Phillips Brooks House Votes To Hire Own Staff

Moving to increase its independence from Harvard College, the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) cabinet last night approved a resolution calling for the public service organization to hire its own staff.

PBHA also announced plans for a rally December 7--which it said would attract 5,000 people--to demonstrate support for its efforts to keep student control of their organization.

The resolution, which was adopted by PBHA's board of directors Monday, says it will address the organization's "structural dysfunction" that has come from the University's reluctance to take the interests of the student-run PBHA into account.

"This structure is problematic when, as is currently the case, the students and the University don't agree on what's best for public service and when the University will not listen to the voices of the public service community," PBHA said in a press release.

According to the resolution, the recent appointment of Judith H. Kidd as assistant dean for public service by Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 despite the objection of public service leaders "has clearly revealed the inherent conflict between the needs of the PBHA Inc. public service community and the needs of Harvard Corporation."

PBHA President Vincent Pan '95 '96 said last night that the organization's board hopes to define a vision for itself in light of the College's failure to keep its promises to the public service community.

"They betrayed what their initial promises were," Pan said. "We need to ensure that we have a vision for the future because there has not been one put in front of us."

Pan said that, in particular, the College failed in its promise to put a new dean in place by July 1 to aid in the transition. Kidd's appointment was announced last week.

In the resolution. PBHA says it hopes to gain control of the hiring and firing of its professional staff. This move would separate the roles of director of Phillips Brooks House (PBHA), that will be assumed by Kidd January 1, and the director of PBHA, the organization's student run board.

"PBHA Inc. shall move towards a more national and united operational configuration where its student run programs will be supported by a staff employed by PBHA, Inc." states the resolution. Which was approved with a vote of 64.0. With four abstentions.

Currently, both roles are held by Greg A. Johnson '72, who was one of four finalists for the dean-ship but was not chosen by Lewis despite tremendous backing from public service leaders.

"[The resolution passed unanimously because truth is on our side," Pan said. "This is a case where there are a lot of special Harvard students... who really know the subject well."

Pan said its necessary for students to "take control of what power they have."

PBHA, according to the press release, said its mobilization of support among students, faculty, and community leaders will culminate in the Harvard Yard tally, to which they hope to attract 8,000 supporters.

"PBHA touches a lot of people lives and I'd like to make a call to all those who have had a chance to take part," Pan said.

Reactions to Resolution

Reached at his home last night, Lewis said he has not had a chance to review the resolution.

But in an interview Monday when news of the impending resolution was first reported. Lewis and he hopes PBHA leaders will take his recommendations into document

"I had hoped that they would discuss with Dean Kidd their perspectives and desires, and work towards the kind of agreements I described," Lewis said at the time.

The 1993 Report on the Structure of Harvard College, which Lewis co-authored with Administrative Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Nancy I. Maull, recommended that the roles of director of PBH and directors of public service, currently held by Gail I. Epstein, be combined into one post.

But Pan said that PBHA's resolution does not conflict with the recommendations of the report.

"The Maul Lewis report has never delimited what the final staffing patterns will look like," said Pan.

Members of PBHA's Association Committee, which is comprised of community leaders, said they fully support last night's resolution.

"It rationalizes the structure and provides for a greater security in terms of what students want to do in public service," said Association Committee Chair Anne Peretz. "What they're proposing is a mature kind of evolution of the organization.

"I had hoped that they would discuss with Dean Kidd their perspectives and desires, and work towards the kind of agreements I described," Lewis said at the time.

The 1993 Report on the Structure of Harvard College, which Lewis co-authored with Administrative Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Nancy I. Maull, recommended that the roles of director of PBH and directors of public service, currently held by Gail I. Epstein, be combined into one post.

But Pan said that PBHA's resolution does not conflict with the recommendations of the report.

"The Maul Lewis report has never delimited what the final staffing patterns will look like," said Pan.

Members of PBHA's Association Committee, which is comprised of community leaders, said they fully support last night's resolution.

"It rationalizes the structure and provides for a greater security in terms of what students want to do in public service," said Association Committee Chair Anne Peretz. "What they're proposing is a mature kind of evolution of the organization.