PBHA Cabinet Endorses Recommendation to Hire Own Staff

The Phillips Brooks Association (PBHA) cabinet overwhelmingly voted last night to endorse a recommendation for the PBHA Board of Trustees to hire its own staff, including an executive director.

The vote may be the first sign of a permanent compromise in a battle that has been waged between the University and PBHA over the past several years.

The recommendation was developed by PBHA's Program Development Team, which is chaired by PBHA Vice President Michael W. Ma '98 and includes Assistant Dean of Public Service Judith H. Kidd.

"There has been a great deal of consensus in the program development meetings," Ma said.

"Dean Kidd was one of the creators of the document. She endorsed the recommendation of the program development team," said PBHA Secretary Amanda Spector '98.

The recommendation, if passed, may effectively void the part of the compromise reached by the University and PBHA last summer which established the position of executive agent, who reported to both parties.

The PBHA Board--composed of students, Harvard administrators, and PBHA supporters--will vote on last night's recommendation on May 8.

Ma said the board was likely to approve the cabinet's recommendation, since the cabinet elects the board of trustees.

"I practically don't see how they could do otherwise," Ma said. "The board is there to serve the interests of the cabinet."

The cabinet, composed of two representatives from each of PBHA's committees, voted 65-1-1 in favor of the endorsement, according to PBHA President Roy E. Bahat '98.

Bahat said College officials have been involved in the formation of the recommendation since the beginning.

"Dean Kidd and Dean Epps have been working with us on this proposal since its inception," Bahat said.

In an e-mail sent before last night's vote, Kidd that since the program development team had not yet made a recommendation to the board, "the vote to be taken by the cabinet is therefore premature."

Ma noted that eight of the 18 members of the board of trustees had worked to develop the recommendation.

The full recommendation, which was given out to all members of the cabinet before the meeting, provides for PBHA to hire an executive director, assistant director and development coordinator that would be responsible solely to the PBHA board.

Spector said the positions would most likely be funded by PBHA's own money, not money provided by the University.

"This agreement is a product of a number of different players including representatives of the administration," Spector said. "We feel like we have constructed a rational and workable solution that will serve the interests of all parties concerned."

The proposed restructuring comes at a time when the future of PBHA's top executive is uncertain.

Last October, PBHA's Board of Directors unanimously elected Kenneth G. Smith acting chief operating officer, the position known in last summer's compromise as exectuive agent. But Smith announced in March that he will leave the University after this semester.

He said at the time he planned to start working at Youthbuild Boston, a local non-profit organization, on May 4

Spector said the positions would most likely be funded by PBHA's own money, not money provided by the University.

"This agreement is a product of a number of different players including representatives of the administration," Spector said. "We feel like we have constructed a rational and workable solution that will serve the interests of all parties concerned."

The proposed restructuring comes at a time when the future of PBHA's top executive is uncertain.

Last October, PBHA's Board of Directors unanimously elected Kenneth G. Smith acting chief operating officer, the position known in last summer's compromise as exectuive agent. But Smith announced in March that he will leave the University after this semester.

He said at the time he planned to start working at Youthbuild Boston, a local non-profit organization, on May 4