TRANSITION

In 2011 the administration of the Medieval Academy changed with the joint appointment of a new Executive Director on 1 September 2011.

Previous to that appointment the Academy operated under the leadership of Paul Szarmach, and this report briefly touches on the activities of the MAA during his last eight months in office.

The most significant activities during that period were the Annual Meeting in Tempe, AZ, 14-16 April. Despite issues concerning immigration policies in that state, the meeting, hosted by the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS), proceeded with an attendance of 310.

The MAA sponsored plenary speakers at The 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, 12–15 May, 2011: "Outremer: Byzantine Art in a World of Multiple Christianities,” by Annemarie Weyl Carr, Southern Methodist University and at the 18^th International Medieval Congress, Leeds, UK, 11–14 July 2011: "Volmar, Hildegard, and a History for the Rupertsberg,” by Margot Fassler, University of Notre Dame.

During this period an attempt was made to improve the MAA’s web functionality by contracting with a web developer to expand the payment module from its then-current ability to process new memberships, to the ability to process renewals — a development that was in place with the beginning of the renewal season in November 2011.

NEH AUDIT

In August 2011 the MAA received an audit report from the National Endowment for the Humanities. This required the new Executive Director to undertake immediate action in order to comply with the NEH recommendations:

• Moving payroll to an outside agency

• Adopting a Procurement Procedure Policy

• Changing signatories on the MAA checking accounts

• Establishing a policy for double signatures on checks above a certain level

• Initiating the use of time sheets for grant projects

• Selecting a new auditor

• Accounting for undocumented work on two NEH grants

• Accounting for misspent funds on one NEH grant

• Using proper documentation to establish the status of individuals paid from grants, including assurance that they were not barred from projects with federal funding

• Establishing a procedure for reviewing bank reconciliations by the Treasurer

• Revising accounting procedures to provide for allocation of expenses to the functions of non-profits: administration, programs and fundraising

Underlying this was the clear need for an updated accounting system, not only to respond to the problems identified by the NEH, but also to facilitate the delivery of reports to the Treasurer, Finance Committee and others. Such a system was implemented by the new Executive Director in conjunction with a consulting accountant in time for the Finance Committee Meeting in October.

BUDGET

As of September 1, 2011, according to the reports produced by the existing MAA accounting system, the actual operating deficit for the Medieval Academy for FY 2011 stood at $78,817 over budget, with a projected FY deficit of upwards of $120,000 if current income and expense patterns continued for the remainder of the year. At last year’s annual meeting, Treasurer Gene Lyman had raised the specter of an ongoing, long-term, and structural deficit that would continue to eat into the Academy’s endowment with a snowballing effect unless immediate and decisive actions were taken to reverse these trends. We therefore discussed weighed and planned revenue enhancements and expense reductions in conjunction with the Treasurer and Presidentials over the course of the Summer of 2011.

Salaries constitute the single largest expense for the Medieval Academy’s annual budget, and Speculum staff salaries were the largest portion of these. After extensive preparation, consultation and reports to the Treasurer and Executive Committee and their approval, in lieu of the elimination of any staff positions, on September 1, 2011 we therefore instituted a salary and hours roll-back of 20% for all staff, a freeze of the Executive Director and Editor of Speculum’s salary, a call to the Executive Committee and Council to cut back on, and contribute to, their own expenses for meetings and travel to the MAA, the elimination of other major expense categories, including warehousing costs, and the investigation of moving the MAA’s offices to less expensive space.

At the same time staff responsibilities were redefined to enable the smooth functioning of the office despite these cuts. This included the promotion of one staff member to relieve the burden from another and also the elimination of library research hours during the regular workweek for all employees. (See Editor of Speculum Report.)

By the end of FY 2011 the new accounting system was in place, the NEH recommendations were adopted and a request for proposals has been sent to seven audit firms. The Finance Committee endorsed the 2012 budget, which was approved by the Executive Committee at their 12 November 2011 meeting, pending final approval of the Council at this Annual Meeting in St. Louis 22-24 March 2012. This is the first budget in ten years that projects a surplus, although small, for the year.

COMMUNICATIONS

· In September 2011 the MAA relaunched its newsletter, the MAA News, which had been dormant for several years. It is now a monthly digital-first publication.

· The same month the MAA also launched its new online and dynamic calendar. http://www.medievalacademy.org/calendar/calendar_conferences.htm

· The MAA blog has been expanded to keep members current on job postings, conferences, fellowship opportunities and other items of professional importance http://www.themedievalacademyblog.org.

· Finally, at the end of the year the MAA entered into an agreement with yourmembership.com to provide the framework for the MAA's new Association Management System, as previously recommended by the Digital Initiatives Advisory Board. This endeavor, which will be operational in mid 2012, will provide a dynamic interface for the MAA website and facilitate communication with and between MAA members, allow members to enter and pay for their own memberships, and create a subscription "firewall” for MAA publications. (See Editor of Speculum Report.) A beta version of the site is up and being tested and fine-tuned. Data is already migrated into the underlying database, and the results should be apparent to all in the late Spring.

MAA AWARD PROGRAMS

· Baldwin Fellowship: $20,000 grant for dissertation work in French Medieval History. Deadline 15 November 2011, one award, 10 applications. 2012 Committee: Barbara Rosenwein, Loyola University Chicago, Chair; Constance Bouchard, University of Akron; Adam Davis, Denison University.

· Schallek Fellowship: $30,000 grant for dissertation work in any relevant discipline dealing with late-medieval Britain (c.1350-1500). Deadline 15 October 2011, one award, 16 applications. 2012 Committee: Joel Rosenthal, SUNY Stony Brook, Chair; Nancy Warren, Texas A&M University; Leigh Ann Craig, Virginia Commonwealth University; Karen Winstead, Ohio State University.

· Travel Grants for independent scholars and unaffiliated faculty: $500 for travel in North America, $750 for overseas travel. Deadline 1 November 2011 for travel between 1 March and 31 August. Three awards based on available funds, 6 applications. Awarded by the Committee for Professional Development: Andrew Taylor, University of Ottawa, Chair; Bruce O'Brien, University of Mary Washington; Karen Mathews, University of Miami.

· Haskins Medal for a distinguished book in the field of medieval studies. Deadline 15 October 2011, one award, 19 new applications. 2012 Committee: Jeffrey Hamburger, Chair, Harvard University; Jennifer Summit, Stanford University; Dyan Elliott, Northwestern University.

· John Nicholas Brown Prize: $1,000 award for a first book or monograph of outstanding quality on a medieval subject. Deadline 15 October 2011, one award, 16 applications. 2012 Committee: Robert Nelson (2012), Yale University, Chair; Sara Lipton, SUNY, Stony Brook; Paolo Squatriti, University of Michigan.

· Van Courtlandt Elliott Prize: $500 award for a first article of outstanding quality in the field of medieval studies. Deadline 15 October 2011, one award, 18 applications. 2012 Committee: Deborah Deliyannis, University of Indiana, Chair; Joel Kaye, Barnard College; Deborah McGrady, University of Virginia.

MAA ELECTIONS

The MAA posted the slate of candidates for the 2012 elections on 2 November 2011. The closing date for nomination by petition was set at midnight, 22 November 2011. No nominations by petition were received. Electronic balloting opened on 14 December with the following candidates: President: Maryanne Kowaleski; First Vice-President: Richard Unger; Second Vice-President: William Chester Jordan; Councillors: Robert Babcock, Christopher Baswell, Cynthia Hahn, Christopher Kleinhenz, Susan L'Engle, Maureen Miller, Miri Rubin, and Conrad Rudolph; Nominating Committee: Roger Dahood, Michael Herren, Nancy Van Deusen, and Nicholas Watson.

FELLOWS NOMINATIONS

By the deadline of 8 November 2011 twelve MAA members were nominated to become Fellows and eight non-North Americans were nominated to become Corresponding Fellows. These names were submitted to the Fellows Nominating Committee: Danuta Shanzer (chair), Daniel Lord Smail, Anne Hedeman.

MEMBERSHIPS

The number of Medieval Academy members in good standing as of 31 December 2011 was 3,758 (approx.), as compared with 3,844 in 2010, 4,133 in 2009, 4,223 in 2008, 4,218 in 2007, 4,172 in 2006, and 4,486 in 2005 (before the last dues increase came into effect).

MEETINGS

Annual Meetings

The Marco Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will host the 2013 meeting, 4–6April. Jay Rubenstein is the chair of the program committee. The 2014 meeting, 10-12 April, will be hosted by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, UCLA. Massimo Ciavolella is the contact person. The 2015 meeting will take place at the University of Notre Dame, 26–28 March. Olivia Remie Constable is the contact person. The 2016 meeting will take place in Boston 31 March-2 April in conjunction with the meeting of the Renaissance Society of America and with a manuscript exhibition of Harvard's Houghton Library, Boston College and other Boston-area institutions.

Executive Committee Meetings

In 2011 the Executive Committee met at the Annual Meeting on 13 April, virtually on 22 September, and at the Medieval Academy office in Cambridge on 12 November 2011.

Finance Committee Meetings

In 2011 the Finance Committee met in New York City at the offices of Credit Suisse on 25 February and at the Medieval Academy offices in Cambridge on 15 October 2011.

Council Meeting

In 2011 the Council met at the Annual Meeting, 13–14 April, Tempe, AZ.

Committee on Centers and Regional Associations (CARA) Meetings

In 2011 CARA met at the Marco Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 30 September – 1 October. James Murray was selected as the new CARA chair. CARA sponsored two sessions at Kalamazoo: "'How Green Is My Apple?' Online Sources, E-Readers, and the Medieval Studies Classroom (A Workshop)," and "Is Publishing Perishing? The State of Print in the Online Age (A Roundtable)." Thomas Goodmann coordinated the Kalamazoo programs for CARA. CARA also hosted a luncheon for its members. The 2012 CARA meeting is schedule for the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), 5–6 October 2012.

CARA

CARA currently has 89 active members, of which 48 had paid 2011 dues. Dues brought in $830 and the MAA contributed $6,000 to CARA. CARA continued its List of Visiting Scholars, which listed ten for the academic year 2011–12. The CARA Data Project reported 86 centers, 15 regional associations, and 5 libraries and research institutes, totaling 106. CARA surveyed this group and received 34 responses for its online compilation of information on North American centers, programs, committees, libraries and regional associations.

GRADUATE STUDENT COMMITTEE

Appointments to the Graduate Student Committee were made by the Executive Director, Paul Szarmach, after a self-nomination process. His appointments included Sebastian J. Langdell, Elizaveta Strakhov, and Ethan Zadoff to two-year terms on the committee (2011–13). In 2011 in anticipation of the implementation of the Association Management System, the MAA supported the GSC’s communications efforts after the committee lost its ability to use the web presence that the MAA had previously set up for it with an outside service.

GRANTS TO THE MAA

The Retrospective Digital Editions of Print Editions Published by the Medieval Academy of America, 1925–2001, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, finished at the end of 2011 without being able to accomplish all of its goals. Delays in proofing and delivering comments to the vendor — which plagued the project since last year's report — the complexity of the unmediated comments delivered to the vendor and the lack of funds to pay the vendor resulted in less that perfect editions. Nevertheless, all the converted titles are available online in useful editions.

OFFICE AND STAFF REPORT

As of 31 December 2011, staff changes at the Medieval Academy included the departure of past Executive Director, Paul Szarmach, and of Lisa Fagin Da­vis, Assistant for Special Projects, the promotion of Mary-Jo Arn to Associate Editor of Speculum for Book Reviews, the realignment of Christopher Cole's position to Membership Coordinator and Editor of Medieval Academy News, its blog and online calendar. Jacqueline Brown relinquished her role as Associate Director and but continued as Associate Editor of Speculum, concentrating on articles. Sheryl Mullane-Corvi continued in her role as Assistant to the Executive Director.

The Executive Directors have produced a new Employees Handbook to regularize office procedures. It includes policies for Document Destruction and Retention, Procurement Procedures, Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassments, Conflict of Interest and Whistle-Blowing. The document has been submitted to the Executive Committee and Council for discussion and approval.

Respectfully submitted,

Eileen Gardiner and Ronald G. Musto

Executive Director