Resources for Graduate Students

Medieval Studies students may use the reference library of the Richard Rawlinson Center (RRC), which has holdings of over 6,000 books, offprints and electronic resources, for research and study during business hours. More information can be found here.

The Patrick O'Sullivan Reading Room is available for informal meetings and gatherings. Students also have shelves in the Reading Room reserved for their personal use. Please go to the main office of the Medieval Institute for access during business hours.

Workshops on pedagogy, professional development and the field of medieval studies are offered throughout the semester. Topics have ranged from "Grading" and "Developing syllabi" to "What is medieval studies?" and "Internet medievalism." Upcoming workshops are listed on the Events page.

The Medieval Research Group is a voluntary association of medieval studies students, staff and affiliated faculty to share research and foster collegiality. It is open to graduate students in other departments who share interests in medieval studies. More information about MRG can be found here.  

The Goliardic Society is an independent social organization run by the graduate students of the Medieval Institute. The mission of the society is to facilitate camaraderie among students, faculty and friends while enhancing the academic environment of the Institute and the medievalist community of Kalamazoo through various donations, volunteer work and scholarly activities. It is open to any graduate student with an interest in medieval studies, including but not limited to students at the Institute, the English department and the History department. Reach out with any questions to @email.

The Graduate College at Western Michigan University also offers a variety of resources for graduate students, including a Graduate Student Online orientation, events and workshops, writing and teaching support and more.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is the student government representing Western Michigan University's graduate students. The Association offers a variety of funding opportunities, interdisciplinary events and graduate student resources. The GSA also sponsors "The Hilltop Review," a peer-reviewed journal of graduate student research and creative work that awards scholarships to three article authors, an artist and a creative writer each issue.

The main campus library, Waldo Library, has late-night hours; a café; knowledgeable librarians who can help you with research; and a variety of spaces and technologies available to students, including research carrels that can be reserved for one academic year. Computers, printers, copiers, scanners and microfilm scanners are all available at Waldo Library. Students can borrow items from outside the WMU libraries through Interlibrary Loan (a network of 70,000 libraries worldwide) and MeL (Michigan eLibrary, a network of libraries in Michigan). Waldo Library is also home to the Graduate Student Commons, a space reserved exclusively for the use of graduate students, including individual and group study rooms and computer stations with a wide variety of software.

Zhang Legacy Collections Center is located south of Walwood Hall on Oakland Drive and is home to WMU Archives, Regional History Collection and Special Collections, including WMU's medieval and early modern collections. Students can visit Zhang any time during its open hours or can make an appointment to make sure that the materials they would like to consult are ready when they arrive.