Rudenstine acknowledged the dissent in his response to the committee, noting that "in the eyes of some, the recommendations go too far," but pledged to support them regardless.

Rudenstine announced he will formally review the recommendations this spring.

The proposal would have an impact on about 25 percent of subcontractors, but the committee was unsure exactly which subcontractors the move would affect because of the lack of contracting guidelines.

"We don't have that specific information," Mills said. "A lot of the people, particularly part-timers, do not have health insurance."

The report recommends instituting a set of specifications for hiring outside service contractors, as none are currently in place.

"The University and its units should not contract for service work solely to save money, if the cost savings come at the expense of the workers providing the service," the document states.

The committee also urged Harvard to provide coverage to more of its own employees. Lowering the eligibility requirement from a minimum of 20 to 16 hours per week would allow 247 more Harvard employees, many of whom work only a weekend shift, to participate in the University's health insurance plan, at a cost of $2,000 per employee per year or a total of $500,000.

The recommendations also call for a major investment in the education of entry-level workers. The committee urged the University to expand a pilot program teaching literacy and English as a Second Language from its current 38 participants to 500 next year--250 Harvard employees and 250 contracted workers.