as director of the british school at rome (1988–95) hodges was faced with running an institution as government policy on higher education was being radically changed. he oversaw reforms of the institutional structures (charter, committees, staffing, programmes etc.) with a prominent emphasis upon activity-led projects aimed at raising the school’s profile and winning support for refurbishing the it building (originally constructed by sir edwin lutyens). among the initiatives during his administration were the creation of an art gallery and an active archaeological unit. he also oversaw the refurbishment of the school’s celebrated neo-classical façade with funds from the british government. during this period hodges also wrote visions of rome (2000), a biography of the school’s third director, the archaeologist, thomas ashby.