Texas Medieval Association

GENERAL CONFERENCE & MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES

Conference topics and themes are driven by TEMA membership. TEMA is an inclusive organization and welcomes all scholars interested in medieval studies to attend, participate, and propose papers, panels, roundtables, discussions, and workshops. Conference locations are decided by the membership, who volunteer to host the conference at their institutions. TEMA’s conferences are an opportunity to showcase medieval programs at Texas institutions, provide the faculty with opportunities for professional development, and expose students to the processes of scholarly research.

 

TEMA has a strong history of collegiality and mentoring. We welcome papers from scholars at every point of their professional development, from undergraduate students to Emeritus scholars, affiliated scholars and currently unaffiliated scholars. TEMA has built a friendly and non-threatening conference atmosphere that treats everyone as a colleague, no matter their “rank.” The purpose of the conference is to help each scholar further develop their ideas so that their projects can grow to the next phase and also benefit from expert feedback that may help to turn the presentation into a publishable paper or teaching component. TEMA’s published conference guidelines encourage presenters to communicate with their audience and engage their listeners in some way. as public presentation of one’s work is a different medium than the traditional paper and should be treated as such. Likewise, feedback is to be given to help the scholar, not berate or disparage them for a scholarly disagreement. TEMA discourages audience members from presenting the paper they would have written, highlighting how much experience they have relative to the speaker, or otherwise make the presenter uncomfortable during the Q&A sessions. 

 

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POLICY ON BEHAVIOR, DISCRIMINATION, & HARASSMENT

If the behavior of a Texas Medieval Association Conference participant is deemed to be inappropriate, discriminatory or harassing, TEMA facilitators will take any or some of following steps depending on the gravity of the case:

• Mentor the participant on better ways to give collegial feedback

• Mentor the participant as to why the behavior was inappropriate at a professional meeting

• Ban said person from TEMA activities for 1 year

• Ban said person from TEMA activities in perpetuity

• Contact the participant’s institution/employer to inform them of said problem.

 

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POLICY ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT

If a TEMA member or attendee sexually harasses or assaults another member, colleague, or guest, an ad hoc TEMA committee will be formed to investigate said claim. TEMA may take any or some of following steps depending on the gravity of the case and investigative outcome:

• Make a public statement about the process and findings of the investigation

• Mentor the member as to why the behavior(s) in question is not appropriate

• Suspend said person from TEMA membership and activities for 1 year 

• Expel said person from TEMA in perpetuity

• Formally contact the participant’s institution/employer

• File a Title IX report

• File a police report

 

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POLICY ON FAMILY & FRIENDS

TEMA welcomes friends of the organization to participate in the conference. Since TEMA is member-funded, we ask that everyone register appropriately for annual conference.

 

At TEMA, we realize that conference travel is a burden for families with young children, and they are welcome to attend provided they can participate without causing too much disruption (e.g. crying and interrupting a talk). However, TEMA is a small scholarly organization and cannot provide licensed childcare during the annual conference. If a scholar would like some support during the conference for some child supervision during their own presentation or the “must-see panel,” please contact the TEMA conference organizers before the conference so we can coordinate available assistance. Please keep in mind that this support is offered voluntarily by TEMA members and depends solely on their good will. Thus, this support, while highly encouraged, cannot be guaranteed every year.

 

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ACCESSIBILITY

TEMA strives to be accessible to all scholars by ensuring our members, colleagues, and guests with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in the full schedule of TEMA activities as their nondisabled peers. If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility for a TEMA event, program, or project, please contact the organizers or a member of the TEMA executive committee so we can facilitate access to the appropriate supports.

 

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DIVERSITY

Diversity is a critical component to medieval studies as we learn from experiences and perspectives that are different from our own, both in the present and the past. TEMA supports a learning community that embraces our members for their individual differences and offers respect for their unique perspectives. In support of this academic vision, TEMA does not tolerate discrimination based on academic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religious belief, or racial/ethnic background.