An Ordinary was a type of

lecture A lecture (from Latin ''lēctūra'' “reading” ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical inform ...

given in

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. Lectures were distinguished by the time of day they were conducted: an ''ordinary'' was conducted by fully qualified

professors Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

on fundamental texts in the morning, while ''extraordinary'' lectures were given in the afternoon by bachelors (the medieval equivalent of a graduate student) on less important texts.Baldwin, John W., ''The Scholastic Culture of the Middle Ages, 1000-1300'', p. 60

References

Academic terminology {{edu-stub