French House Application Form
Note: You must be logged into your Macalester Google Account to fill out this form.
CONDITIONS FOR ADMISSION
I. Criteria used in the selection of residents:
1) Completion of French 203 or its equivalent.
2) Motivation for living in the House.
3) Willingness to comply with the goals of the French House as expressed in the information, LA MAISON FRANÇAISE.
4) Recommendation by at least one faculty member of the French Department (to be requested by the student). Students who have lived in the House previously must have a positive recommendation from one of the Directors of the French House for that period of residence.
5) Participation in a Study Abroad Program in France or Francophone country (going and/or returning).
6) Declaration of a Major or Minor in French.
7) Enrollment in a French course during the semester of residence.
II. Factors considered for room choice (1 double, 2 singles):
1) Number of semesters in residence halls at Macalester (following Office of Residential life priorities).
2) Academic classification.
III. Length of residency:
1) Because there are frequently more applicants than spaces available in the House, students will be accepted for one semester only and must reapply each semester.
2) A student who does not comply with the goals of the French House as found in this Information Sheet can expect not to be selected for another semester of residence and may even be asked to leave the House during the semester. In either case, this in no way affects the student’s room contract with the college (i.e. he/she will be placed in other college housing or must go through the usual procedures, as stipulated by the Office of Residential Life, to move off-campus.
IV. Screening:
Applications for residency in the French House are screened by the Faculty Liaison of French and Francophone Studies and the Chair of the French Department.
LA MAISON FRANÇAISE
WHY LIVE IN THE FRENCH HOUSE?
1. Living in the French House will give you an opportunity to work on your spoken French. It will provide you with an everyday spoken vocabulary and an opportunity to develop fluency.
2. You will become better acquainted with French culture and with a world view which may be different from your own.
3. This living situation will provide an intensive preparation for study in a French-speaking country or a helpful reentry after study abroad.
It is a privilege to live in the French House and its residents must be willing to endorse its goals. They must speak French, participate in the weekly meal which is at the heart of the communal French-speaking experience, agree to live cooperatively and respect the rights of the other residents, and participate in the programs of the French House. Living in the French House is not a matter of personal convenience to avoid living in the dorms. Residents should also realize that the existence of language houses at Macalester could be jeopardized by problems in the functioning of any language house.
LIVING AGREEMENT FOR THE FRENCH HOUSE
1. Residents are expected to use French as the language of communication in the house.
2. One meal will be taken in common each week. This will provide an opportunity for discussion in French and for community building. Evening meals will be prepared by the residents and the French House Student Program Assistant. Day and time of meals will be decided during first week of the each semester.
3. Residents must be willing to cooperate in household maintenance, etc. and must be thoughtful of others living in the house with regard to cleanliness, etc. A cardinal rule should be “always leave a clean space after you; count on no one but yourself to perform your share of the work.”
4. Residents should be willing to establish a community and to respect others with regard to music, noise, etc., to be tolerant of human foibles, and enter into interactions of good faith and goodwill.
5. Residents must be willing to take some responsibility with relationship to programs at the house, should help the French House Student Program Assistant plan them and should participate in them.
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FRENCH DEPARTMENT
One of the faculty members of the French Department is in charge of:
1. Selection of the residents for the house in consultation with the department chair)
2. Liaison with the Residential Life Office
3. Consultation on cultural programs
The French Department seeks support of its academic program through French House activities. These are of two kinds: a) activities on a regular basis initiated by the French House Student Program Assistant and the house residents and approved by the French Department faculty liaison; b) activities initiated by the French Department such as special conferences or lectures, potluck dinner for students returning from study abroad, an academic reception for graduating seniors and their families, etc. In these cases, the French Department will work cooperatively with the French House Student Program Assistant on arrangements and give enough lead time (to be determined).