Lori N. Foust lori.foust@fandm.edu

Dec 1, 2020, 8:55 AM

Juniors and Seniors living in Off Campus Leased housing – this will not pertain to you.

For all other Juniors and Seniors working remotely, commuting or those that lived on campus Fall 2020. Please read carefully.

Dear students, 

In collaboration with the DipCon Housing and Dining Committee, the Spring Working Group (which included faculty, staff, and students) and the College House Deans and Dons, we have developed a Spring Housing Placement Process that prioritizes safety, equity, and efficiency. To aid you in your planning, we are sharing the process with you in advance and ask that you please read it thoroughly.  

Spring 2021 On Campus Housing 

Franklin & Marshall is pleased to welcome back to campus the sophomores who have been studying remotely, as well as returning sophomore, junior, and senior classes to on-campus housing in spring 2021. The first year students will be missed but we are planning some remote experiences to help them stay connected. To accommodate the health and safety of our resident students, significant changes have been made to our traditional housing processes including the transition to all single rooms and a new neighborhood group housing option. Previous housing assignments and lottery selections will be replaced with a new placement process.

Students electing to come to campus will be required to sign and adhere to all aspects of the F&M Pledge. In January, students will receive clear expectations for arrival, testing, quarantine, and residential living. Failure to abide by these provisions will result in disciplinary action which may include removal from housing and a requirement to study remotely for the remainder of the term. 

On-campus housing locations for spring 2021 will primarily be in the five College Houses with limited space available in Thomas and Dietz Halls and in the small college-owned houses proximate to the campus. Schnader Hall will remain in use as quarantine and isolation housing. All rooms have been designated as single rooms and the same rate will be charged for all spaces.  

Students who Lived On Campus Fall 2020

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who lived on campus during the fall semester, and who plan to continue with in-person learning on campus in the spring 2021 semester, may continue to live on campus in their current housing location or may opt into the Spring Placement Process.  Please note, it may not be possible to retain the same room or suite location. 

College-owned housing: [534 W. James Street Apartments; Phi Kappa Psi; Harbaugh House; Sustainability House; Wellness House; 729, 731, and 733 College Avenue]

We anticipate that students in College-owned properties, especially those in theme, fraternity, and special interest housing, will want to continue living in the same location in the spring. As such, your on campus assignment will be continued automatically. If you do not wish to continue in this same assignment, please contact Lori Foust directly to be included in the Spring Housing Placement process.  

College Houses, Thomas or Dietz: 

Students who were placed into these locations for the fall will continue living in the same location in the spring.  As such, your on-campus housing , in one of these facilities will be continued automatically. Please note, it may not be possible to retain the same room or suite location.  If you do not wish to continue in this same location, please contact Lori Foust directly to be included in the Spring Housing Placement process.  

Housing Placement (New arrivals or those requesting a change from fall)

Students coming to campus for the first time this academic year, as well as those opting to change rooms from their fall assignment, will participate in Housing Placement. These students will submit an application through The Housing Director software. Students will be assigned a room based on College House affiliation and available housing. It will not be possible to request a specific room assignment or building.   

Individual Housing Applications 

Students may opt to enter the placement process by themselves and will be placed as individual students. 

Neighborhood Housing

Because of physical distancing, mask wearing, and other COVID-related parameters, F&M has created the Neighborhood Housing process to give on-campus students an increased ability to select the people who live nearby by creating small “neighbor groups.” Students using this option will select a friend or a small group of friends to live nearby as “neighbors.” 


Students participating in Neighborhood Housing will select other students to live with as “neighbors” in groups of 2, 3, or 4 during the application process. Students may select a group of peers regardless of College House affiliation. Students will be assigned to blocks of rooms on floors, in suites and apartments.  

Medical Housing Accommodations

The medical housing accommodation process is designed to meet housing needs of students who have a documented medical condition or other significant life circumstance that requires specific housing accommodations. Please review the information about the process on Student Accessibility Services website.  

What Happens Next

After applications are received,  the Housing Placement Committee will review applications and make placements. The Housing Office may be following up over the break with questions concerning groups,so please watch your email. Announcements about housing assignments will be made in early January .

Important Dates

  • Dec. 7-10: Housing application submission
  • Dec. 14: Housing assignments review begins
  • Dec. 19 – Jan. 1: College offices closed
  • Jan. 4: J-Term begins
  • Jan. 8: Spring Term Housing assignments announcement
  • Jan. 28: J-Term ends
  • Jan. 29: J-Term exams
  • Jan. 29 – 31: On-campus student arrival testing and move-in (based on location)

Deb Moriarty, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President & Dean of Student Affairs
Franklin & Marshall College
717.358.5816
Pronouns: she/her

Lori Foust
Director of Housing
Franklin & Marshall College
P.O. Box 3003
Lancaster, PA 17604-3003

717.358.4438 – PHONE
717.358.4235 – FAX

Email:   lori.foust@fandm.edu
Pronouns:  she/her

Office: Old Main Room 122

By TCR