Graduate Council Meeting Minutes: October 28, 2025
Graduate Council Meeting Minutes
October 28, 2025
Location: Virtual (Teams)
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chair Dan Boden. A quorum was confirmed.
Roll Call
Members Present:
Saad Andalib; Brian Ashburner; Dan Boden; Mai Dao; Jennifer DeVries; Brian Fink; Bashar
Gammoh; David Giovannucci; Dawn Goldstein; F. Scott Hall; Beth Schlemper (for Dan
Hammel); Tyler Hancock; Edward Janak; Michael Morran (for Andrea Kalinoski); Kristen
Keith; Barbara Kopp Miller; John Laux; Glenn Lipscomb; Scott Molitor; Nagalakshmi
Nadiminty; Megan Petra; Erin Prestwich; Jeanine Refsnider-Streby; Patricia Relue;
Srinivas Saladi; Zahoor Shah; Snejana Slantcheva-Durst; Hossein Sojoudi; Kuo-Hui Su;
Varun Vaidya; Michael Weintraub; Kandace Williams; Qiuying Zhao.
Guests Present:
Teri Green; Tara Hanna; Nicole Harris (Athletics); President James Holloway; Provost
Mitchell McKinney.
Excused:
Qian Chen; Scott Crawley; Andrea Kalinoski.
Absent:
Janice Servick.
Approval of Minutes
Approval of prior minutes was deferred.
Presentations & Discussion Items
Operation Midweek – University Promotion
Nicole Harris, Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer, presented Operation Midweek, a university-wide initiative promoting the November 5 football game, which will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
- The event was described as an opportunity to highlight the University of Toledo and the Toledo community to a national audience.
- Faculty and staff were encouraged to attend and participate.
- Complimentary tickets were made available to faculty and staff, with encouragement to broadly share the promotion to maximize attendance.
- Emphasis was placed on campus and community engagement to ensure strong representation during the broadcast.
Curriculum Committee Report
Dan Boden presented the Curriculum Committee report, which had been distributed in advance.
Proposals Presented:
- Three course changes
- One from Biomedical Science
- Two from Teacher Education
- One program change from Secondary Education
Action Taken:
- Motion: Michael Morran
- Second: Don Goldstein
- With no discussion, a vote was conducted via the group chat.
- Outcome: Unanimous approval with quorum present.
Report of the Membership Committee
None.
Executive Committee / COGS Report
Scott Molitor, Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, provided updates on several initiatives:
- Graduate Programs Fair:
- The recent Graduate Programs Fair held in the Carlson Library was reported as successful.
- Attendance data and downstream application and enrollment outcomes will be reviewed.
- Planning is underway for a similar fair at the Health Science Campus in the spring, with attention to both students and staff interested in tuition-waiver opportunities.
- Graduate Faculty Membership:
- Progress is being made to clear the backlog of graduate faculty applications in collaboration with the Membership Committee.
- Faculty whose terms expire on November 1 will be permitted to continue serving through the end of December to ensure continuity for teaching and committee responsibilities.
- Potential adjustments to the graduate faculty membership cycle (e.g., June/December) will be explored.
- Staffing and Operations:
- A position posting has been finalized to replace Terri Hayes, with interim support planned to stabilize graduate faculty and council processes.
- Upcoming Meetings and Initiatives:
- A program directors’ meeting is scheduled for early November.
- A Graduate Faculty meeting will be held in the spring, as required by the bylaws, to discuss plans for the coming year and contemporary issues in graduate education, including legislation, artificial intelligence, and pipeline programs.
- Website updates are underway, including solicitation of graduate student success stories.
Research & Sponsored Programs Report
Scott Hall provided a comprehensive update on research activity and federal policy developments:
- Research Awards and Submissions:
- September award totals were nearly on par with the previous year.
- Grant submissions increased, reflecting heightened concern about future funding availability.
- Distribution of awards across colleges remains consistent.
- Federal Policy and Visa Issues:
- Updates were shared regarding H-1B visa fee requirements, including exemptions for recent U.S. graduates and existing H-1B holders.
- Uncertainty remains regarding applicability to foreign postdoctoral fellows and faculty.
- Federal Government Shutdown:
- Current grants and submission systems remain operational, though communication with federal agencies is unavailable.
- Potential impacts on cash flow, review cycles, and subawards were discussed, with contingency planning underway.
- Grant Submission Requirements:
- Faculty were reminded of internal timelines, particularly for proposals involving subawards or new sponsors.
- Several late submissions had been declined due to insufficient lead time.
- New Award Terms and Compliance:
- Emerging requirements include sponsor approval for media statements, enhanced security and export-control provisions, and restrictions on logo use.
- Faculty and research personnel were strongly encouraged to review award terms carefully.
- The university is in the process of hiring an export control officer to support compliance efforts.
University Vision and Strategic Initiatives
President James Holloway and Provost Mitchell McKinney addressed the Council and engaged in extended discussion.
- Institutional Vision:
- The University of Toledo was described as a metropolitan research university focused on the professional success of its learners.
- Strategic Initiatives Introduced:
- Toledo Advantage: Ensuring every undergraduate completes a meaningful professional experience prior to graduation.
- Innovate Toledo: Investing in regionally inspired, cross-disciplinary research to expand external funding and innovation capacity.
- Healthy Toledo: Addressing regional health challenges through research, clinical services, workforce development, and community engagement.
- Graduate Education Discussion:
- Council members discussed interdisciplinary pipelines, 4+1 and 3+3 pathways, online and applied master’s programs, international enrollment challenges, funding models, and flexibility for working and non-traditional students.
- Emphasis was placed on reducing administrative barriers, supporting working professionals, and aligning graduate education with workforce and regional needs.
Announcements
Due to the Veterans Day holiday, the next full Graduate Council meeting will be held on November 25, 2025.
Old Business
None.
New Business
None.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned.