ownership of many of Lewis’ former responsibilities.

This year, she began supervising the Office for the Arts at Harvard, the Office of Career Services, the Harvard Foundation, the Ann Radcliffe Trust and Phillips Brooks House, all of which had reported to Lewis.

The division of labor resembles that of the pre-restructured University Hall.

But Gross defends the reorganization as a work in progress, and says it remains the best way to govern undergraduate life.

“It’s really hard to separate out your academic and residential life,” Gross says. “It’s reasonable and wise to treat the students as students and not as, ‘This half of the brain here; this half of the brain there.’”