Stability, Advances Mark Howard President's Legacy

· The overhaul of technology on campus, making it wireless, and creating a 200-station laboratory within the technology department that is open 24 hours.

· An endowment that jumped to $530 million today from $140 million in 1995.

As Swygert sees it, the numbers do not fully describe his legacy.

"I would like that it be seen first of all as my commitment to the core values of the university, next to the students of the university and then to our bright and engaged faculty," he said in an e-mail.

There is a sense among some students and faculty members of what might have been under Swygert, who grew up one of 14 children and worked his way through school as a baker and a waiter. Some considered him aloof and criticized his inability to build consensus among faculty.

"I don't think the students have built the kind of relationship we would have liked to have with him," said Marcus Ware, a member of the presidential search committee. "It's not to say that he wasn't student friendly, but he was just very busy trying to run the university."

At Bowling Green, Ribeau is known for showing up at student events and routinely inviting students and faculty into his home. He visited Howard this week, meeting with students, faculty and administrators, and impressed many with his openness and enthusiasm.

"I liked the way he answered questions," said Shivonne Foster, 21, who will be a senior in the fall. "A lot of things he spoke to was in a 'we' fashion. 'We' did this at Bowling Green, and 'we' want to do this at Howard. I feel he will be someone who makes a point to be accessible, and that's what the students want."

Ribeau has a doctorate in interpersonal communication. Swygert has a law degree, but no PhD, and some on the search committee had wanted a president with more of an academic background similar to leaders of top-tier research universities.

Faculty and administrators say he will need both his communication skills and educational background to meet the challenges Howard will face in the 21st century. Science labs and other buildings are in desperate need of repair, they said. Communication between the administration and constituencies of the university need improvement. And the university needs to better focus its programs and faculty "instead of letting everybody pursue what they want," Johnson said.

Howard also has to work harder to attract top students, some administrators said. Beginning in the 1970s, predominantly white schools and other black colleges started to recruit students who were traditionally attracted to Howard. Enrollment peaked at 12,890 students in fall 1983; enrollment was 10,586 last fall.

Ribeau said in an interview that he plans to bring his open style to Howard and may want to transport some of his key initiatives from Bowling Green, after a university-wide discussion. Faculty and administrators said that what worked at Bowling Green may not automatically transfer to Howard but they welcomed Ribeau's ideas.

Kurt L. Schmoke, dean of the Howard law school, said: "I want to see the university prosper, not just the law school, but the whole university, by having a really energetic and experienced leadership, and that's what they've got."