Executive Council convened at 11 a.m. at 611 Allen Hall. Present were Dr. Malcolm Portera, presiding, Jan Bryant, Jenny Reeves, Dr. Joe Thompson, Leah Norman, Dr. Robert Altenkirch, Larry Templeton, Dr. Dan Embree, Dr. Roy Ruby, Dr. David Cole, Dennis Prescott, Charles Guest, Joe Farris, Dr. Melvin Ray, Julie Fulgham, Gaddis Hunt, Don Parsons, Paula Jernigan, Ann Bell, Sue Helms, Richard Johnston, Dr. Cynthia West, Dr. Bob Karr, Danny Cheatham, and architects Scott Thaggard, Joe Stevens, and Hartley Fairchild.

Dr. Portera welcomed Dr. Dan Embree to the council as the new chair of the Faculty Senate.

Scott Thaggard of Foil-Wyatt architects presented plans to install a sloped metal roof and build an addition to house the magnetic resonance laboratory as part of the renovation of Hand Chemical Lab. The council recommended approval of the plans.

Danny Cheatham presented for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine a proposal to approve in concept the construction of a Furniture Research Building as part of the Forest Products Laboratory complex. State and private funds totaling $4.75 million are available for the project. The council recommended approval of the proposal.

Paula Jernigan presented for initial review a revised version of the university affirmative action plan. The plan will be presented to the Deans Council, and the Faculty Senate, and other interested groups for review before further consideration by the council

Ann Bell and Sue Helms presented a proposal to contract to use SkillSoft web-based business and professional development courses on campus. Demonstrations of the program will be arranged for council members and for a focus group of university employees before further consideration by the council.

Dr. Roy Ruby recommended approval of a revised out-of-state tuition waiver policy that would reduce out-of-state tuition waivers for children of alumni from 90 percent to 50 percent and establish academic performance standards for retention of those waivers and for out-of-state waivers based on ACT scores. A proposed amendment that would have retained the 90 percent waiver for children of alumni was rejected and the original proposal was recommended by the council. The changes will not affect currently enrolled students but will take effect in fall 2001.

Architect Joe Stevens and landscape architect Hartley Fairchild presented landscaping plans for the Montgomery Hall renovation. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Cole presented the recommendations of a task force on retention and enrollment management. The proposal is intended to help stabilize enrollment and improve retention by focusing recruitment efforts on applicants who have a high school grade average of 2.5 or higher or an ACT score of 21 or higher. Applicants who do not meet either of those recommended levels of attainment would be considered undeclared majors and be advised by the Academic Advising Center until they have earned 30 hours of credits and would be limited to 15 hours per semester in core and/or developmental courses. Students admitted with an ACT score of less than 16 would further be required to participate in the Summer Developmental Program or pass the Accuplacer test and enroll in a remedial reading course. The proposal also would establish an April 1 application deadline for all students. The council recommended approval of the proposal.

A proposed policy and procedure on employment authorization was presented for initial review and will be considered at a future meeting.

The council adjourned at 12:15 p.m.