Epps: PBHA May Lose Phillips Brooks House

Tensions between Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) and the administration have finally reached the breaking point: unless the public service organization can agree on a new structural arrangement with the College, it stands to lose its standing as a student group, $750,000 in funding and the use of Phillips Brooks House, sources said.

But an agreement that could avert the sure devastation of Harvard's largest public service program could be reached as early as today, sources said.

Conflict between administrators and PBHA officials erupted earlier this year after Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 appointed Judith H. Kidd as assistant dean of public service, rather than the service organization's long-time Executive Director Greg A. Johnson '72.

The most recent strife results from PBHA's attempt to create a voting governing board with non-student voters, and its refusal to appoint Judith H. Kidd, the Assistant Dean of Public Service, as executive director of PBHA.

According to Dean of the Students Archie C. Epps III, conflict over the administrative head of PBHA has been resolved, although the issue of the Board of Trustees remains in doubt.

Epps in a May 21 letter said PBHA had violated the rules for student organizations by creating a board with voting non-student members, and was therefore in jeopardy of losing its status as a student organization.

But Andrew J. Ehrlich '96-'97, president of PBHA, said that the students needed to create such a board in order to retain institutional memory and to help strengthen the organization.

The newly-formed board has eight students, eight representatives of the faculty and alumni, and two administrators.

Composed of several longtime PBHA supporters, including Agee Professor of Social Ethics Robert Coles '50, PBHA Association Committee Chair Anne H. Peretz and Rev. G. Stewart Barns, former president of United Ministries, the Board of Trustees met for the first time on Friday.

Though Ehrlich said that he now considers the board "activated as the governing body of PBHA," Epps negateds his statement, saying the bylaws of a student organization cannot be officially changed until the College approves them.

Epps admits that the voting board of Harvard Student Agencies (HSA), with 10 student and 14 non-student members, is an exception to the rule requiring that only students vote.

But he added that in general, he does not want to grant exemptions from this rule.

"The question is, is there a compelling reason to grant an exception," Epps said. "This issue comes up quite a lot, and we use this principle to keep out organizations like the Boston Church of Christ."

In a possible compromise between PBHA and the administration, sources say, the board might retain voting non-student members but seat more students than non-students, so as to retain undergraduate control over the board

The newly-formed board has eight students, eight representatives of the faculty and alumni, and two administrators.

Composed of several longtime PBHA supporters, including Agee Professor of Social Ethics Robert Coles '50, PBHA Association Committee Chair Anne H. Peretz and Rev. G. Stewart Barns, former president of United Ministries, the Board of Trustees met for the first time on Friday.

Though Ehrlich said that he now considers the board "activated as the governing body of PBHA," Epps negateds his statement, saying the bylaws of a student organization cannot be officially changed until the College approves them.

Epps admits that the voting board of Harvard Student Agencies (HSA), with 10 student and 14 non-student members, is an exception to the rule requiring that only students vote.

But he added that in general, he does not want to grant exemptions from this rule.

"The question is, is there a compelling reason to grant an exception," Epps said. "This issue comes up quite a lot, and we use this principle to keep out organizations like the Boston Church of Christ."

In a possible compromise between PBHA and the administration, sources say, the board might retain voting non-student members but seat more students than non-students, so as to retain undergraduate control over the board