Graduate Council Meeting Minutes: September 16, 2025
Graduate Council Meeting Minutes
September 16, 2025
Location: Virtual (Teams)
Call to Order
The Graduate Council meeting was called to order by Chair Dan Boden. A quorum was confirmed.
Roll Call
Members Present:
Saad Andalib; Brian Ashburner; Dan Boden; Scott Crawley; Mai Dao; Jennifer DeVries;
Brian Fink; Bashar Gammoh; David Giovannucci; Dawn Goldstein; F. Scott Hall; Beth
Schlemper (for Dan Hammel); Tyler Hancock; Edward Janek; Andrea Kalinoski; Kristen
Keith; Barbara Kopp Miller; John Laux; Glenn Lipscomb; Scott Molitor; Nagalakshmi
Nadaminti; Megan Petra; Jeanine Refsnider-Streby; Srinivas Saladi; Janice Servick;
Zahoor Shah; Hossein Sojoudi; Kuo-hui Su; Varun Vaidya; Michael Weintraub; Qiuying
Zhao.
Guests Present:
Terri Green; Tara Hanna; Andrew Mattison
Excused:
Qian Chen.
Absent:
Patricia Relue; Snejana Slantcheva-Durst; Kandace Williams.
Approval of Minutes
Approval of prior meeting minutes remains in progress. Minutes from March, April, and recent Graduate Council meetings will be finalized and presented for approval at a future meeting.
Presentations & Discussion Items
Executive Committee Report
Chair Boden reported that:
- Graduate Council meetings will continue to be scheduled opposite Faculty Senate meetings. Updated calendar invitations have been distributed to resolve prior scheduling confusion.
- He and Vice Chair Michael Weintraub were scheduled to meet with the Provost; a summary of that meeting will be shared at the next Graduate Council meeting.
- He will present a report to the Board of Trustees on September 24 summarizing Graduate Council activities since the June Board meeting.
Reports
Report from the College of Graduate Studies
Scott Molitor provided the following updates:
- Meeting Minutes: Work continues to finalize outstanding minutes from March, April, and more recent Graduate Council meetings. Speakers will be contacted as needed to confirm summaries.
- Graduate Faculty Membership: The online graduate faculty membership database is not current (last updated in May) and is being actively reviewed. Colleges will soon receive information regarding full-time faculty whose memberships expire in November.
- Graduate Enrollment: Graduate enrollment increased by just over 2% compared to the previous year. Council members were commended for their collective recruitment and program support efforts.
- Graduate Programs Day: Graduate Programs Day will be held on October 15 at Carlson Library. Each college will host a table. Program directors were encouraged to participate, and a calendar invitation will be shared with Graduate Council members.
- Pipeline (Combined Degree) Programs: Work is underway to finalize the list of combined bachelor’s/master’s pipeline programs, including those established prior to implementation of the CIM catalog system. These programs allow undergraduates to apply up to nine graduate credit hours toward both undergraduate and master’s degree requirements. A dedicated website and admissions/tracking process are being developed with the goal of completion prior to Graduate Programs Day.
- All Graduate Faculty Meeting: An all-graduate-faculty meeting is planned for later in the fall. Council members were invited to suggest agenda topics.
- Policy Updates:
- The Graduate Council–approved grades and grading policy is moving through the university policy approval process.
- The transfer credit policy may be rescinded and incorporated directly into the Graduate Catalog to streamline future updates and clarify expectations for students. Regardless of placement, council-approved changes will be enforced.
- State Credit Hour Changes: Ohio may allow baccalaureate degrees with fewer than 120 credit hours. Graduate programs will need to determine how applicants from such programs are evaluated, particularly in disciplines with accreditation or licensure requirements.
Report from Research & Sponsored Programs
- Scott Hall reported:
- Awards and Submissions: Award dollars and submissions declined in the latter half of the previous fiscal year; however, data remain preliminary, and recent submission activity suggests improvement.
- NIH Other Support Disclosure Training: New NIH requirements mandate training related to other support disclosures, including in-kind support. A CITI module is currently available, with an updated course expected by October 1. Principal investigators must certify completion prior to submitting NIH grants.
- Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR): NIH now requires RCR training across all levels, including undergraduates supported by NIH grants. Plans are in place to ensure compliance through a combination of in-person and online options.
- Potential Federal Government Shutdown: Current grants are expected to continue, but communications with federal agencies could be disrupted. Grant submission deadlines will remain in effect, and investigators were advised to plan accordingly.
- Executive Order on Grant Oversight: Increased political oversight of federal grants may require closer alignment of proposal language with RFA expectations.
- Research Mixers: Six research mixers are planned for the year, beginning with an event featuring the UToledo Foundation.
Graduate Student Association (GSA) Report
Saad Andalib reported that:
- The first GSA General Assembly meeting of the year would take place the following day.
- Applications for research travel and conference reimbursement for AY 2025–26 are open.
- The annual MGRS event is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, at the Field House.
- Applications for GSA college representatives are open, with a submission deadline of September 22.
Curriculum & Membership Votes
International Graduate Admissions – English Proficiency
Scott Molitor and Andrew Mattison co-presented a proposal to expand accepted English proficiency options for international graduate admissions. The proposal adds the Cambridge English Scale as an approved test, noting its increased use internationally and alignment with existing IELTS requirements. The presenters explained the score equivalency methodology published by Cambridge and its consistency with current undergraduate and graduate admissions standards.
Motion: To accept a Cambridge English Scale score of 176 as meeting graduate English proficiency requirements.
Second: The motion was seconded.
Vote: Approved unanimously.
Committee Reports
Standing Committees
Michael Weintraub led a discussion on standing committee memberships:
- Committee rosters are being confirmed with chairs.
- Uncertainty remains regarding the status of the Academic Programs and Regulations Committee; Scott Molitor will review the bylaws and report back.
- Representation gaps remain for the College of Pharmacy and JHCASE; associate deans and deans are working to fill these positions.
- Merged colleges may invite additional representatives to participate in committee discussions; however, only one designated member may vote unless bylaws are amended.
- Kandace Williams was confirmed for the Graduate Student Affairs Committee.
Report of the Membership Committee
None.
Old Business
None.
New Business
No new business was brought forward.
Adjournment
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned by the Chair.