Thames will meet with the state College Board Thursday.

Suggestions from the President's Council meeting Monday at the University of Southern Mississippi may result in a new e-mail monitoring policy at the institution.

President Shelby Thames formed the council partially in response to the outcry following the revelation that he ordered an investigation into e-mails of two professors he wanted to fire earlier this year.

"I think there was some possible movement forward in regard to the e-mail policy," said Amy Young, an associate anthropology and sociology professor and president of the USM chapter of the American Association of University Professors. "Thames agreed that in the future any e-mail monitoring, and that includes hard drives and telephone monitoring, would have to be done with the approval of a judge or the attorney general."

Young is not a member of the council, which consists of six students, six staff members and six faculty appointed by the five college deans and the Gulf Coast campus.

The council is expected to be among the items discussed Thursday when Thames reports to the state College Board on USM's future. (bold added)

The council also discussed revision of the faculty handbook and a drug and alcohol abuse policy that have caused dissension on campus, said Miriam Cabana, staff representative from the College of Health.

"He discussed how he could disseminate changes or gather information to finalize those with faculty and staff input and took the suggestions that were given by various members and from other people who were not on the council but took part in the discussion," she said of Thames. "He was quite positive."

Thames, who was not available for comment Monday night, suspended sociology professor Frank Glamser and English professor Gary Stringer on March 5 and notified them they would be fired. His actions sparked no-confidence votes from the Faculty Senate and the faculty and a resolution passed May 7 by the Faculty Senate asking the College Board to request Thames' resignation.

During a termination hearing last month, Thames testified he ordered then-university risk manager Jack Hanbury to investigate Glamser's and Stringer's use of e-mail and telephones in an AAUP probe into the academic background of Angie Dvorak, vice president for research and economic development.

The university reached a settlement with Glamser and Stringer under which they will be paid for two years but will not be assigned duties or provided with offices or other support at USM. They agreed not to criticize Thames or his administration.

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Originally published Tuesday, May 18, 2004