Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies

(Revised April 2026)

Article 1: Name

1.1 The name of this conference and its governing body is Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies. Vagantes was established in 2002 jointly by a group of graduate students from Harvard University and University of Toronto.

1.2 Vagantes was chosen as the name for the proposed itinerant conference because the vagantes were medieval clergy, students, and minstrels who adopted the nomadic life.

Article 2: Purpose

2.1 The foremost purpose of the Vagantes conference and its governing body is to provide graduate student medievalists with a framework for presenting their work in a scholarly venue that is not affiliated with one particular institution.

2.2 The conference and its governing body is also committed to building the scholarly community of graduate students (doctoral and master’s) by fostering conversation across and among all disciplines of medieval studies, including, but not limited to, Anthropology, Art and Architectural History, Classics, History, Languages and Literatures, Manuscript Studies, Musicology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies.

2.3 The conference and its governing body is further committed to providing an equitable and affordable experience for graduate students pursuing both doctorate degrees and master’s degrees.

Article 3: Board of Directors

3.1 The Vagantes Conference shall be maintained and overseen by its Board of Directors.

3.2 The Board of Directors shall consist of elected officers, current and future host school representatives, and chairs/co-chairs comprised of previous institution hosts. These persons must be graduate students currently enrolled at an accredited college or university, or have graduated in the past year.

3.3 Elected officers shall be elected for two year terms annually at the Vagantes Conference, to begin in September of that year. Officers may be elected to serve additional terms.

3.4 Host school representatives will be comprised of individuals selected from the three institutions who are involved with the process of hosting the Vagantes Conference representing, respectively, the host institutions of the previous, the present, and the following year. Host school representatives shall be selected by the students of their institution.

Article 4: Officers’ Roles & Duties

4.1.1 Chair of the Board of Directors– The chair must be a representative from the previous year’s host institution, who has served at least one full year on the board prior to their chairship. Previous host representatives may choose to split responsibilities and co-chair the Board. The chairship term shall begin during the first meeting of the fall semester in September and end in the following year’s September meeting. The chair shall preside at meetings of the Vagantes officers, and the general membership, and will represent the conference and its purposes to other organizations and the general public. The chair shall supervise the operations of the Vagantes Conference and its governing body in a judicious, diligent, and kind manner. They should also act as the primary contact for the current host representative and answer any questions that may come up, since this member has already successfully organized and hosted the conference.

4.1.2 Webmaster – The webmaster’s term shall begin at the September meeting and will last for two years, ending in the September meeting two years from the webmaster’s election. The webmaster shall be responsible for maintaining and promoting a social media presence for the Vagantes Conference both before and throughout the conference. Throughout their term, the webmaster will maintain the Vagantes email list and send out emails to the listserv with information about the conference, such as CFPs, as well as Vagantes hosted events, such as the professionalization panel. In addition to being the primary administrator of the Vagantes social media accounts, this officer shall maintain the Vagantes Conference website with information regarding the conference, photos from the conference, and other relevant updates from the Board (such as calls for host institution applications).

4.1.3 Scribe – The scribe shall be responsible for recording the proceedings of all meetings. The Scribe is expected to make notes in a word document and then send the document to the chair(s) after every meeting for approval before uploading to the Board of Directors Google Drive. The Scribe shall also supply to the Webmaster an updated and accurate record of the conference and conference programs for the Vagantes Conference Website. The scribe shall be responsible for managing the Vagantes Board archive, including proceedings and programs, recordings of professionalization events, previous host materials, and resources for future hosts, both internally and on the website.

4.1.4 Mentorship and Professionalization Coordinator – The Mentorship and Professionalization Coordinator shall be responsible for administering the mentorship program and the professionalization initiative in cooperation with the host institution, to take place at the relevant Vagantes Conference. In addition, they shall plan and host the Mentorship and Professionalization Workshop by choosing a topic, inviting speakers, and hosting the workshop over Zoom. The Workshop should take place in January or February before the in-person conference takes place in that same year.

4.1.5 Member-at-Large – Positions within the Board of Directors shall be reserved for Members-at-Large, who are responsible for creating and implementing special projects to enrich the experiences of the Vagantes community. These officers may be elected to the Board in order to implement new projects or to improve upon existing programs. The scope and duration of their projects shall be determined on a case-by-case basis, in order to address the needs of the Vagantes community as they arise. At least one member-at-large should be elected to oversee the Board’s evaluation of the paper prize, which requires organization during the conference and the month following. No more than two Members-at-Large shall serve on the Board of Directors at the same time.

4.2 Host Institution Positions

4.2.1 Current Host Representatives –The current host representatives are responsible for acting as a liaison between the board and the host institution’s organizing committee. There should always be two current host representatives serving on the board. The current host reps should provide the rest of the board with updates on the progress of the current year’s conference. The current host representatives should email the board information on the CFP, deadlines, and funding updates. Since one of the primary features of Vagantes is a keynote presentation by faculty from both the current host institution and the future host institution, the representatives of these two institutions are also responsible for coordinating the keynote lecture from the faculty at the future host institution.

4.2.2 Future Host Representatives –The future host representatives are asked to provide the rest of the board with a progress update at the Vagantes Conference Board meeting, and should be willing and able to either attend the conference or send a representative from the future host institution in their stead. There should always be two future host representatives serving on the board. Usually, the future reps should be able to give an update on the funding situation, and should have chosen the dates for the next year’s conference. Since venue is one of the more important things associated with planning the conference, it is best to have this settled as early as possible (i.e. about 1 year in advance). Since one of the primary features of Vagantes is a keynote presentation by faculty from both the current host institution and the future host institution, the representatives of these two institutions are responsible for coordinating the keynote lecture from the faculty at the future host institution.

4.2.3 Past Host Representatives – Past institution representatives must decide between themselves who will serve as chair of the board. Whoever will not serve as chair must remain on the board as a past host representative. Alternatively, past institution representatives may decide to serve as co-chairs to split the chairship responsibilities.

Article 5: Board Members Terms of Service

5.1 Elected Board Members will serve two year terms.

5.2 Elected Board Members will begin their terms immediately following their election in August or September, insofar as they will be added to the listserv and be included in board matters.

5.3 Elected Board Members will end their terms immediately following the annual meeting at the beginning of the fall semester. However, board Members may be asked to stay on by the remaining board for a limited period following their term to provide for a smooth transition in leadership.

5.4 Host School Representatives shall agree to serve beginning in the fall of the year before they host the conference, and to serve until the annual board meeting at the start of the fall semester three years after their initial election, for a total of three (3) years of service on the Board.

Article 6: Procedures for the Election of Officers

6.1 Election of board members, aside from host representative board members, will happen through a vote that takes place in person on the final day of that year’s conference. Applications for elected positions should be sent in one month prior to the conference date. Information for each elected position open and the candidates for election that year will be circulated with all attendees of that year’s conference and the Executive Board in the weeks prior to the conference. Once the in person vote is received, the Board will finalize results in a meeting following the conference and will share the results a month after the conference.

6.1.1 In the event of the cancellation of the Vagantes Conference (or other circumstances precluding elections according to the rules outlined in Article 6) election of new officers may be held remotely. Methods of communication and procedures for voting may be determined at the discretion of the Board, but the following rules must be observed:

(a) The electorate shall comprise those persons registered for the conference at which the vote would normally have taken place.

(a) Before the vote shall take place, the Board shall announce the upcoming vote to the electorate, provide descriptions of each role for which an election will be held, make clear and accessible all voting procedures and tools, and provide reasonable time for the nomination and consideration of candidates.

(b) All nominees shall submit to the Board their names and proposals for election, to be disseminated to the electorate for consideration.

6.2 Officer Candidates must be:

(a.) Graduate students enrolled at an accredited institution

(b.) Willing to serve a two-year term

(c.) Willing to attend all Vagantes Conferences and board meetings throughout the duration of their term and accepting of the responsibilities their elected role entails.

(d.) If an elected officer receives their degree while in office and has less than one year remaining in their term, they may complete the term. Should said member have more than one year remaining, their office will be up for election at the next General meeting for the period of time remaining in the original term.

6.3 Officer Candidates need not be present to be elected.

6.4 Eligible voters are:

(a.) Graduate Students who are registered Conference attendees

6.5 All elected officers shall be elected by a plurality vote by all attendees present at the conference and board members both present and absent.

6.6 The Chair of the Board of Directors shall officiate the voting process.

6.7 All nominated parties are allowed to vote.

6.8 It is up to the discretion of the Board to break any ties. Decisions to finalize the votes once they have been tallied will take place in a meeting that happens after votes have been received.

6.9 Newly elected officers will assume office following their election in the capacities outlined above in 5.2.

Article 7: Removal or Resignation from Office

7.1 Should any member of the Board of Directors become unable to continue their duties, they must inform the Board immediately.

7.2 If the said officer is a Host Institution Representative, they must be replaced by that institution immediately.

7.3 If the said officer is an elected representative, their position shall remain vacant until the next election, at which point a new officer shall be elected. A replacement may be appointed by the Board of Directors until the next election.

7.4 Should it occur that an officer is determined to be unfit to continue in their capacity as officer, due to direct violation of the purpose of the Board of Directors, or through continuous and inexcusable negligence of the duties described therein, they will be notified by written statement signed by at least five (5) of the remaining members of the Board, requesting their immediate resignation.

7.5 An officer may be removed from office by a unanimous vote of the other officers.

Article 8: Host School Duties

8.1 The host school is in charge of organizing the conference and raising the appropriate amount of funds to hold the event. The Vagantes Board of Directors serves as a resource to offer advice or share past experience but the task of organizing the conference is the responsibility of the organizational committee convened by the host school. During the first year, the Future Host Institution Representative or their designee should plan to attend the Board of Directors meeting at the current host school. In addition to submitting proposals to present papers, students from the future host institution will also be invited and strongly encouraged to chair sessions at the conference at the current host school. This will help future hosts gain valuable experience.

8.1.1 In the case that there are surplus funds after a conference, and if it is permissible by institution guidelines, it is encouraged that the money be given as a gift to the future host institution. This exchange should take place immediately following the end of the Conference.

8.1.2 Should a current or future host institution receive a gift of surplus funds from a previous host institution as outlined in 8.1.1, the gift should be used for conference expenses only after discussion with and approval by the Board of Directors, with a recommendation that these funds be used for bursaries for presenters, speaker expenses, or necessary conference expenses.

8.1.3 The current host institution is responsible for paying domain name and hosting fees for the website, in September and April of the year in which they host. The current host should be prepared to have a small amount of funding available in September and April in order to pay for website maintenance.

8.2 In order to ensure consistency from year to year, host schools must agree to the following conditions:

(a.) The conference will be free and registration will be open to the general public.

(b.) The conference will run from a Thursday-Saturday in or around March.

(c.) The conference will include a keynote by a faculty member from your school on the opening day and a final keynote by a faculty member from the future host school.

(d.) The conference will conclude with a final banquet.

(e.) Your school will send a faculty member to serve as a keynote at the current host school. You will provide the current host school organizers with the speaker’s name and contact information no later than November 1st.

(f.) Two to three graduate students from your school must agree to serve as abstract submission readers in November in the year before the conference is hosted, during the year the conference is hosted, and in the following year. The abstract submission review committee is comprised of members from the past host institution, current host, and future host institution.

(g.) The host institution representative(s) from your school must agree to serve a three-year term on the Vagantes Board of Directors.

Year 1: the position of Future Host Institution Representative on the Vagantes Board of Directors begins as soon as the new host institution is named (c. June). Conference preparations begin.
Year 2: the position becomes Current Host Institution Representative in May and continues for one year. Conference preparations continue; hosting the event occurs in or around March.
Year 3: in May the Current Host Institution Representative becomes the new Chair of the Vagantes Board of Directors and serves in that capacity until the following May. The Chair is primarily an advisory role. The Chair ensures a smooth transition to the new host institution and supervises the operations of the Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies and its governing body.

(h.) The host school will feature the Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies seal logo on the conference program and other print and electronic marketing materials.

8.3 Planning Guide

The Vagantes Board of Directors has assembled the following guide to serve as a reference for host schools. Some deadlines are firm as noted but the host school has flexibility in determining their individual schedules.

Article 9: Abstract Review Guidelines

9.1 Any person who will be enrolled in an accredited graduate program in the United States, Canada, and internationally by the starting date of the conference for which they have applied is eligible to submit an abstract for consideration. Those who have completed an accredited Masters (or equivalent degree) program up to two years before the starting date of the conference may also submit abstracts for consideration. Those who have completed (or will complete) a doctoral program by the starting date of the conference are not eligible to submit abstracts.

9.2 The abstract peer review committee is always made up of graduate students from the three host schools – past, present, and future. Each host school supplies two to three readers to facilitate the double-blind peer review process.

9.3 The quality of the Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies is highly dependent upon the quality of papers presented each year. Indeed, the abstract review process is vitally important to ensuring the long-term success of the Vagantes Conference. With the importance of this work in mind, proposals should be evaluated according to the criteria below:

(a.) the originality of the paper proposal and its likelihood to contribute significantly to medieval studies;

(b.) the cogency of the writing and organization of the paper proposal;

(c.) the clarity of its methodology and argumentation;

(d.) the feasibility of the proposal (i.e., is the proposed paper topic suitable for the 20 minute presentation format?).

9.4 Each year the host institution will solicit papers for a New Voices panel that will take place at the conference featuring work from advanced undergraduates enrolled at the current host institution. This panel is intended to create opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and community between the broader student body of the host institution and the conference organization. The New Voices panel should have a separate call for papers to be circulated amongst the student body of the host institution. The abstract review committee must review the New Voices submissions and accept at least two and a maximum of four papers.

Article 10: Board of Directors Timetable

January

February

Discuss agenda for Board meeting
Draft call for future hosts and share with current host
Feb. 15th MAA/GSC grant due (applicants must be MAA members by Jan. 15th)

March

Attend Vagantes Conference and Board Meeting
Advertise call for future hosts
Vote in new board members and add them to listserv
Ensure current host school renews domain name and hosting with Blue Host

April

Write summary of last month’s conference and update website archive
Advertise call for future hosts

May

Host applications due first week of May
Review host applications individually
Attend ICMS Kalamazoo Board meeting
Board transition and update website
Discuss and vote on new host school
Add new host representatives to listserv

June

Ensure new host representatives have access to planning documents and files

July

August

Help current host disseminate Call for Papers
Board members can submit proposals to give papers

September

Help current host disseminate Call for Papers
Submit request for meeting space at ICMS

October

November

Keynote from future host institution finalized with current hosts

December

Remind future hosts about MAA GSC Grant for Innovation in Community Building and Professionalization

Article 11: Amendments

11.1 Amendments to the constitution may be proposed to the Board of Directors in writing by any graduate student involved with the Vagantes Conference at least thirty (30) days before the annual Vagantes Conference Board meeting.

11.2 Proposed amendments to the constitution will be voted on at the General Meeting before which it was proposed, and must be approved by a two-thirds (⅔) majority of those present, including half of the Board of Directors in order to take effect.

11.3 Alternatively, the Board of Directors may, through unanimous vote, amend the constitution during their board meeting.