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.
In addition, there has been mention of a possible legal challenge over the organization's name, should PBHA attempt to retain its moniker.
But by last week, the patience on the part of the administration had apparently not yet been exhausted, and the Sept. 1 deadline was extended.
But both sides continue to pledge that they want a lasting compromise.
"I hope that we can find a middle ground, " Bahat said. "I really do hope so. "
Bahat said the haggling over administrative structure-the fight for PBHA's autonomy from the University-has been trying for all involved, and that the students want to get back to "the business of running good programs. "
"I really am trying to bring this to an end, " he said. "This hasn't been fun for anybody. "
In her e-mail, however, Skocpol expressed doubt about the commitment of some PBHA leaders to forging this agreement.
"This just goes on and on, because some student leaders still refuse to work with College administrators who have done their best to be cooperative, " Skocpol wrote. "The course of perpetual haggling and political uncertainty has been extremely harmful to PBHA, and the longer the mess continues, the more harm will be done. "
Epps said the College hopes that PBHA will accept its proposed compromise and that the organization will remain in Phillips Brooks House.
"We are hoping that they will accept our proposal, " Epps said. "I certainly hope [they do] because we would like to keep the Association a student organization. "
Regardless of what happens this week, Bahat said students should not be concerned about the immediate status of PBHA programs, and that the impact of the current deliberations may not be felt by individual programs for five years.
"We'll try to continue running our programs, and the University can try to help us, " no matter how the negotiations work out, Bahat said. "We will work 24 hours a day to make sure that happens. "
Skocpol also assured students that the year in public service will be a good one.
"Regardless of what PBHA does, Harvard remains committed to student-run public service programs of many sorts, and they continue to flourish...[with the] framework coordinated by Dean Judith Kidd, " she added. "I expect another excellent year for student public service overall. "