The Council of the Medieval Academy held its annual meeting on Thursday morning, March 7, and, among other items of business, considered the report of the Centennial Committee. With the submission of a final report and list of recommendations, the Centennial Committee has completed its charge and has been formally dissolved. We are all extremely grateful for their three years of hard work and valuable service. A variety of Centennial Committee recommendations will be considered by the Council annually for the next several years and will be publicly announced if and when they are approved.
By-Laws Changes: Based on Centennial Committee recommendations, several changes to the By-Laws were approved and will be implemented over the course of the next year. The specifics will be announced in the coming months.
Support for Independent, Contingent, and Academic-Adjacent Scholars: The Council adopted a Position Paper composed by Laura Morreale and others laying out the issues facing medievalists who are, by choice or necessity, not employed as full-time faculty. The Position Paper proposes a visionary way forward. The Council has charged President Ruth Mazo Karras with the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Pathways to study the issue and propose a series of recommendations to the Executive Committee and Council over the course of the next year. In the coming months, you will hear much more about this initiative to support our colleagues who are independent, contingent, or academic-adjacent.
