Editing Medieval university (section)

== Characteristics ==
[[Image:Treatises On Natural Science, Philosophy, And Mathematics - Mensuration.jpg|thumb|upright|Diagrams, in a volume of treatises on [[natural science]], [[philosophy]], and [[mathematics]]. This 1300 manuscript is typical of the sort of book owned by medieval university students.]]

Initially medieval universities did not have physical facilities such as the [[campus]] of a modern university. Classes were taught wherever space was available, such as churches and homes. A university was not a physical space but a collection of individuals banded together as a ''universitas''. Soon, however, universities began to rent, buy or construct buildings specifically for the purposes of teaching.<ref>A. Giesysztor, Part II, Chapter 4, page 136: University Buildings, in A History of the University In Europe, Volume I: Universities in the Middle Ages, W. Ruegg (ed.), Cambridge University Press, 1992.</ref>

Universities were generally structured along three types, depending on who paid the teachers. The first type was in [[University of Bologna|Bologna]], where students hired and paid for the teachers. The second type was in [[University of Paris|Paris]], where teachers were paid by the church. Oxford and Cambridge were predominantly supported by the crown and the state, which helped them survive the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] in 1538 and the subsequent removal of all principal [[Catholic]] institutions in England. These structural differences created other characteristics. At the Bologna university the students ran everything—a fact that often put teachers under great pressure and disadvantage. In Paris, teachers ran the school; thus Paris became the premiere spot for teachers from all over Europe. Also, in Paris the main subject matter was theology, so control of the qualifications awarded was in the hands of an external authority – the chancellor of the diocese. In Bologna, where students chose more secular studies, the main subject was law.

It was also characteristic of teachers and scholars to move around. Universities often competed to secure the best and most popular teachers, leading to the marketisation of teaching. Universities published their list of scholars to entice students to study at their institution. Students of [[Peter Abelard]] followed him to Melun, Corbeil, and Paris,<ref>James M. Kittleson, ''Rebirth, reform and resilience: Universities in transition 1300–1700'' (Columbus, Ohio State University Press, 1984), p. 164.</ref> showing that popular teachers brought students with them.