PBHA Board Adds New Members

More than five months after two students leaders resigned in protest, the Standing Committee on Public Service has been rejuvenated thanks to a summer compromise and a change in membership.

The College administration has added a fourth student, CityStep leader Nicole A. Barry '97 to the committee. And Adams House Master Robert J. Kiely, a long-time supporter of student service, has replaced Starch Professor of Psychology Jerome Kagan.

"The addition of Professor Kiely is an excellent gesture in terms of someone who has historically been a strong supporter of student run public service," Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) President Andrew J. Ehrlich '96-'97 said.

The committee now has four student members and six faculty members.

Last spring, Ehrlich '96-'97 and former House and Neighborhood Development (HAND) coordinator Elizabeth J. Finger '96 resigned from the committee, citing the refusal of the Faculty Council to approve an Undergraduate Council recommendation to increase student representation.

But as part of a summer compromise between PBHA and the College, which resulted in the College agreeing to place administration representatives as ex-officio members on the PBHA board and add the fourth student, PBHA agreed to rejoin the standing committee.

The committee will meet for the first time this year on Nov. 14. The group will meet monthly thereafter, according to Professor of Govern- ment and Sociology Theda Skocpol, the committee chair.

The committee's agenda this year will include discussion of forming connections between students' academic work and service projects and getting faculty involved in community service.

One controversial issue that "will almost certainly be discussed" is the allocation of space for the various community service programs, Skocpol wrote in an e-mail message.

Skocpol wrote that she would like to stress that the committee is an open forum for ideas concerning student service.

"Any member of the committee can bring topics for discussion, and I want the committee to at least discuss any policy-relevant issue about student service that comes onto the horizon," she wrote.

Noah R. Feinstein '98, who will represent HAND on the committee, said that while past student concerns had some merit, he wanted to start the new year with a fresh outlook.

"Liz's concerns were quite valid, so [HAND co-chair Amanda H. Bigelow '97] and I have given the issue a lot of thought, but we both feel that [HAND] could be a positive contributor," Feinstein said.

PBHA leaders said they remain concerned that the committee is not the appropriate forum for many service issues.

"I continue to believe that the PBHA board and the assistant dean [of Public Service Judith H. Kidd] are the appropriate forum for policy decisions to be made," said Ehrlich

The committee's agenda this year will include discussion of forming connections between students' academic work and service projects and getting faculty involved in community service.

One controversial issue that "will almost certainly be discussed" is the allocation of space for the various community service programs, Skocpol wrote in an e-mail message.

Skocpol wrote that she would like to stress that the committee is an open forum for ideas concerning student service.

"Any member of the committee can bring topics for discussion, and I want the committee to at least discuss any policy-relevant issue about student service that comes onto the horizon," she wrote.

Noah R. Feinstein '98, who will represent HAND on the committee, said that while past student concerns had some merit, he wanted to start the new year with a fresh outlook.

"Liz's concerns were quite valid, so [HAND co-chair Amanda H. Bigelow '97] and I have given the issue a lot of thought, but we both feel that [HAND] could be a positive contributor," Feinstein said.

PBHA leaders said they remain concerned that the committee is not the appropriate forum for many service issues.

"I continue to believe that the PBHA board and the assistant dean [of Public Service Judith H. Kidd] are the appropriate forum for policy decisions to be made," said Ehrlich