Budget reductions, a proposed amendment to the university's anti-discrimination policy and course and program changes will all be issues addressed at the MSU Academic Council's first meeting of the school year Tuesday.
Provost and Interim President Lou Anna Simon said her report on the university will be more elaborate than normal because of McPherson's absence.
"It will be an update as to where we stand with the opening of fall semester, particularly in light of the budget," Simon said. "We didn't want to wait until October to let people know what happened with it."
Her address will deal with the implementation of budget guidelines, which include $31 million in budget reductions, she said. Simon will give an update on student-faculty ratio and class size for the beginning of the academic year.
"We will address the short-term challenges and opportunities we're working on right now," Simon said.
Another key agenda item is the proposed amendment to the university's anti-discrimination policy. The amendment, which would add gender identity to the harassment section of the policy, heads to the Academic Council after the Executive Committee of Academic Council approved it Sept. 9.
If the Academic Council approves the amendment, it will then go to the MSU Board of Trustees - the highest governing body in the university - for approval.
But Jon Sticklen, chairman of the Executive Committee of Academic Council, said MSU President M. Peter McPherson will probably look at it before sending it to the board.
"There will be discussions between him and the ad-hoc Committee on Gender Identity, and if he doesn't see difficulties with it, he'll make a decision of whether or not to send it to the MSU Board of Trustees," Sticklen said.
Last spring, the original amendment called for adding gender identity to both the discrimination and harassment sections of the anti-discrimination policy. McPherson rejected the proposal, saying he wanted the matter studied and discussed further before he would approve it.
Simon said even though McPherson is scheduled to return this week, he won't attend the meeting because he will be debriefed in Washington. She said he normally gives the State of the University Address during the first Academic Council meeting but instead will give it on Oct. 26.
The University Committee on Curriculum will also give its monthly report at the meeting, documenting the committee's activities for the month, including proposed changes to courses and programs.
Jim Zacks, professor of psychology and committee member, said he didn't expect anyone from any of the colleges to oppose the report at the meeting.
"I don't have expectations of anything controversial arising," Zacks said.
