Executive Council met at 11 a.m. in 611 Allen Hall. Present were Dr. Peter Rabideau, presiding, Dr. Melissa Mixon, Dr. Rob Wolverton, Dr. Kirk Schulz, Jeremy Johnson, Joy Odom, Dr. Bill Kibler, Larry Templeton, Charles Guest, Don Zant, Dr. Mary Alexander, Joe Farris, and Julie Fulgham.

Mr. Guest presented for first reading a proposed operating policy and procedure on Electronically Stored Information (ESI) and Compliance with Federal Court Rules in Federal Lawsuits. The policy would require that, upon notification of a lawsuit or pending lawsuit, university employees preserve and maintain without modification all relevant records, including printed or electronically stored emails, memoranda, reports and other documents, including those on personally owned devices.

Dr. Alexander presented for approval a new Operating Policy and Procedure on Harassment Training for Supervisors, OP 03.04. The policy would require all supervisors hired after Oct. 1, 2007, to complete an on-line harassment training module within 30 days of initial employment, and all supervisors to complete the training by Dec. 31, 2007. Employees other than supervisors could be required to complete the training as a corrective measure resulting from inappropriate conduct. The council recommended approval. (The new policy is on line at http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/0304.html .)

Dr. Mixon presented for approval a revised and updated version of Operating Policy 56.06/80.1, Research and Extension Professional Staff Positions for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine and the Division of Research and Economic Development. The changes consist of editorial and format changes. The council recommended approval. (The revised policy is on line at http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/5606.html .) Mr. Zant recommended that duplicate operating policies 56.06 and 80.1 be combined as OP 56.06. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Mixon presented for approval a revised and updated version of operating policy 56.09/80.11, Promotion of Other Professionals (Support/Service) for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine. The revised policy raises education and experience requirements for classification levels and changes the criteria for promotion. The council recommended approval. (The revised policy is on line at http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/5609.html .) Mr. Zant recommended that duplicate operating policies 56.09 and 80.11 be combined as OP 56.09. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Mixon recommended that operating policy 56.10, Promotion of Other (Support/Service) Employees in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, be rescinded, as it is superseded by the revised policy 56.09. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Rabideau recommended for approval a revised version of Academic Operating Policy 12.20, Academic Forgiveness. The revised policy would extend the limit on courses that may be repeated under the policy from six credit hours to eight credit hours and would allow for retaking courses in which a student earned a grade of B or C, as well as the previously covered D or F, after fall 2003. The council recommended approval.

Dr. Alexander presented for approval a proposed "Bark for Buck$ MSU Suggestion Program." The proposal would allow employees to suggest time- and money-saving changes in work procedures and to receive a financial reward based on the savings, up to a maximum of $1,000. The proposal was tabled pending clarification of the source of funds for the proposed financial rewards.