PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
                           October 18, 2000

PRESENT:  Clyde Carroll, Jim Manning, Jim Mitchell, Vicki Orazem.
ABSENT:   Chuck Lindemenn, Carol Schmidt.

The meeting was called to order by Chair, Jim Manning, at 2:00 PM.

Proposed revisions to the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual -
Kerry Evans and Sherry Johannes.
     - Most of the proposed changes in the Personnel Policy and
     Procedures Manual reflect changes in names of university
     departments, titles of positions, and other minor "housekeeping"
     changes.
     - Attachments that were included in the manual have been removed
     and will be sent electronically to departments upon request.
     - A statement has been added that the Vice President for
     Administration and Finance may adopt interim policies without
     review, but these policies must be reviewed within six months or
     they expire at the end of that time.
     - In Section 440, it was suggested by Professional Council
     members that a statement such as, "there should be at least one
     member of each gender" be added.
     - It was suggested contract professional employees work toward
     having their own handbook or develop a cross-referencing document
     that indicates sections of the Faculty Handbook and the Personnel
     Policy and Procedures Manual that pertain to professionals.
     - Proposed revisions to the Classified Employees Personnel
     Advisory Committee and CEPAC By-laws were distributed, but
     Professional Council did not review them, because it seemed
     inappropriate to do so.

Faculty/staff distribution list - Leslie Taylor, University Counsel.
     - The faculty/staff distribution list was originally instituted
     to make it possible to announce official university business to
     all employees.  The rule has been that the notice affects all
     faculty and staff.
     - There has been an increasing number of requests to use the list
     for announcements that may be of interest to most or to all
     faculty but which are not official university business.
     - There have been some complaints about some notices that have
     been distributed.  It is understood that there needs to be a
     mechanism for important news to be distributed and that there
     needs to be a mechanism for communicating campus-wide
     information, as well.
     - One idea that is being considered is to continue to use the
     President's Office distribution list for university business
     which must be distributed to all employees and to have another
     distribution list for communication of items which have
     university-wide appeal but which have no mandatory provision for
     distribution.  Using this type of "bulletin board" which any
     employees are able to post to has worked well at some other
     universities.
     - During discussion, there appeared to be consensus by
     Professional Council that it would be worth trying such a method
     of communication.

Chair's report - Jim Manning.
     - A memo was sent to President Roark requesting an additional
     professional on the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee,
     since additional faculty positions have been added.  Professional
     Council will meet with the President on October 25 at 3:00 PM to
     discuss this.  This will be an opportunity to thank the President
     for his work at MSU, also.
     - Professional Council wants to make sure that the SPBC working
     groups include professionals.

As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:00 PM.