Executive Council met at 611 Allen Hall at 11 a.m. with Dr. George Verrall presiding. Also present were Dr. Roy Ruby, Gaddis Hunt, Dr. Sandra Harpole, Dr. Walter Diehl, Blaine Merritt, Dr. Vance Watson, Parker Wiseman, Daniel Bryant, Betty Gentry, Dr. Brad Carter, Joe Farris, Charles Guest, Julie Fulgham, Dr. Leslie Bauman, Cameron Mann, and Michael White.

Mr. Hunt and Professor Mann presented plans for installation of a 15-kilowatt solar array system at the new Landscape Architecture Building. The system, to be installed by Tennessee Valley Authority at the agency's expense at a cost of $325,000, will provide a demonstration of "green" power generation. The council recommended that TVA be granted permission to install the system.

Dr. Ruby recommended that Operating Policy 91.106 on Release of Student Directory Information be rescinded because it duplicates another existing policy. The deletion would not affect university practice or procedure. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Ruby presented for review revised Executive Council Guidelines and accompanying Procedures for Frequently Occurring Agenda Items proposed by a task force appointed earlier in the year by Interim President Lee and chaired by Dr. Ruby:

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL GUIDELINES

The Mississippi State University Executive Council is an advisory body to the president. Membership of the council includes the president, provost and vice president for academic affairs, vice president for external affairs, vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine, vice president for research, chief administrative officer, chief budget and financial officer, vice president for student affairs, director of intercollegiate athletics, chair of the Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council, chair of the Faculty Senate, and Student Association president. The university counsel will meet with the Executive Council in an advisory capacity. The assistant to the president will record the minutes of the meeting.

Members participate by title and will designate a substitute in their absence. Other staff will attend the Executive Council meetings when invited by the president to provide specific information for an agenda item to be discussed.

Meetings are scheduled twice a month in the first and third weeks with times and locations determined by the president. The president may cancel any meeting at his discretion.

Any member of the council may propose items for discussion. Final determination of the agenda rests with the president.

Meeting guidelines: The president serves as chair of the council. In the president's absence, the provost will preside. In the absence of both, a vice president will preside.

As a general rule, recommendations on major items and less-than-routine university policies will be made at the meeting subsequent to the meeting in which the item was first introduced. The president makes the determination as to whether an item is handled at its initial introduction or is brought back to a subsequent meeting.

Matters of university-wide significance, those that would have impact on other units, or non-routine matters which require the president's approval should be brought before the council for discussion.

Procedures for Frequently Occurring Agenda Items

Procedure for Approval of University Policies

1. The proposed policy is reviewed by the university counsel and the university auditor to determine its consistency with current campus procedures and state and federal laws.

2. After review by these two offices, the proposed policy is brought to the Executive Council, which provides advice to the president.

3. Routine matters may be voted on at their initial consideration by the Executive Council. Items on which the president wishes further consideration will be brought back at a subsequent meeting.

Procedure for Approval of Naming of Facilities

1. Proposals are submitted initially to the appropriate vice president or the director of intercollegiate athletics.

2. After consideration by the vice president or director of intercollegiate athletics, the proposal is forwarded to the Naming of Facilities Committee.

3. Recommendations from the Naming of Facilities Committee are submitted to the Executive Council.

4. The Executive Council renders a recommendation to the president.

5. This policy applies only to the naming of facilities not covered by the Naming Opportunity Policy, 41.02.

Procedure for Approval of New Construction and Renovation

The review and approval process is divided into four stages requiring Executive Council action and the approval of the president:

1. Concept approval. The Project Assistance and Review Request Form (with funding source) is presented to the Executive Council by a vice president or the director of intercollegiate athletics. If the concept is approved, it is submitted to the Campus Planning and Development Committee.

2. Site approval. The Campus Planning and Development Committee recommends a site or alternative sites to the Executive Council.

3. Schematics. The design professional meets with the planning committee. The Campus Planning and Development Committee reviews and recommends action to the Executive Council.

4. Design development. The design professional prepares design documents. The Campus Planning and Development Committee reviews and recommends action to the Executive Council.

After discussion of the proposed membership, the council recommended approval of the proposed guidelines and procedures as presented.

Dr. Verrall recommended approval of Academic Operating Policy 13.03, Faculty Responsibilities in Instruction. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Verrall and Dr. Carter presented for initial consideration action on Information Technology operating proposals including: rescind OP 30.01, Policy on Student Use of Computing Resources, which is duplicated by OP 91.117; revise OP 30.03, Management of Site-Licensed Computer Software for End-User Applications, to establish a faculty committee to provide faculty input on site-licensed end-user software; create OP 30.04, Electronic Communications Infrastructure, to maintain a consistent institution-wide strategy for physical infrastructure support to networked services; create OP 30.05, Internet Domain Names and Services, to manage requests for subdomains of msstate.edu and requests for the university to host non-MSU domains. The policy changes were referred to the university counsel and auditor for review and will be considered at a future Executive Council meeting.

Dr. Watson presented a recommendation endorsed by the Naming of Facilities Committee that the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center be named for Dr. Hiram Palmertree, who was the first director of the Center and later director of the MSU Extension Service. Dr. Palmertree helped develop the concept of the research and extension centers and implement it statewide. The naming proposal will be submitted to the IHL Board of Trustees for approval.

Mr. Bryant reported on continuing discussions concerning a student proposal to make the university's Moneymate debit card usable at off-campus locations. A vendor could be secured to manage the system, with processing costs paid by participating merchants.

Mr. Wiseman announced plans for anniversary observances of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Mr. Wiseman reported on actions of other state universities related to adoption of a fall break for students and requested continued study of the concept at Mississippi State.

The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.