The Graduate Council
The Graduate Council is the primary all-University advisory body responsible for the development and review of Graduate School policy and the review of graduate curriculum. Here you can find a number of resources for graduate program development, including information about the Graduate Council and its procedures, various forms for proposing new or altered graduate programs, as well as the policies governing graduate programs at Montclair State University.
If you are planning to submit a graduate curriculum proposal, please take a look at some of the examples available on this website. These examples were selected by members of the Graduate Council because they are formatted in a way that makes them easier to read and review. They also contain all necessary information items required for proposal review.
About Us
Chair: Lisa Lieberman
Vice Chair: Valerie Sessa
The Graduate Council is the primary all-University advisory body responsible for the development and review of Graduate School policy and the review of graduate curriculum. The Graduate Council makes curriculum and policy recommendations to the Provost. These include review and recommendation about new graduate programs and revisions in existing graduate programs. The Graduate Council also recommends general graduate admission requirements and guidelines for admission to specific graduate programs. The Graduate Council also recommends guidelines for the admission of faculty to graduate faculty status.
Curriculum Committee
This committee reviews all new graduate program proposals and all proposed changes in existing graduate programs which do not have as their primary focus teacher education or professional education and makes recommendations to the Graduate Council for its action.
| Voting Members | Non-Voting Members |
| Helen Roberts, Chair (TGS) | Dean Scott Herness (Graduate School) |
| Lisa Lieberman, GC Chair (CEHS)* | Dean Judith Lin Hunt, Library |
| Anna Feldman (CHSS) | Registrar |
| Jorge Lorenzo Trueba (TGS) | Barbara Ritola (Academic Affairs) |
| Lori McCann (CART) | Associate Dean Nelly Lejter-Morales (Graduate School) |
| Vidya Atal (SBUS) | Bryan Moschel (Graduate School) |
| Svetlana Shpiegel (CHSS) | |
| Student Representatives (3) |
*Non-voting committee members (Chair and Vice-Chair vote in full council only)
Policy Committee
This committee reviews all questions of graduate policy and makes recommendations to the Graduate Council for its action.
| Voting Members | Non-Voting Members |
| Yi Luo, Chair (CART) | Chair, Lisa Lieberman (Graduate Council) |
| Valerie Sessa (GC Secretary CHSS) | Dean Judith Lin Hunt, Library |
| Michele Fisher (CEHS) | (Registrar) |
| Jason Dickinson (CHSS) | Barbara Ritola (Academic Affairs) |
| Rashmi Jain (SBUS) | Associate Dean Nelly Lejter-Morales (Graduate School) |
| Katherine Herbert (CSAM) | Bryan Moschel (Graduate School) |
| Elizabeth Rivera-Rodas (CEHS) | |
| Christopher Donogue (TGS) | |
| Reva Jaffe-Walter (CEHS) | |
| Student Representatives (2) |
Doctoral Committee
For AY 2019-2020, this is an ad hoc committee, which will include volunteers from above committees. Depending on bylaws changes, this may become a standing committee with separate membership.
Ex officio members and regular non-member attendees
Scott Herness, Vice Provost for Research and Dean of The Graduate School
Nelly Lejter-Morales, Associate Dean, Graduate School
Bryan Moschel, Director of Admissions and Operations, Graduate School
Yune Tran, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, CEHS
Leslie Wilson, Interim Associate Dean, CHSS
Stefanie Brachfeld, Acting Associate Dean, CSAM
Ronald Sharps, Associate Dean, CART
Janice Smolowitz, Dean, NURS
Nicole Koppel, representing FSBUS Dean
Elizabeth Rosini, Associate Dean, FSBUS
Jonida Dervishi, Assistant Director of MBA Program, FSBUS
Judith Lin Hunt, Dean, Library Services
Jennifer Robinson, Director Center of Pedagogy
Dana Levitt, Chair, IRB
Greg Pope, AFT Representative
Joanne Cote-Bonanno, Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Assessment
Barbara Ritola, Curriculum and Instruction, Academic Affairs
Leslie Sutton-Smith, Registrar
Associate Registrar or Other Representative (TBD)
Rebecca Newton, Graduate School
Graduate Council Voting Membership – AY 2018-2019
Elected Faculty Members: Two year terms (Sept 1 – Aug 31)
Graduate School Appointees and Students: One year terms
College of Education and Human Services (4)
| Elizabeth Rivera-Rodas (Educational Foundations) | 2018-2020 |
| Michele Fisher (Exercise Science/Physical Education) | 2018-2020 |
| Lisa Lieberman (Public Health) | 2019-2021 |
| Reva Jaffe-Walter (Counseling and Educational Leadership) | 2019-2021 |
| Student: TBD | 2018-2019 |
College of Humanities and Social Sciences (4)
| Anna Feldman (Linguistics) | 2018-2020 |
| Valerie Sessa (Psychology) | 2018-2020 |
| Svetlana Shpiegel (Child Advocacy) | 2019-2021 |
| Jason Dickinson (Psychology) | 2018-2020 |
| Student: TBD | 2018-2019 |
College of Science and Mathematics (2)
| Katherine Herbert (Computer Science) | 2018-2020 |
| Student: Kelly Zimmerman (Environmental Science and Management PhD) | 2018-2019 |
College of the Arts (2)
| Yi Luo (Communications and Media) | 2019-2021 |
| Lori McCann (Music) (Alternate) | 2018-2020 |
| Student: TBD | 2018-2019 |
School of Business
| Rashmi Jain (Information Management and Business Analytics) | 2019-2021 |
| Vidya Atal (Economics) | 2019-2021 |
| Student: TBD | 2018-2019 |
The Graduate School
| Jorge Lorenzo Trueba (Earth and Environmental Studies) | 2019-2020 |
| Christopher Donoghue (Sociology) | 2019-2020 |
| Helen Roberts (Mathematical Sciences) | 2019-2020 |