Bylaws of the Program in Medieval Studies
Ratified by vote of the participating faculty, 21 April 2011
I. Purpose
The purpose of the Medieval Studies Program is to foster the interdisciplinary and crosscultural study of the history, literature, languages, religion, philosophy, art, and
archaeology 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 Civilization, 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,
Germanic Languages and Literatures, History, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish, Italian &
Portuguese, and Speech Communications; in the College of Fine and Applied Arts,
Architectural History, Art History, Landscape Architecture, and Music; the Graduate
School of Library and Information Science 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 V), in voting
on and amending the Bylaws (see Section VII), 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 V), 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 V)
and with participating faculty (Section VI); 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.
VI. 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.
VII. 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.