I.  Purpose

The purpose of the Medieval Studies Program is to foster the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural study of the archaeology, art, history, languages, literature, philosophy, and religion of Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and East Asia from approximately the fourth through the fifteenth centuries C.E., by sponsoring activities such as seminars, conferences, symposia, and lectures, visiting scholars, and exchange and outreach programs, and by offering an undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies Major in Medieval Studies, an undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies Minor in Medieval Studies, and a graduate Concentration in Medieval Studies.

II.  Participating Departments and Programs

Participating Departments and Programs are, in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Classics, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Cultures, English, French & Italian, Germanic Languages and Literatures, History, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish & Portuguese, and Speech Communications; in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, Architectural History, Art History, Landscape Architecture, and Music; the School of Information Sciences, and the University Library; and any that may subsequently agree to participate in the Program.  Participation in the Program is conveyed by a Departmental or Program EO’s approval for one or more faculty members in that unit to have a 0% appointment in Medieval Studies.  A Department or Program may withdraw from participation with written notice to the Program Director and to the Deans of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Fine and Applied Arts, and the Graduate College one year in advance.

III.  Faculty Membership

Program Faculty are appointed from the faculty of participating Departments by the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or the Dean of Fine and Applied Arts on the recommendation of the Program Director and with the consent of the Executive Officer of the faculty member’s home department.  All non-emeritus members of the Program Faculty have voting rights in electing the Advisory Committee (see Section VI), in voting on and amending the Bylaws (see Section VIII), and in any other matters that may be put to a vote of the Program Faculty.

IV.  Graduate Student Membership

Any graduate student whose written application to work towards earning the Concentration in Medieval Studies has been approved by the Director is a member of the Program and is eligible to serve on the Program Advisory Committee, to vote for the graduate student representative on the Advisory Committee (see Section VI), and to apply for continuing fellowship support from the Program.  Graduate students who have not applied to work towards the Concentration may become members of the Program with consent of the Director, but will not be eligible to serve on the Advisory Committee, to vote for its graduate student representative, or to apply for continuing fellowship support.

V.  Administration

The Director is appointed by the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for a three-year term.  In consultation with the Advisory Committee (Section V), the Director is responsible for administering the undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies Major Medieval Civilization and Interdisciplinary Studies Minor in Medieval Studies, and the graduate Concentration in Medieval Studies; coordinating advising of undergraduate and graduate students; reviewing applications for graduate fellowships; coordinating course offerings at both undergraduate and graduate levels; managing the Program’s budget and activities, including conferences, speakers, visiting scholars, and outreach and exchange programs; consulting with the Deans of LAS and FAA, Executive Officers of participating Departments, and the Medieval Studies librarian on matters of concern to the Program; calling and scheduling meetings with the Advisory Committee (Section VI) and with participating faculty (Section VII); administering annual elections to the Advisory Committee; maintaining and updating the Program’s website; and disseminating information about Program activities and courses.

VI.  Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee will consist of five members:  three faculty members elected by the Program faculty, one faculty member appointed by the Director, and one graduate student member elected from among and by graduate students in the Program whose written application to work towards earning the Concentration in Medieval Studies has been accepted by the Director (see Section IV.)  In appointing faculty members to the Advisory Committee, the Director will strive, to the extent possible and practical, to ensure that the Committee is broadly representative of the Program faculty as a whole in terms of College and Departmental membership, field, and rank.  Faculty terms will be for two years and staggered; the graduate student term will be for one year.  No member may serve more than two terms consecutively.  When an elected member cannot serve for one or more semesters during a term, the Director will conduct a special election for an alternate to serve during the vacancy; when an appointed faculty member cannot serve for one or more semesters during a term, the Director will appoint an alternate to serve during the vacancy.  

The Advisory Committee will advise and assist the Director in all matters of planning, policy, and administration of the Program.  The Advisory Committee will meet with the Director at least once each term, and the Director may call additional meetings.  The Director will communicate to the participating faculty in writing and in a timely fashion decisions involving substantive matters of Program planning, policy, and administration (excepting personnel matters at the Director’s discretion) made in meetings of the Advisory Committee.  The graduate student member will be excused when the Committee discusses personnel matters involving Program faculty.

VII.  Meetings

The Director shall call an Annual Meeting of the Program Faculty during the fall semester of each year, and at such times as determined by the Director, as requested by a majority vote of the Advisory Committee, or as requested by a petition signed by at least five members of the Program Faculty. 

VIII.  Amendments

The Program Bylaws must be ratified at a meeting of the Program faculty by a majority vote of those present and voting, and may be amended at any meeting of the Program faculty by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting, providing that notice of proposed amendments shall have been given to the Program Faculty at least ten days in advance.  Any three members of the Program Faculty may submit an amendment to the Director for consideration at the next meeting.  The Bylaws shall furthermore be reviewed at the Annual Meeting every five years.

Ratified by vote of the affiliated faculty, 21 April 2011

Updated by vote of the affiliated faculty, 30 September 2021