Epstein, who was not available for comment yesterday, said in an earlier interview that she had not been given sufficient opportunity to contribute to the report's findings.

"Since my involvement in this committee's process was limited to a one-hour interview at which only four of the five committee members were present, and at which some of the key assertions of the report were never raised, I was not given the opportunity to be as helpful to this process as I could have been," Epstein wrote in a memo dated September 12.

Since those memos were written, debate on the report has been subdued as campus leaders determined their correct course of action.

HAND and PBHA leaders said Friday's letter marks their first official cooperation after a long history of antagonism. The two groups have often perceived their goals and resources to be in competition.

In an interview Saturday afternoon, PBHA and HAND leaders stressed their mutual concern with the report's procedures.

"Our first concern was the fact that at least one-third of public service at Harvard was not talked to [prior to the report's release]," Dawson said.

In a telephone interview Saturday, Johnson said he believed the report's investigation into public service was a response to an increase in PBH staffing levels over the past year.

"I was told right after the hiring of Assistant Director Ken Smith and the fourth director of programming that the University would authorize those programs from January to October," Johnson said. "They said that they would do that temporarily but that we're going to convene a committee to look into all this business."

Johnson said that when the University made its decision to support funding for additional PBH staff, Jewett asked him if PBH had options to save funds. PBH currently has 52 committees which service hundreds of children and adults in the Boston and Cambridge area.

"Dean Jewett asked me if more staffing wasn't obtained, what should be done?" Johnson said. "I told him without addition staff, certain programs should be discontinued."

Administrative Support

About 700 volunteers from HAND, City Step, the First-Year Community Service Programs and other community service groups are overseen by the College's Office of Community Service, HAND leaders said.

PBHA also falls under the office's jurisdiction. But because of its independent resources and broad scope, it has traditionally served a more autonomous role in the Harvard community.

PBHA and HAND leaders said Saturday they were primarily concerned that Epstein and Johnson could lose their jobs in the shake-up.

"The Executive Director of PBHA signs off on about $100,000 of grants and funding proposals," King said. "If Greg is let go in the middle of his contract [which ends this June], there's ambiguity about whether he'll feel comfortable signing off on those grants."