The University of Hawai'i Board of Regents is scheduled to meet with attorneys this week to discuss the status of contract mediation with former football coach June Jones, a sign the two parties may be closing in on a settlement of their nearly five month-old dispute.

The discussions, listed on the agenda for the board's monthly meeting Thursday and Friday at Leeward Community College, are scheduled for executive session and closed to the public.

UH is seeking liquidated damages of $400,008 — half his annual UH paycheck — from Jones for terminating a five-year agreement before its contracted June 30, 2008 expiration date.

UH-Manoa spokesman Gregg Takayama said a deal has yet to be reached and "mediation is continuing." He said the session is "so that Regents can be given an update on the status."

Speculation has been that a framework for a settlement could emerge from that meeting.

Pre-mediation began in May and parties have been involved in mediation off and on since June 9. The parties have agreed to go to binding arbitration, as called for in the contract, if mediation is unsuccessful.

Jones left UH six days after the Warriors' Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl loss to Georgia to become head coach at Southern Methodist, where he reportedly more than doubled his annual UH pay of $800,016.

A clause in Jones' last UH contract, signed in 2003, provides for $400,008 in liquidated damages, "if he terminates this agreement prior to June 30, 2008." Though Jones received $800,016 per year from UH, the school said half of it was paid by donations.

The contract specifies payment within 60 days of departure, meaning it was due March 7, 2008.

But Jones and his representatives have contended that former athletic director Herman Frazier agreed to drop the restriction if Jones fulfilled at least the first two years of the deal. Moreover, they claim to have e-mails on that point. Frazier was terminated the day after Jones announced his departure.

UH maintains that the contract could only be amended in writing by agreement of both parties.

The contract says mediation and arbitration fees will be shared and each party is responsible for their own attorney fees.

In other news, two associate athletic directors and an assistant are among more than 175 UH executives who have been recommended for what the school terms, "performance-based executive salary adjustments."

If approved by the regents, the salaries of associate ADs Carl Clapp and John McNamara would rise to $145,008 and $144,168 respectively. Assistant AD and senior women's administrator Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano would receive $94,320.

UH President David McClain has recommended a $6,000 adjustment for executives rated as "full satisfactory, superior or outstanding" and an additional two percent adjustment for those rated "superior" and four percent for those rated "outstanding."

The adjustments would be effective July 1, 2008. Athletic director Jim Donovan, who took over in March, has yet to have his contract announced.