Executive Council met at 11 a.m. at 611 Allen Hall. Present were Dr. George Verrall, presiding, Dr. Vance Watson, Dr. Walter Diehl, Dennis Prescott, Betty Gentry, Dr. Jonathan Pote, Larry Templeton, Gaddis Hunt, Charles Guest, Joe Farris, Dr. Melvin Ray, Dr. Brad Carter, Dr. Leslie Bauman, Sara Peters, Darlene Breaux, John Etheridge, and Gene Merkl.

Mr. White presented a recommendation of the Campus Planning and Development Committee that a proposed landscaping plan for a metal structure to be located in an existing parking lot behind the Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory (DIAL) be approved. The plan calls red cedar trees to screen the site. Brick veneer on the metal building will match existing buildings. The council recommended approval of the landscaping plan.

Mr. White presented for initial consideration a proposed revision of Operating Policy 91.178, Out-of-State Tuition Waiver Policy. The revisions would clarify that grade point averages for tuition waiver eligibility are monitored at the end of each fall semester and that reductions in the amount of waiver resulting from a GPA lower than 3.0 are permanent. The revision also would provide that the Athletic Department funds all athletic out-of-state waivers, and that waivers awarded by the music education department may be for either 45 percent or 90 percent of out-of-state tuition. The council will consider the proposed policy at a future meeting.

Dr. Verrall recommended that Academic Operating Policy 30.01, Policy on Student Use of Computing Resources, be rescinded as it duplicates another policy. The council recommended that the policy be rescinded.

Dr. Verrall recommended approval of AOP 30.04, Electronic Communications Infrastructure, which requires that consideration be given to electronic communications infrastructure as part of the approval process for new construction or major renovation. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Verrall recommended approval of AOP 30.05, Internet Domain Names and Services, which reserves the use of the domain name msstate.edu for official functions of the university, provides for approval of subdomain names, and provides for domain name service for domains outside of MSU in some circumstances. The council recommended approval.

Mr. Templeton commented on a proposed NCAA policy that would base athletics eligibility on high school grade point averages, without reference to standardized test scores.

Ms. Peters reported that the Student Association is forwarding for consideration recommendations on a fall break, exam schedules, and the academic forgiveness policy.

Dr. Bauman reported that the Self-Study draft report is on line for review and comment. Some sections still in the editing process require a username and password, provided to the council, for access.

The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m.