This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom. The link and password to join the meeting may be found via the meeting’s email notice.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Chair Mike Zryd

Consultation on Senate Advisory Statement to the Presidential Search Committee (.pdf)

2. Minutes (Previous Meeting May 7, 2026) (.docx)

3. Business Arising from the Minutes

4. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

5. Changes to Faculty Regulations:  Graduate Supervision, and Policy on Appointments to the Faculty of Graduate Studies

For approval
Dean Alice MacLachlan
Proposal (.docx)

6. Changes to Faculty Regulations:  Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Milestone

For approval
Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
Proposal (.docx)

7. Standing Committee Reports

For discussion

Academic Planning & Policy Committee (.docx)
Appeals & Academic Honesty Committee (.odt)
Awards Committee (.docx)
Nominating Committee (.pdf)
Petitions Committee (.docx)

8. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

9. Other Business

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This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom. The link and password to join the meeting may be found via the meeting’s email notice.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Chair Mike Zryd

2. Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Faculty Teaching Award

Presentation
2025-2026:
Professor Mary Goitom, Graduate Programs in Development Studies, and Social Work

3. Minutes (Previous Meeting April 2, 2026) (.docx)

4. Business Arising from the Minutes

5. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

6. Changes to Faculty Regulations:  Graduate Supervision, and Policy on Appointments to the Faculty of Graduate Studies

For discussion
Associate Dean Academic, Cheryl van Daalen-Smith
Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs, Wes Moir
Proposal (.docx)

7. Summer Authority

For approval
Motion: “that all items that need Council approval be delegated to the FGS Academic Planning & Policy Committee after the last meeting of Council in this academic year and until the first meeting of Council in the next academic year.”

8. Report of the Nominating Committee

For information
Associate Dean Academic, Cheryl van Daalen-Smith
Report (.pdf)

9. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

10. Student Electronic Communication Policy

For information
Associate Dean Students Tokunbo Ojo
Policy (.pdf)

11. Senate Synopses

Summaries of Senate meetings of March 26 and April 23, 2026 (URL, .pdf)

12. Other Business

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Awards Committee

Gordon Fitch, Graduate Program in Biology
Dr. Gordon Fitch is, since 2023, Assistant Professor of Pollination Ecology in the Biology Department and an executive member of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation. His research addresses the role of environmental stressors, particularly urbanization, disease, and agricultural intensification, in structuring interactions between plants and pollinating insects, particularly bees. His lab integrates community ecology, chemical ecology, and physiology, using a combination of field work, mesocosm and greenhouse experiments, and lab studies. He teaches undergraduate courses in Population Ecology and Community Ecology, with an emphasis on data analysis and critical thinking. At the graduate level, he has taught the seminars Critical Skills in Ecology and Evolution and Current Topics in Ecology and Evolution. Gordon is currently supervising four MSc students, three of which will graduate this year. His mentorship emphasizes career stage-appropriate development of independence as a researcher and a strong professional network both within and beyond academia. Gordon received his PhD from the University of Michigan, and was a US National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Prior to becoming an ecologist, Gordon worked as an environmental educator and high school science teacher, and he is committed to public engagement, advocacy and activism that promotes the equitable flourishing of ecological and human diversity.

Divya Sharma, Graduate Programs in Health, and Mathematics & Statistics
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at 91��ɫ, with cross-appointments at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and as a Scientist at the University Health Network (UHN). I lead the , where my research focuses on interpretable deep learning and multimodal AI for complex healthcare data. My work has been published in journals including Nature Communications and The Lancet Digital Health and supported through more than $4 million in competitive funding from CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC as PI or co-PI. I was honoured to receive the 2025 Petro-Canada Emerging Innovator Award at 91��ɫ.

In addition, I regularly provide consultations across UHN clinical teams on machine learning/ statistics and am a founding member of the Bias in AI and Oncology initiative at UHN. I am also affiliated with Connected Minds, the Centre for AI and Society, and the Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Public Health Advancement (AIPHA) at 91��ɫ. I serve as an adjudicator for national funding competitions including CIHR and NFRF and participate in Knowledge Mobilization Grants adjudication within Connected Minds, as well as tenure adjudication in my department at 91��ɫ. I have experience mentoring graduate students across 91��ɫ and the University of Toronto across multiple disciplines. Through these roles, I have developed a strong appreciation for evaluating excellence across diverse disciplines and forms of scholarship. I would be pleased to contribute these perspectives to the FGS Awards Committee. 

James Simeon, Graduate Program in Public Policy, Administration & Law
Dr. James C. Simeon is a Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA), Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, and a former Head of McLaughlin College, Director of the SPPA, and a former Acting Director and Deputy Director at the Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS), at 91��ɫ, Toronto, Canada. James serves currently as the Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS). He is also a past-President of CARFMS, a member of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC). James’s areas of research include international refugee law, international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and public policy and administration and he has published widely in these areas. He is on the Editorial Board of the online journal Laws. And he is a graduate of King’s College and a life member of Clare Hall, at the University of Cambridge.

Prior to joining the faculty at 91��ɫ, James served as the first Executive Director of the International Association of Refugee Law Judges, now the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ). He is currently an Associate Member of the IARMJ and serves as the Coordinator of its Inter-Conference Working Party Process. He is also one of the founding members of the IARMJ Americas Chapter.

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N.B.: This meeting will be held in person.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Chair Mike Zryd

2. Supporting Indigenous Graduate Students

Presentation
Gaswéñdah – A Framework for Graduate Supervision with Indigenous Graduate Students (.pdf)
Dr. Ruth Green

3. Minutes (Minutes of Previous Meeting March 5, 2026) (.docx)

4. Business Arising from the Minutes

5. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

6. Changes to Faculty Regulations: Leave to Appeal

For approval
Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
Motion (.docx)

7. Changes to Faculty Regulations: Oral Examination Guidelines and Reporting of Results

For approval
Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
Motion (.docx) New file as amended at the meeting

8. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

9. Senate Synopsis

Summary of Senate meeting of February 26, 2026 (URL, .pdf)

10. Other Business

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This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom. The link and password to join the meeting may be found via the meeting’s email notice.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Chair Mike Zryd

2. Division of Equity, People and Culture

Presentation (.pdf)
Parissa Safai, Vice-President Equity, People & Culture

3. Launch of the Graduate Student Certificate in Decolonization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEDIA)

Presentation
Guests: Dalia El Farra, Advisor, Education & Communications, and Oliver Martin, Director Workplace Restoration & Culture, Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion

4. Minutes (Minutes of Previous Meeting February 5, 2026) (.docx)

5. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

6. The Graduate Supervision Capacity-Building Professional Development Fund

Associate Dean Academic Cheryl van Daalen-Smith
Supervision toolkit capacity-building fund (URL, pdf)

7. Changes to Faculty Regulations: Leave to Appeal

For discussion
Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
Motion (.docx)

8. University Academic Plan

For discussion
Presentation (.pptx)
Dean Alice MacLachlan
University Academic Plan 2025-2030 Consultations (URL, pdf)

9. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

10. Other Business

The post Council Meeting Agenda March 5, 2026 appeared first on Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS).

This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom. The link and password to join the meeting may be found via the meeting’s email notice.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Chair Mike Zryd

2. Mitacs Programming for the Graduate Community

Presentation (.pptx)
Guest: Rachel Sung, Mitacs Specialist/Business Development Specialist, VISTA/Innovation 91��ɫ
(���鳢);�� (URL)

3. Minutes (Previous Meeting, December 4, 2025) (.docx)

4. Business Arising from the Minutes

5. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

6. Osgoode Professional Development: Exemptions from Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Regulations

Meghan Thomas, Director, International and Professional Graduate Programs

For approval

Osgoode Professional Graduate Programs exemption from FGS Regulations and new Osgoode Professional Graduate Regulations (.docx)
Draft Professional Graduate Regulations – Comparison Chart (.docx)

7. Changes to Faculty Regulations: Applicability

Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir

For approval

Motion (.docx)

8. Update to Faculty Regulations: Change of Program/Change Within a Program

Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir

For approval

Motion (.docx)

9. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
YU-card FAQ for Faculty and Staff Fall 2025 (.pdf)

Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

10. Senate Synopses

Summaries of meetings of November 27 and December 11, 2025, and January 22, 2026 (URL/.pdf)

11. Other Business

The post Council Meeting Agenda February 5, 2026 appeared first on Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS).

This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom. The link and password to join the meeting may be found via the meeting’s email notice. Please note this year's new meeting start time.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Welcome and Chair’s Remarks
Acting Chair Arash Habibi Lashkari

2. Postdoctoral Supervisor of the Year Award (URL)

Presentation

3. Minutes (Previous Meeting, November 6, 2025) (.docx)

4. Business Arising from the Minutes

5. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

6. Supervisory Hub Update

Associate Dean Academic Cheryl van Daalen-Smith
For discussion
Graduate Supervision Handbook - 91��ɫ (.pdf)
Graduate Supervision Resources Hub Update (.docx)

7. University Academic Plan

For discussion
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Reference (.pdf)

8. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

9. Other Business

The post Council Meeting Agenda December 4, 2025 appeared first on Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS).

This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom. The link and password to join the meeting may be found via the meeting’s email notice. Please note this year's new meeting start time.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Chair Mike Zryd

2. Minutes (Previous Meeting, October 2, 2025) (.docx)

3. Business Arising from the Minutes

4. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

5. Update to Faculty Regulations: Thesis & Dissertation, Oral Examination

Approved by the Academic Planning & Policy Committee on October 8, 2025
Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
For approval
Motion (.docx)

6. Update to Faculty Regulations: Transfers Across Program Levels

Approved by the Academic Planning & Policy Committee on October 8, 2025
Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
For approval
Motion (.docx)

7. Proposed New Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property and Graduate Education ~ Dispute Resolution 

Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
For discussion and approval in principle

Motion (.docx)

8. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

9. Senate Synopses

For information

Summaries of the Senate meetings of September 25, 2025 and October 23, 2025 (URL/pdf)

10. Other Business

The post Council Meeting Agenda November 6, 2025 appeared first on Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS).

This meeting will be held in person. Also, please note Council's new start time.

1. Welcome and Chair’s Remarks

Chair Mike Zryd

2. Orientation

Associate Dean Academic Cheryl van Daalen-Smith

3. Minutes (Previous Meeting, June 5, 2025) (.docx)

4. Business Arising from the Minutes

Report on Academic Planning & Policy Committee summer authority for Faculty Council

For information

Criteria and Procedures for Appointments and Reappointments to Graduate Programs
Graduate Program in Social & Political Thought

5. Dean's Remarks

Dean Alice MacLachlan

6. YU Ethics Review – Introducing the New Online Ethics Review System

Presentation

Guest: Alison Collins, Director, Office of Research Ethics

7. Update to Faculty Regulations: Transfers Across Program Levels

Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs Wes Moir
For discussion
Motion (.docx)

8. Reports from Faculty of Graduate Studies' Representatives to Senate Committees

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith, Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee
Anne MacLennan, Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee
Naomi Couto, Senate Executive Committee

9. Senate Synopses

For information

Summaries of the Senate meetings of February 27, March 27, April 17 (agenda) April 24, May 22, and June 26, 2025 (URL/pdf)

10. Other Business

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Stanley Ebhohimhen Abhadiomhen
I am Stanley Ebhohimhen Abhadiomhen, a Postdoctoral Visitor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. My research focuses on advancing digital health and fostering equitable AI, especially for underserved populations.

My motivation to serve on the Faculty Council stems from my leadership experience and long-standing commitment to advocacy. Notably, during my undergraduate studies, I served as the departmental representative in the student parliament and later as student union leader. These roles gave me firsthand experience advocating for student interests, collaborating across diverse groups, and participating in governance processes. Before starting my postdoctoral work, I was also actively involved in departmental committees in the Department of Computer at the University of Nigeria, where I contributed to initiatives aimed at enhancing research visibility and fostering collaboration within the department. At 91��ɫ, I have served as a member of the Connected Minds Graduate Scholarship adjudication committee, gaining experience in collaborative decision-making and ensuring deserving candidates receive fair consideration.

These experiences position me to serve as a Postdoctoral Representative on Faculty Council, where I can advocate for the perspectives of postdoctoral researchers and support initiatives that promote academic excellence and inclusivity. I am committed to bringing a collaborative and solutions-oriented approach to ensure postdoctoral researchers have the support, opportunities, and representation they need to succeed and contribute meaningfully to the 91��ɫU community.

Farhana Chowdhury
As a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Civil Engineering at 91��ɫ, I bring over seven years of experience in interdisciplinary research, project management, and graduate-level academic engagement. I hold a PhD in Civil Engineering with a focus on geoenvironmental engineering and hydrogeology, and my current research centers on reactive transport modeling in bentonite for long-term nuclear waste management—a critical issue for Canada’s environmental and energy future.

Throughout my academic career, I have been actively involved in student mentoring, collaborative research projects, and technical communication. I am deeply committed to the academic and professional growth of graduate students and early-career researchers and believe in the value of creating supportive, transparent, and inclusive academic environments.

Serving on the Faculty of Graduate Studies Council presents a meaningful opportunity to contribute to institutional decision-making, particularly from the perspective of postdoctoral researchers. I am passionate about strengthening policies related to research training, equity in professional development opportunities, and enhancing the visibility of postdoctoral contributions within the university community.

I view this role not only as a platform to represent my peers but also as a chance to help shape a more collaborative and forward-thinking academic landscape at 91��ɫ. I would be honored to serve and bring a thoughtful, research-informed, and community-minded perspective to the Council.

Kaitlin Di Pierdomenico
Dr. Kaitlin Di Pierdomenico is a Postdoctoral Visitor in the Department of Psychology at 91��ɫ and with DIVERT Mental Health. Her research examines how mental health systems are shaped by policy, funding, and service design, with a focus on improving access to care and addressing gaps between policy goals and everyday practice. She draws on perspectives from Mad activism and critical psychiatry to question dominant models and bring attention to structural barriers in the system.    Kaitlin is the lead author of a systematic review on digital mental health programs for children and youth. She is committed to improving how mental health supports — whether digital or in-person — meet the needs of different communities.    She is interested in serving on the Faculty Council of Graduate Studies to support policies that reflect the realities students face. With experience in interdisciplinary research, community partnerships, and academic governance, Kaitlin hopes to contribute to decisions that strengthen graduate education and create space for a wider range of voices in academic planning and policy.

Dilli Prasad Sharma
With over four years of postdoctoral research experience in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications at reputed universities in Canada, I bring a strong academic and interdisciplinary background to the Faculty Council. My experience spans teaching, research collaboration, curriculum development, and mentoring, providing me with a comprehensive understanding of both faculty and student needs. I am committed to contributing to evidence-based, inclusive decision-making that promotes academic excellence and innovation.

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