But according to Rudenstine, knowing where to draw the line is still hard. And so he says an integrated, University-wide approach is being taken to determine the rate at which Harvard should progress--and where it should stop.

The End of the Physical Road

One immediate danger is posed by a need for physical expansion: new land and new buildings have spread the campus out and run afoul of neighbors on all sides.

This problem has become more pressing as available space in Cambridge gets harder to come by. Harvard's purchase of 52 acres across the River in Allston is part of a contigency plan, should the University eventually need to expand.

"No matter how you slice it, there is only a limited amount of space in Cambridge," Rudenstine says. "The only place to [expand] is across the river. All you need is a map to show you that."

But officials say no large development will take place in Allston for decades. They say purchases like the one in Allston are the University's way of providing for the next 50 or 100 years, without knowing what lies ahead.

"Our approach is to make sure we have enough...that we'll be able to accommodate those needs," says Sally H. Zeckhauser, vice president for administration. "[The Allston purchase is] sufficient property to be able to give the University flexibility."

For the moment, Harvard has focused on reconfiguring and renovating old University buildings to accommodate changing needs.