"The last thing public service at Harvard needs is another committee to review it," Skocpol said.
There have been more than a half-dozen public service review committees over the past 10 years, public service leaders said.
David W. Wang '93, founding director of the International Peace Games at PBHA, said the centralization of public service under an assistant dean is unnecessary.
"Amidst this period of government abdicating or withdrawing their responsibilities to the people most in need in our various communities, it seems very strange for the administration to focus on restructuring a program that has helped the most needy," Wang said.
McCarthy, a fundraiser for the College, said he will stop raising money for the College if it does not choose an internal candidate for assistant dean.
He emphasized that the graduates' letter should not be taken as a harsh criticism but as a suggestion for their alma mater.
"Our public service experiences and curricular experiences at Harvard changed our lives, and we are writing in service to the University," McCarthy said.
"Our primary service is love," he added