Last week Epps said the question of hiring additional staff was laid on the table by both sides in the hopes of reaching a compromise on the hiring of the director.

But the dispute over hiring has also raised questions about the authority of the Board of Trustees. Although the Trustees have legal responsibility for the governance of PBHA, the College has retained the right to approve all the Board's decisions.

"The whole issue challenges the board's autonomy and control," Bahat told The Crimson in August.

For its part, the College has proposed a compromise that would permanently recognize the Board of Trustees as PBHA's governing body-the Board has been operating on a trial basis-and would create a Board of Ombudsmen to mediate disputes between PBHA and the College.

The executive director of PBHA would be selected by a joint search and would ultimately be hired by the University.

As of last week, Epps said he was still hoping the students would accept the College's offer.

All Talk

Improving communication between the interested groups has been a stated goal of both parties.

"What PBHA and Harvard are both working for is a sound structure where the executive director will know who they're working for," Bahat said. "We're trying to make the responsibility shared rather than split."

Should this communication break down, the other long-term options for PBHA include leaving the University, staying and accepting its demands and spinning-off some programs while leaving others affiliated with Harvard.

"At this point, the entire PBHA student leadership faces a crucial decision: either accept a modified, continuing working relationship with Harvard and get beyond the constant bureaucratic haggling, or decide to rebuild outside of Harvard," Skocpol wrote. "The latter decision will certainly be harmful to many programs. But continuous political bickering is not good either."

Individual program leaders have expressed mixed sentiments on whether they would stick with PBHA in the event of a split from the College.

Some, citing the importance of autonomy for public service programs, have said they would stand with PBHA against the University.

But other program leaders have noted that some PBHA programs are more integral to and dependent on the umbrella organization than others, and that their programs could get along well without the Association.

If PBHA does choose to go ahead with the hiring plan that most of its student leaders have rallied behind in recent months, the College has said the organization would lose many of the privileges it has received from being a student organization, such as its building in the Yard and $2 million in annual funding. Additional fund-raising support-a $10 million PBHA capital campaign-has been put on hold by the College.