College of Graduate Studies

Graduate Council Meeting Minutes

November 26, 2024

Present:        Saad Andalib (GSA), Brian Ashburner, Tomer Avidor-Reiss Dan Boden, Qian Chen, Yue Zhang (for Mai Dao), Jim Ferris,
                       Bashar Gammoh, Rafael Garcia-Mata, David Giovannucci, Dan Hammel, Noela Haughton, Ed Janak, Ahmad Javaid,
                       Andrea Kalinoski, John Laux, Patrick Lawrence, Ling Na, Nagalakshmi Nadiminty, Megan Petra, Barbara Saltzman,
                       Youssef Sari, Angela Scardina, Beth Schlemper, Zahoor Shah, Snejana Slantcheva-Durst, Hossein Sojoudi, Kuo-hui Su,
                       Jerry Van Hoy, Eileen Walsh, Qiuying, Jianglong Zhu. 

Absent:         Marcelo Alvarado-Vargas, Ed Lingan, Patricia Relue, Varun Vaiyda, Kandace Williams. 

Excused:      Jennifer DeVries, Connie Schall.  

Guests:         COGS – Terri Green, Tara Hanna.  

 

Call to Order, Roll Call, and Approval of Minutes 
The meeting was called to order and roll called. 

Executive Reports  
Report of the Executive Committee of the Graduate Council 
On behalf of Graduate Council, Chair, Dr. Barbara Saltzman reported: 

• Meeting with Provost Molitor 
  No current report as meeting has been rescheduled to next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. 

• Graduate Recruitment Committee 
  Continues to meet regularly and is currently identifying best practices among our programs. 
  

Report of the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs 
Dr. Dan Hammel, Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs provided the following updates: 

• Commencement
  College split will include graduate and undergraduate candidates. 

     AM Ceremony | Saturday, December 14, 2024 | 9:00 am  
     Arts & Letters, Business & Innovation, Education, Law, Medicine & Life Sciences, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, and Pharmacy &
     Pharmaceutical Sciences  

     PM Ceremony | Saturday, December 14, 2024 | 1:00 pm  
     Engineering, Health & Human Services, Nursing, University College  

     The College of Graduate Studies seeks graduate faculty volunteers to serve as marshals and a reader for each of the ceremonies.
     Marshals escort doctoral students to their seats and carry the doctoral students’ banner. The reader will read graduates names in
     instances when they do not have a pre-determined card completed. Dr. John Laux volunteered to serve as a reader.   

• GRAD-uation Party! 
  Wednesday, December 11, 2024 l 11 am – 1 pm l Student Union Ingman Room 2024 
  Graduate students and their advisors are invited to attend COGS first Graduation Party. Pizza will be provided along with an opportunity to practice the doctoral hooding process. Additionally, videos on proper hooding will be projected in the Fetterman Center, where students are gathered, prior to the commencement ceremony. 

• 3MT Competition 
  COGS 7th Annual 3MT Competition was held November 21, 2024, provided an amazing professional development experience benefiting students to make their presentation, with an audience of ~100, boosting their confidence in presenting their research in this forum. A series of workshops were offered prior to the final competition. It was fun to watch, and students did a fantastic job.  Students may participate more than once during their graduate career.
  UToledo’s 2023-2024 winner, Emma Elizabeth Sabu Kattuman, Ph.D. Student, Molecular Medicine, MOME Track, placed 2nd in regional competition is participating nationally this year on December 7th at the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) annual meeting in St. Louis, MO.  MAGS includes 14 states and 60 institutions.  
  
  
• Graduate Recruitment Committee
  This committee, co-chaired by Dr. Dan Hammel and Dr. Barbara Kopp-Miller, is meeting regularly to identify best practices. Successful strategies will be shared. Some programs utilize recruitment approaches effectively maintaining interest and contact with the students until arrival and start of program. A survey for new graduate students will seek input regarding their matriculation/admissions/beginning weeks with campus.
  
  Dr. Hammel encouraged Council members to review their programs on UToledo’s Find Your Major or Program webpage https://www.utoledo.edu/programs/?filters+graduate.oncampus.online. The webpage and follow-up to inquiries is a primary way students access information on our programs, and it needs to work well. When more information is requested, the data is transferred to Slate.  

     Dr. Hammel encouraged Council members to review their programs on UToledo’s Find Your Major or Program webpage
     https://www.utoledo.edu/programs/?filters+graduate.oncampus.online. 

     The webpage and follow-up to inquiries is a primary way students access information on our programs, and it needs to work well.
     When more information is requested, the data is transferred to Slate.  

Report of the Vice President for Research 
Dr. Connie Schall, Interim Vice President was not present and did not have updates to report at this time. 

Report of the Graduate Student Association 
Saad Andalib, Vice President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) reported: 

• General Assembly (3rd) Meeting - Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 6:30 pm, WebEx 
  Attendees Present: 57 total   
• Midwest Graduate Research Symposium 2025
  - Theme will be “Community Engagement”  
  - Next MGRS committee meeting November 25, 2024.  
  - Sub-committees assigned.
  - Seeking a keynote speaker – please provide suggestions 
• GSA Committees 
  MGRS Committee, Travel and Conference Reimbursement & Budget Review Committee, Research and Development Committee, Social Events Committee, Constitution Review Committee, have been set up with introductory meetings occurring in the coming week and will meet at least once per month. 
  Dr. Hammel added that college contributions to X awards are welcomed. A contribution has been received for the Community Engagement Award  

Information and Discussion Items  
Nomination for the search committee to Vice President for Research position 
Dr. Jerry Van Hoy, Faculty Senate President, and Dr. Tomer Avidor-Reiss are chairing the search committee for the Vice President for Research position as both Dr. Frank Calzonetti, Vice President for Innovation and Economic Development and Dr. Connie Schall, Interim Vice President for Research will both retire following the current academic year. Faculty Senate, Graduate Council and Research Council have been asked to identify committee members, particularly faculty members with major awards but not excluding those with strong publishing and/or creative achievements. Those interested in serving should contact GC Chair, Dr. Barbara Saltzman, who will forward your name to the President’s Office.  

GC Standing Committees Update 
GC Vice Chair, Dr. Dan Boden reported on committees still requiring representatives from various colleges and sought volunteers. He will contact colleges seeking representatives as well.  

Standing Committee Reports 
Report of the Curriculum Committee 
Chair Saltzman presented the committee’s report. Motion to approve.  

The proposals listed below were reviewed by the members of the GCCC with recommendations to approve. [Council approved unanimously] 

14	NCP	HH	Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences	Internship Competency in Recreational Therapy	RCRT 5930
15	PCR	HH	Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences	Recreation and Leisure Studies, MA	HH-RLS-MA

The proposals listed below were approved by the members of the GCCC. 

11	CCR	EN	Environmental Sciences	Advanced Environmental Data Management and Visualization	EECS 5160
12	PIP	CE	Teacher Education	Curriculum and Instruction – Early Childhood Education Concentration	CE-CIEC-PHD
13	PIP	CE	Teacher Education	Educational Technology, ME	CE-EDT-ME

Report of the Membership Committee 
None.

Old Business 
Follow up from President Schroeder’s Visit with Graduate Council October 29, 2024 
Dan Hammel confirmed that loops were closed from items mention at the Graduate Council meeting on October 29, 2024.  

New Business 
Third Party Evaluation of International Transcripts 
Dr. Jianglong Zhu expressed concern on behalf of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry that the cost of obtaining third party evaluation for international transcripts will disadvantage many applicants.  

Dr. Dan Hammel responded that it is not presently a requirement and is being piloted in the colleges of Arts and Letters, Business and Innovation, and Medicine and Life Sciences. The topic will be discussed with Graduate Council and Associate Deans prior to implementation institution-wide. 

Adjournment 
There being no further business, the Council adjourned at 1:19 pm.