Executive Council met at 11 a.m. at 611 Allen Hall. Present were Dr. Malcolm Portera, presiding, Dr. Roy Ruby, Jan Bryant, Dennis Prescott, Gaddis Hunt, Larry Templeton, Dr. Bob Altenkirch, Dr. Charles Lee, Dr. Brad Carter, Dr. Dan Embree, Daniel Bryant, Dr. David Cole, Paula Jernigan, Julie Fulgham, Dr. Melvin Ray, Charles Guest, Joe Farris, George Parsons, Dr. Ian Munn, Tom Tollison and Skip Wyatt.

Mr. Tollison, representing the Johnson McAdams firm, presented plans for improvements to Blackjack Road to begin this summer. The road will be widened to three lanes and a "roundabout" intersection will be installed at Blackjack and Oktoc roads. Morgan and Magruder street connections to Blackjack would be closed, making Stone Boulevard and Hardy Street the main entrances to campus from Blackjack Road. The council recommended approval of the plans.

Mr. Wyatt, representing the Foil Wyatt firm, and Mr. Parsons presented plans for the Hunter Henry Alumni and Foundation Center. The $8.5 million facility funded by private gifts will provide 40,000 sq. ft. of office and meeting space, including a ballroom that will accommodate 400 seated diners. The exterior of the building will be primarily marble, aluminum and glass, surrounded by a garden. The council recommended approval of the plans.

Dr. Ruby recommended approval of a Student Affairs operating policy on electronic communications with students. The policy provides for every student to be assigned an e-mail address by Information Technology Services, effective fall 2001. New students will be assigned an e-mail address upon admission. Students will be expected to monitor electronic communications, which may also include bulletin boards and information portals, for official communications from the university. The council recommended approval of the policy. The revised policy is on line at http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/91126.html.

Dr. Cole recommended approval of a revised Academic Affairs operating policy on adding and dropping courses. The revised policy sets the fifth class day of a semester as the last day to add a course. Students may continue to drop a course without being assessed a fee or academic penalty through the 10th class day of the semester. The council recommended approval of the policy. The revised policy is on line at http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/1201.html.

Dr. Altenkirch presented for review proposed policy and procedure statements that would establish the titles Research/Extension Associate I, Research/Extension Associate II, Research/Extension Associate III, and Senior Research/Extension Associate for professional staff in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine and in the Division of Research. A policy also would establish titles for faculty in the two divisions who devote full time to research, extension, and clinical activities of Extension/Clinical Instructor, Assistant Research/Extension/Clinical Professor, Associate Research/Extension/Clinical Professor, and Research/Extension/Clinical Professor, paralleling faculty titles used in the Division of Academic Affairs. The policies will be considered at a future Executive Council meeting.

Dr. Altenkirch presented for review a revised policy statement on intellectual property that incorporates editing recommendations of an ad hoc Faculty Senate committee. The policy will be reviewed again by the general counsel and considered at a future Executive Council meeting.

Dr. Altenkirch presented a recommendation that the library of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology be named for Dr. Jerry Vardaman, the first director of the institute until 1981 and a faculty member until 1993; he died last year. The recommendation was referred to the Naming of Facilities Committee.

Ms. Bryant reported that Cedric Henson, cost analyst in the Office of the Controller and Treasurer, has been elected chair of the Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council for 2001-02.

Dr. Embree reported that he will serve a second term as chair of the Faculty Senate in 2001-2002. Dr. Walter Diehl was elected vice chair.

The meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.