The Executive Council held its monthly meeting in Lee Hall at 1:30 p.m. Present were Dr. Mark Keenum, presiding, Dr. Tracey Baham, Mr. Robert Banik, Mr. Jason Cory, Ms. Lesia Ervin, Ms. Ra’Sheda Boddie-Forbes, Ms. Ellie Herndon, Dr. Regina Hyatt, Ms. Christine Jackson, Dr. Gary Jackson, Mr. Brandon Jolly, Dr. Julie Jordan, Mr. Steve Parrott, Mr. Les Potts, Mr. Tom Ritter, Mr. John Rush, Mr. Sid Salter, Dr. David Shaw (virtually), and Mr. Jim Laird.

Mr. Ritter, the university’s chief information security officer, opened the meeting with a brief information security compliance update as required annually by the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. He noted several security enhancements would be deployed in the coming year, including verified two-factor authentication push notifications via the Duo app, as well as longer passwords. Dr. Keenum thanked him for sharing the information with Executive Council, as well as with the Robert Holland Faculty Senate during its October meeting.

On behalf of Dr. Shaw, who was available to answer questions via WebEx, Dr. Baham presented:

-- AOP 10.05: Nepotism. The changes with this update better align the policy with Human Resources Management policies dealing with employees who are related, as defined in the policy, and their roles in hiring and chain of command responsibilities. Council members voted to approve.

-- AOP 12.08: Requirements for Academic Programs and Academic Consortial/Contractual Agreements. This significant update brings the policy into alignment with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) expectations and requirements for continued accreditation. Council members voted to approve.

-- AOP 12.29: Undergraduate Admission Requirements. This update consists of minor changes to align the policy with current Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) policies. Council members voted to approve.

Dr. Hyatt presented:

-- OP 91.123: Service & Assistance Animals. This update includes a change to the policy’s title, as well as changes to provide more structure for the presence of service, emotional support, and therapy animals in campus environments. These changes ensure compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) service animal requirements and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements for emotional support animals in MSU Housing and Residence Life facilities. Council members voted to approve.

Additionally, Dr. Hyatt presented OP 91.107: Release of Information by University Police Department for rescission. The release of this information is governed by the MSU Police Department’s general orders and the university’s public records request process. Therefore, the policy is redundant and no longer needed. Council members voted to approve.

The following policies were updated either with a technical change or approved with no changes, and therefore, no formal action was needed from the Executive Council:

-- OP 60.320: Office Hours/Work Schedule — no change.
-- OP 60.321: Meal and Rest Periods — no change.
-- OP 60.501: Workforce Development — no change.
-- OP 91.122: Students with Disabilities — technical change: added a reference to OP 95.501 for ADA parking concerns.
-- OP 91.208: Hazing Policy — technical change: updated name of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
-- OP 91.210: Food Handling On-Campus by Registered Student Organizations — technical change: moved the course from Health Education and Wellness Department to Cowbell Connect.
-- OP 91.303: Student Publications — technical change: updated student title from “editors” to “editors-in-chief.”
-- OP 95.501: Traffic and Parking Rules and Regulations — technical change: updated office name to Disability Resource Center.