The Medieval Studies Program in 2010-2011
The Medieval Studies Program in 2010-2011
The Medieval Studies Program had a very rewarding year this last year. Most importantly, the Program underwent its first ever Program Review, and, to quote from the reviewers’ report, “the Review Committee feels that the record of the first seven years of the Medieval Studies program is a strong one.” They note that the Program “has excelled at advancing the academic training and experience of its students and at reaching beyond both the Program itself and the university to engage with the community at large.” Furthermore, they acclaim the comprehensive Self-Study Document that we submitted to them and to the university administration, commend the “intellectual generosity and administrative imagination” of our faculty members, and conclude that the ML Program “serves its students well” and is “a vibrant part of Wilfrid Laurier University.” The Program has grown to its largest complement of majors and students ever, with the most ever first-year sections, adding up to several hundred enrollments. Our various promotional events were very rewarding this past year, with dedicated and enthusiastic volunteerism form ML students, and our special events were also a great success, with the best attendance ever at Medieval Day and participation by students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and members of the general public. Medieval Day featured an explosion in student participation, as eight students were willing to present papers during the Medieval Day Colloquium. These papers thoroughly showcased the academic excellence of our students, as did the spring colloquium on Medievalism that the students organized (brilliantly) themselves. The Medieval Students Society remains the strongest student group on campus, with innovative student events, infectious excitement concerning the Middle Ages and its cultural material, and exceptionally responsible and hard-working officers. The volunteerism of Medieval Studies students remains exemplary, and we wish the very best to our graduating class for this year.
