Students have criticized Kidd, who has been involved mainly with grant-making and fundraising during her time at Boston University, the Bank of Boston and City Year, a Boston service organization, for what they describe as poor leadership.

According to students at PBHA, Kidd has operated as a chief executive officer of a corporation rather than as a partner in furthering public service.

Specifically, she has met with and renewed contracts with the city of Cambridge for various service programs without the presence of PBHA officials.

"I don't feel Judith really has a good grasp of how PBHA runs," Han says.

"They have hired a fundraising marionette," says Timothy P. McCarthy '93, who coordinated HAND his senior year.

Kidd's personal style of leadership also seems to be unpopular with students at PBH.

"We gave her a very fair chance," Han says. "But she's made it very difficult for us to believe she is working with us in a good faith effort."

But Kidd says that she has worked well with the students.

"Individually working with the students has always been excellent," she says.

Broken Promises

PBHA officials say the administration's desire to centralize power to control public service programs has caused them to break written promises to Johnson and Epstein.

The students say Knowles promised to retain Epstein and Johnson until after a full review of their positions could be conducted in a memo Knowles wrote in November 1994 to then-dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57.

"[T]he assistant dean will be able to assess, during the academic year 1995-1996, the internal structure and strengths of the staff...before making changes consistent with the maintenance of the current overall size of the staff," Knowles wrote in that memo.

Kidd says she plans to conduct a comprehensive review next year, after the controversy surrounding her appointment has settled down.

But students say such a review should come before the dismissals of Johnson and Epstein.