Graduate Council Minutes: April 28, 2026
Graduate Council Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2026
Location: Virtual (Teams)
PART I 鈥� FINAL MEETING OF THE 2025鈥�2026 COUNCIL
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chair Dr. Dan Boden, who welcomed members and confirmed a quorum.
Roll Call
Members Present: Saad Andalib, Dan Boden, Scott Crawley, Mai Dao, Jennifer DeVries, Brian Fink, Bashar Gammoh, David Giovannucci, Dawn Goldstein, Daniel Hammel, Tyler Hancock, Andrea Kalinoski, Kristen Keith, Tammy Kinsey, Barbara Kopp Miller, Minxuan Lan (for Beth Schlemper), John Laux, Glenn Lipscomb, Scott Molitor, Nagalakshmi Nadiminty, Megan Petra, Erin Prestwich, Jeanine Refsnider-Streby, Patricia Relue, Srinivas Saladi, Zahoor Shah, Snejana Slantcheva-Durst, Kuo-hui Su, Varun Vaidya, Jerry Van Hoy, Michael Weintraub, Kandace Williams, Qiuying Zhao.
Guests Present: Teri Green, Tara Hanna, Yasmeen Hamdah, Dorcaslove Quartey, Whitney Valencia.
Excused: Brian Ashburner, Grace Bochenek, Ed Janak, Hossein Sojoudi, Eileen Walsh
Absent: Qian Chen
Approval of Minutes
A motion to approve the April 14, 2026, meeting minutes was made by Mike Weintraub and seconded by Andrea Kalinoski. The motion was approved via chat vote.
Presentations & Discussion Items
Executive Committee Report
Dr. Boden reported no new business but introduced resolutions recognizing Graduate Student Association (GSA) leadership and the Midwest Graduate Research Symposium (MGRS) Planning Committee.
GSA Resolutions & Recognition
Yasmeen Hamdah presented resolutions recognizing:
- Saad Andalib (President)
- Md Faisal Karim (Secretary/Vice President)
- Rima Awad (Vice President)
- Justin Rose (Treasurer)
- Midwest Graduate Research Symposium Planning Committee
A motion to approve all resolutions as a package was made by Dr. Boden, seconded by Scott Crawley, and approved via chat vote.
Graduate Council Acknowledgements
Dr. Scott Molitor provided a comprehensive year-end summary, highlighting the extensive work of Graduate Council committees. He noted key contributions from the Student Affairs Committee (Graduate Student Association Research Awards), Programs and Regulations Committee (GPA recalculation policy), Academic Standing Committee (student grievance review), Fellowships and Scholarships Committee (awarding institutional funding), and the Bylaws Committee (review of membership classification structures, including lecturer, research, and non-tenure track faculty categories).
He also recognized the Graduate Faculty Membership and Curriculum Committees for their continued efficiency in reviewing proposals. It was noted that Dr. Tim Mueser will be stepping down as Chair of the Graduate Curriculum Committee, and appreciation was expressed for his years of leadership.
Dr. Molitor concluded by thanking Graduate Council members for their service and acknowledging the support of College of Graduate Studies staff, including Tara, Teri, Whitney, and Yasmeen, during a year of transition and process improvement.
Vice President for Research Report
No new updates were presented. Members were invited to direct any questions to Dr. F. Scott Hall.
Graduate Student Association Report
Presented by Yasmeen Hamdah on behalf of Saad Andalib:
Yasmeen announced the newly elected 2026鈥�2027 GSA Executive Board:
- President: Dorcaslove Quartey
- Vice President: Aishwarya Gavar
- Treasurer: Sadia Rahman-Busra
- Secretary: Jessica Bienue
She also provided a summary of the Midwest Graduate Research Symposium (MGRS), noting:
- Over 80 presenters from more than 9 universities
- Participation from over 50 GSA members
- Strong support from Graduate Council members serving as judges
The event was described as highly successful, and planning is already underway for the 2027 symposium.
Committee Reports
Report of the Membership Committee
Dr. Scott Molitor presented the report on behalf of the committee:
- 31 Graduate Faculty Membership applications were reviewed
- A new triage process improved efficiency in application review
- A clarification was identified regarding membership categories:
- Adjunct status applies to individuals from academic institutions
- Special status applies to individuals from industry or non-academic settings
- A small number of applications remain pending final signatures, though all have been approved by the committee
The report was approved via chat vote.
Report of the Curriculum Committee
Dr. Scott Molitor presented the Curriculum Committee report:
Program Changes (Approved):
- Addition of a General Dentistry concentration to the MSBS in Oral Biology
- Restructuring of the Psychology PhD program into Clinical and Experimental concentrations
- Updates to the MPA program, including integration of experiential learning into the capstone
- Addition of bachelor鈥檚-to-master鈥檚 pipelines in:
- Cybersecurity (EN)
- Bioinformatics (COMLS)
- Cosmetic Science (PH)
- Updates to Molecular Medicine PhD coursework
Course Changes (Approved):
- New courses:
- CI 6730 (Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction)
- SOC 5850 (Public and Applied Sociology)
- Updates across multiple disciplines (Anthropology, Disability Studies, Speech-Language Pathology, Sociology, Special Education) to align with CIM requirements and ensure inclusion of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
The Curriculum Committee report was approved via chat vote.
Curriculum & Membership Votes
- Graduate Faculty Membership Committee Report: Approved
- Graduate Curriculum Committee Report: Approved
- GSA & MGRS Resolutions Package: Approved
Old Business
None.
New Business
Adjournment of 2025鈥�2026 Academic Year
Dr. Dan Boden adjourned the final meeting of the 2025鈥�2026 academic year.
PART II 鈥� FIRST MEETING OF THE 2026鈥�2027 COUNCIL
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Call to Order
Dr. Mike Weintraub called the first meeting of the 2026鈥�2027 academic year to order. Prior to roll call, outgoing Graduate Council members were formally excused and thanked for their service. Membership transitions for the new academic year were acknowledged, including ongoing vacancies in the Colleges of Engineering and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Roll Call
Members Present: Dan Boden, Scott Crawley, Jennifer DeVries, Brian Fink, Bashar Gammoh, Benjamin George, David Giovannucci, Dawn Goldstein, Tyler Hancock, Andrea Kalinoski, Joey Kim, Malathi Krishnamurthy, Kristen Keith, Tammy Kinsey, Barbara Kopp Miller, Minxuan Lan (for Daniel Hammel), John Laux, Glenn Lipscomb, Scott Molitor, Nagalakshmi Nadiminty, Leslie Neyland-Brown, Erin Prestwich, Jeanine Refsnider-Streby, Patricia Relue, Srinivas Saladi, Zahoor Shah, Snejana Slantcheva-Durst, Jerry Van Hoy, Michael Weintraub, Kandace Williams, Qiuying Zhao.
Guests Present: Teri Green, Tara Hanna, Yasmeen Hamdah, Dorcaslove Quartey, Whitney Valencia.
Excused: Saad Andalib, Brian Ashburner, Grace Bochenek, Ed Janak, Eileen Walsh
It was noted that Saad Andalib has completed his term, and Dorcaslove Quartey will assume the role of Graduate Student Association representative.
Presentations & Discussion Items
Resolution Recognizing Outgoing Chair
Dr. Mike Weintraub presented a resolution honoring Dr. Dan Boden for his service as Chair of the Graduate Council during the 2025鈥�2026 academic year. The resolution was read into the record as follows:
Whereas Dr. Dan Boden has served the University of Toledo with distinction as Chair of the Graduate Council for the 2025鈥�2026 academic year; and
Whereas Dr. Dan Boden has provided thoughtful leadership and guidance to the Graduate Council, fostering productive discussion, collaboration, and shared governance across graduate programs; and
Whereas Dr. Dan Boden has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting graduate education, advancing academic policies, and advocating for the success of graduate students and faculty.
Therefore, be it resolved that the University of Toledo Graduate Council extends its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Dan Boden for his dedicated service and contributions during his tenure as Chair of the Graduate Council.
A framed and signed certificate will be presented to Dr. Dan Boden in recognition of his service.
Elections
Vice Chair
Elections were conducted for Executive Committee positions for the 2026鈥�2027 academic year. Nominations were presented by the Executive Committee, with an additional nomination for Andrea Kalinoski, who declined. Nominations were closed.
Election Results
|
Position |
Elected Individual |
|
Chair (Ascending) |
Dr. Mike Weintraub |
|
Vice Chair |
Srinivas Saladi |
|
Executive Committee 鈥� At-Large Seat 1 (HSC) |
Brian Fink |
|
Executive Committee 鈥� At-Large Seat 2 (Main Campus) |
Scott Crawley |
|
Executive Committee 鈥� At-Large Seat 3 (Either Campus) |
Dawn Goldstein |
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Note: Campus representation requirements were reviewed and confirmed as satisfied.
Announcements
New Executive Committee members will be granted access to the Graduate Council shared drive. They were encouraged to review the current file structure and provide feedback on improving organization and transparency. This was identified as a summer initiative in collaboration with COGS staff.
Adjournment
With no further business, a motion to adjourn was made and seconded. The meeting was adjourned.
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