Graduate Council Report to Board of Trustees Academic and Student Affairs Committee
April 13, 2022
This report includes the activities of Graduate Council (GC) since our last report on February 9, 2021.
We continue to hold meetings of the Council and Executive Committee in WebEx format but will return to in-person meeting for our last Council Meeting and Elections on May 6.
Over the last Council meetings, Executive Committee members met with Drs. Thompson, Acting Dean of the Graduate College, Calzonetti, Vice President of Research, and Ali Imami, President of the Graduate Student Association who provided updates, discussed initiatives and concerns, and helped set agendas and lead discussions with GC members.
GC Chair and Vice Chair Aboualaiwi continued to meet regularly with Provost Bjorkman to discuss matters relevant to graduate education.
Over the last two months GC discussed council members continued to address graduate student and faculty concerns and led discussions and invited presentations on these topics. For example, the Council appreciated presentations and discussion on Mental Health Resources at UT available to graduate students and faculty by College of Nursing Dean Linda Lewandowski, Cambridge University Press open access publishing opportunities at UT by Lucy Duhon from University Libraries, and Higher Learning Commission final report findings by Heather Huntley, Assistant VP for Accreditation and Program Review. GC also discussed the pros and cons of eliminating Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) as requirement for admission.
Of note, the Council was most appreciative of a visit by President Postel at our March 22nd meeting as part of our regular meeting each semester. He addressed an array of topics including process, transparency and implications of the FY 22/23 budget; strategic plan and investment; graduate student health insurance; Covid-19 mask mandate; and parking issues and complaints. In addition, at the April 5th Council we recognized the Graduate Student Association Research Awards recipients. Ten of our exceptional graduate students (4 from the College of Medicine & Life Sciences, 4 from College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and 2 from College of Health and Human Services) presented their research projects, acknowledged their mentors, and indicated how the awards would facilitate their advancement.
Curriculum and Membership committees, chaired by Drs. Mueser and Beltyukova, presented curriculum modifications for discussion and vote and about 35 new or renewed graduate faculty appointments.
Respectfully submitted, David Giovannucci, Ph.D.,
UToledo Graduate Council Chair, 2021-2022