In normal times, many colleges try to keep contact with parents to a minimum and concentrate on students.

"Six years during which the college was trying to 'grow while staying small'," Will continued.

Despite being so tall, colleges did not try to recruit him that much.

Failing that, he said, the college can try to prove it could come up with a constitutional alternative.

Many colleges have tried to close the resulting gap with higher tuition.

These days, he said, "every college and university is trying to articulate what makes it uniquely valuable."

The college is trying to raise money every which way, students say - and delaying many other needed expenditures.

He denied that the college was "trying to shut down parties."

The college had tried for decades, without much success, and dancing was part of the problem.

In some smaller ways, the college is trying to accomplish more immediate economic development.