The term comes from the Latin decanus , a leader of `` ten , '' taken from the medieval monasteries ( particularly those following the Cluniac Reforms ) which were often extremely large , with hundreds of monks ( the size of a small college campus ) . The term comes from the Latin decanus , `` a leader of ten '' , taken from the medieval monasteries ( particularly those following the Cluniac Reforms ) which were often extremely large , with hundreds of monks ( the size of a small college campus ) .