Looking back, the signs were there. Chancellor Gordon Gee has a history of moving from one academic institution to another, having presided over more universities than any other American. He had had squabbles with the board of trustees over oversight this past year. Gee, who had enjoyed astronomical popularity with the students, for the first time faced strong criticism over the living wage, his salary, and the Commons. Few people would enjoy the idea of working at the same institution as their recently-estranged spouse. (That is not, of course, to imply that Constance Bumgarner is at fault for Gee's departure; rather, if the divorce truly did have an influence on his decision, it would indicate Gee's failure to cope with such an awkward situation.) Gee was president of Ohio State University from 1990 to 1997. OSU had made him an offer. Perhaps we believed we could will him to stay, or we naively believed that a person's word still means something in the higher education business, or maybe we just dismissed the possibility of Gee leaving with laughter. But he left Brown after a startling brief stint, reportedly lured by money and a more welcoming board. Why couldn't he do it to us?

Chancellor Gee challenged the people of this university, in every sense of the word, often over the course of his tenure. Now, he has given us his biggest challenge: thriving in the wake of his departure. Gee did a lot of good for this university: student morale was always high when he was around. The integration of the athletics department is a highly-lauded accomplishment. (One that he will certainly not get away with anytime soon at OSU) His biggest undertaking, however, is still unfinished.

What is the future of the residential colleges now that its champion is gone? Indeed, it has already faced much criticism from students. Now is the moment of truth for Gee's grand plan: does it live and die with him. Will a new chancellor be willing to immediately take on a semi-popular at best undertaking of such magnitude, or will the residential college system be set aside? Does the board even support the system, and will they put in place a chancellor who will be willing to implement it? Finally, what does this mean to Vanderbilt if this plan is set aside at this stage? Perhaps a whole year will pass before Vanderbilt selects a new chancellor. An interim chancellor will, by the very nature of the post, be weaker than a real chancellor and most likely short-sighted. The Greek system, which is largely opposed to the Commons, is now rid of the largest and most powerful proponent of the project. The Vanderbilt Student Government, which was still working on its constitution a few months ago, will have a chance to extend some influence in areas where it otherwise may not have been able to crack for another few years. If students are involved in the chancellor selection process, VSG and Greeks will almost certainly be included. And if the newly-formed Vanderbilt Student Government turns out to be anti-Commons as well, Gee's legacy will be in trouble. Whether or not that's a good thing is a different story.