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Congress Frequently Asked Questions
- The Basics
- Congress Logistics
- How do I register for the Congress?
- Must I register for the Congress if I am giving a paper?
- Must my accompanying family member register for the Congress?
- How much is the registration fee?
- Can I register for just one day of the Congress?
- Where does the Congress take place?
- How do I get to Kalamazoo?
- What are the housing arrangements for the Congress?
- What is the cost of on-campus housing?
- Are Congress locations wheelchair accessible?
- Congress Participation
- How do I propose a session?
- Who is eligible to present a paper at the Congress?
- How do I propose a paper?
- How do I submit a paper proposal for a Sponsored or Special Session?
- How do I submit a paper proposal for a General Session?
- When will I be notified whether my paper has been accepted?
- What if I need a letter confirming my participation in the Congress?
- How do I volunteer to preside over a General Session?
- What is a Participant Information Form?
- How long is a Congress paper?
- Can my paper be read in absentia?
- May I give more than one paper?
- May I participate in more than one session?
- May I give a paper in a session I am organizing?
- Must I preside over a session I am organizing?
- May I submit more than one paper proposal?
- How do I request audio-visual equipment for my presentation?
- How do I find out when during the Congress my session has been scheduled?
- How do I arrange for a business meeting or reception at the Congress?
- Are there funding opportunities for those giving papers at the Congress?
What is the International Congress on Medieval Studies?
The Congress is an annual gathering of over 3,000 scholars interested in Medieval Studies. It features over 600 sessions of papers, panel discussions, roundtables, workshops, and performances. There are also some 90 business meetings and receptions sponsored by learned societies, associations, and institutions. The exhibits hall boasts nearly 70 exhibitors, including publishers, used book dealers, and purveyors of medieval sundries. The Congress lasts three and a half days, extending from Thursday morning until Sunday at noon.
What is a Sponsored Session?
Sponsored Sessions are proposed and organized by learned societies, associations, and institutions. The organizers set predetermined topics, often narrowly focused and reflecting the considered aims and interests of the sponsoring organization.
What is a Special Session?
Special Sessions are organized by individual scholars and ad hoc groups. The organizers set predetermined topics, which are often narrowly focused.
What is a General Session?
General Sessions are organized by the Congress Committee at the Medieval Institute. Papers considered for inclusion in General Sessions comprise (A) those proposed directly to the Committee by the September 15 deadline and (B) paper proposals forwarded to the Medieval Institute by organizers of Sponsored and Special Sessions who were unable to include the papers in their sessions. Topics include all areas of Medieval Studies, with individual session topics determined by the topics of abstracts submitted and accepted.
What is the Call for Papers?
The Call for Papers appears in print and on the internet. The print publication is mailed in July to everyone on the Medieval Institute mailing list. It lists all Sponsored and Special Sessions approved for the following year’s Congress and provides instructions for submitting paper proposals. The Call for Papers listing of sessions is accessible on the Congress Web site beginning in July. To ensure that you are on the Medieval Institute mailing list, contact us by e-mail, by fax to 269-387-8750, or by post:
The Medieval Institute
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432
What is the Congress program book?
The program is a print publication of over 300 pages that contains the complete schedule of events for the coming Congress, as well as a wealth of information concerning registration and logistics. Copies of the printed program are mailed in February to all whose names appear on the program for that year’s Congress and to everyone with a United States address on the Medieval Institute mailing list. The information in the Congress program is also available on the internet beginning in February. The Web version of the program meets the needs of most casual viewers, but copies of the printed program may also be purchased through Medieval Institute Publications. To ensure that you are on the Medieval Institute mailing list, contact us by e-mail, by fax to 269-387-8750, or by mail:
The Medieval Institute
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432
How do I get on the Medieval Institute mailing list?
To ensure that you are on the Medieval Institute mailing list—and that you will be sent the Call for Papers—and that your contact information is up-to-date, contact us by e-mail, by fax to 269-387-8750, or by mail:
The Medieval Institute
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432
How do I register for the Congress?
We encourage pre-registration using the online registration system, which is available on the Congress Web site beginning in February. Pre-registration for the Congress closes on April 15, and all registrations received after that date are assessed a late fee in addition to the registration fee. Registration for on-campus housing is a part of the Congress registration process. More.
Must I register for the Congress if I am giving a paper?
Yes. If you are attending the Congress, you must register for the Congress. We encourage the use of the online registration system, which is available on the Congress Web site beginning in February.
Must my accompanying family member register for the Congress?
Yes, at the accompanying family member rate. We encourage the use of the online registration system, which is available on the Congress Web site beginning in February.
How much is the registration fee?
Registration fees are set in January and made public on the Congress Web site in February. All attendees registering by mail or fax, rather than through the online registration system, pay a $25.00 handling fee. All attendees registering after April 15, including all on-site registrants, are assessed a late registration fee of $50.00. The registration fees for the 2008 Congress were:
$130.00 - regular
$80.00 - student
$80.00 - each accompanying family member
Can I register for just one day of the Congress?
No. Congress registration fees are for the entire 3 1/2-day Congress. Registration fees are set in January and made public on the Congress Web site in February. All attendees registering after April 15, including all on-site registrants, are assessed a late registration fee of $50.00. The registration fees for the 2008 Congress were:
$130.00 - regular
$80.00 - student
$80.00 - each accompanying family member
Where does the Congress take place?
Congress locations are spread around the campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Shuttle buses provide transportation among Congress locations, but walking is often the faster option, and many veteran Congress attendees recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
How do I get to Kalamazoo?
Kalamazoo is located at the crossroads of Interstate-94 and US Route 131 in Southwest Michigan, a two-and-a-half hour drive from Chicago or Detroit. Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is served by Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines, and Amtrak trains (Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac and Chicago-East Lansing-Port Huron routes) serve Kalamazoo daily. More.
What are the housing arrangements for the Congress?
Most Congress attendees stay in on-campus housing, and there are also blocks of rooms in area hotels and motels reserved at special rates for Congress attendees. Registration for on-campus housing is a part of the Congress registration process. The Kalamazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau offers Congress participants centralized booking to assist their selection of local hotels. Complete information is available on the Congress Web site. More.
What is the cost of on-campus housing?
On-campus housing costs are finalized in January and made public on the Congress Web site in February. The housing rates for the 2008 Congress were:
$35.00/night - single occupancy
$28.00/night - double occupancy
Are Congress locations wheelchair accessible?
Most Congress locations are completely accessible, but others are only partially accessible. Click here for WMU's ADA accessibility map.
How do I propose a session?
Proposals for Sponsored and Special Sessions are made on the Session Proposal Form, which is available on the Congress Web site beginning in February (deadline: May 15). The Medieval Institute does not accept session proposals by e-mail. The Congress Committee considers the proposals in June, and would-be session organizers are informed of the Committee’s acceptance or rejection of sessions by post in July.
Who is eligible to present a paper at the Congress?
All those working in the field of medieval studies, including graduate students and independent scholars and artists, are eligible to give a paper, if accepted, in any session. Enrolled undergraduate students, however, may give a paper, if accepted, only in the “Papers by Undergraduates” Special Session(s).
How do I propose a paper?
A paper proposal consists of an abstract of no more than 300 words and a completed Participant Information Form. Proposals are due on September 15 to the contact person listed in the Call for Papers for a Sponsored or Special Session or to the Congress Committee at the Medieval Institute for General Sessions.
How do I submit a paper proposal for a Sponsored or Special Session?
Paper proposals (each consisting of an abstract of no more than 300 words and a completed Participant Information Form) for Sponsored and Special Sessions are submitted no later than September 15 to the contact person listed in the Call for Papers. Sessions may be filled at any point along the timeline from May until the deadline of September 15. The person proposing a paper who waits until the last minute may be very disappointed.
How do I submit a paper proposal for a General Session?
Paper proposals (each consisting of an abstract of no more than 300 words and a completed Participant Information Form) for General Sessions are submitted no later than September 15 to:
Congress Committee
The Medieval Institute
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432
The Medieval Institute does not accept paper proposals by e-mail.
When will I be notified whether my paper has been accepted?
The organizers of Sponsored and Special Sessions are responsible for notifying would-be paper presenters whether or not their papers have been accepted, and the timing of that notification depends upon the session organizer. The Medieval Institute sends notification of the acceptance and rejection of papers considered for inclusion in General Sessions in December.
What if I need a letter confirming my participation in the Congress?
The Medieval Institute does not routinely send acceptance letters to those whose papers are to be included in Sponsored and Special Sessions. The Medieval Institute will, however, send a letter of acceptance or confirmation of participation if it is needed, in which case the speaker should contact the Institute directly by e-mail, by fax to 269-387-8750, or by post:
The Medieval Institute
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432
How do I volunteer to preside over a General Session?
Complete the Offer to Preside Form, which is available on the Congress Web site beginning in July, and submit it—preferably by post—to the Medieval Institute on or before October 1. You need not be delivering a paper at the Congress in order to preside over a General Session. The Medieval Institute does not accept offers to preside by e-mail.
What is a Participant Information Form?
The Participant Information Form is a required part of a paper proposal. The form is available on the Congress Web site beginning in July and is due, together with an abstract of the proposed paper, on September 15. The Participant Information Form contains information that is vital to organizing the Congress and to maintaining the Medieval Institute mailing list. All audio-visual equipment requests must be made on the Participant Information Form, and the Institute relies on the contact information given on the Participant Information Form in keeping its mailing list up-to-date.
How long is a Congress paper?
A paper in a typical session of three papers is limited to 20 minutes. Session organizers may opt to schedule four 15-minute papers in a session.
Can my paper be read in absentia?
No. Submission of an abstract and a Participant Information Form is considered agreement by the author to attend the Congress and to deliver the paper in person if it is accepted.
May I give more than one paper?
No. The Congress Committee will schedule only one paper per participant, with the exception of plenary lecturers and those giving papers in the Saturday evening Pseudo Society session, who may give two papers. The Committee wishes to ensure that the maximum number of colleagues will have an opportunity to participate.
May I participate in more than one session?
The Congress Committee will schedule only one paper per participant, but each participant may be scheduled as paper presenter, panelist, discussant, presider, or respondent in a maximum of three sessions. Organizers may organize as many sessions as the Committee approves. Their names, as organizers, will appear as many times in the program as appropriate.
May I give a paper in a session I am organizing?
Yes, so long as that is the only paper you are giving at the Congress.
Must I preside over a session I am organizing?
No. You are free to invite a colleague to preside over a session that you are organizing, and you may not preside over the session if you are giving a paper in it.
May I submit more than one paper proposal?
The Congress Committee strongly discourages multiple submissions and obliges would-be paper presenters to inform organizers when they submit proposals to more than one session. The Committee reserves the right to disallow all participation to those who breach professional courtesy by multiple submissions.
How do I request audio-visual equipment for my presentation?
Audio-visual equipment requests are made on the Participant Information Form at the time the abstract is submitted for consideration (on or before September 15). The Medieval Institute does not accept Participant Information Forms by e-mail. Late equipment requests can rarely be accommodated.
How do I find out when during the Congress my session has been scheduled?
The Congress schedule is customarily finalized in January and is made public on the Congress Web site in February. The printed programs are mailed in late February and early March.
How do I arrange for a business meeting or reception at the Congress?
Requests for the scheduling of business meetings and receptions are made on the Meeting/Reception Reservation Form, which is available on the Congress Web site beginning in July. The deadline is October 1.
Are there funding opportunities for those giving papers at the Congress?
The Congress Committee and the Richard Rawlinson Center for Anglo-Saxon Studies and Manuscript Research offer a few travel awards for those reading papers at the Congress who meet established criteria and complete the necessary application process. The deadline is November 1. More.