Weis College House

Welcome back from Spring Break! I am anxious to have you reserve April 12, so we can make Weis College House history together!

Please join me at 4:30pm on Thursday April 12 for a reception in the Weis Great Room to honor Professor Sean Flaherty, our new 2012-2015 Weis College House faculty don. As much as I have enjoyed my 4 years as faculty don, it is time now to return to my bioinformatics research (curating a ribosomal mutation database). However, I am thrilled that Weis will now have BOTH a Faculty don AND an Associate Dean/Prefect who are F&M alums! We are making history!

Professor Flaherty enrolled in Franklin and Marshall College in the fall of 1969, which was the first year that young women joined young men as F&M students. After graduating as an economics major four years later, he spent the following year backpacking around Europe and spending some time on an Israeli kibbutz. Flaherty subsequently attended graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, earning a Ph.D. in economics in 1981. In that same year, he returned to Lancaster to 'rejoin' the F&M economics department, this time as an assistant professor.

Flaherty's Ph.D. dissertation involved an economic analysis of strikes during the term of a contact-- aka 'wildcat strikes'--and his subsequent academic research focused largely on issues in labor economics and industrial relations. More recently, his research interests have grown to include issues in the economics of education, the economic effects of residential segregation, the use of 'indicators' as measures of social welfare in local areas, the efficacy of public health programs, and the political economy of health care reform. His scholarly publications have appeared in venues such as Industrial Relations, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Rethinking Marxism, Research in Political Economy, Working USA: The Journal of Labor and Society, Eastern Economic Journal, Women's Health Issues, and JLGH: The Journal of Lancaster General Hospital.

Flaherty has taught several different courses in the economics department since returning to his alma mater more than 30 years ago (he will be teaching a seminar on Topics in Labor Economics this coming fall semester). He served as director of the College's emerging service-learning program from 2002-2006, during which time he was a co-creator/instructor of both The Citizenship Seminar and Public Health Research: Pregnancy Outcomes in American Women. He received the College's Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2010.

Flaherty currently serves on the board of directors of Good Schools Pennsylvania. He has in the past served on the boards of The Community First Fund, The Lancaster Community Indicators Project, The Lancaster Health Improvement Partnership, and New Choices/New Options Plus.

Flaherty has two children, both of whom are graduates of liberal arts colleges. He is married to Amy Schnetter Levine, F&M ’73.

There is no need to rsvp for this reception. I look forward to seeing you there!
Professor Triman

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About Our House

Established during the 2005-2006 academic year, the mission of the College House system is to provide opportunities for students, faculty, and alumni to meet, share ideas, and support one another, develop individual capacities, and enrich the intellectual experience of each. In doing so, the Houses encourage development of intellect, society, and community across the campus. Working in each house, faculty dons and prefects stand committed to creating space that is neither solely academic nor solely residential, but is a third space where all members of the College community meet and explore mutual intellectual and social interests.

As the College strives to add physical spaces that will support this model of student, faculty, and alumni engagement, it is with gratitude that Franklin and Marshall College dedicates, in 2011, the fourth House – Weis College House. Made possible by the vision and deep generosity of Robert and Patricia Weis and the Weis family, the Weis College House stands as a steadfast reminder of their deep commitment of time and resources to the College.

House Colors

Our House colors are sky blue, navy, and maize. Sky blue represents air, which is vital to life. Just like the sky, we hope to be ever-present in student life as we strive to positively affect the campus. Navy represents the confidence and trust we have amongst one another in our pursuit of knowledge and education. Maize symbolizes the joy, growth, and stimulation of higher mentality felt throughout our halls as students gather to strengthen our community. The maize also symbolizes our connection with the sun, and therefore life and energy.

Crest

The Weis College House crest, an escutcheon designed by Alexandra Lortie ’14, is an example of landscape heraldry and depicts vines growing on a trellis that complement the sun against a blue sky. The South-facing Weis Great Room tracks the path of the sun. The Sun in the Weis crest encourages students to begin each day fresh with energy for intellectual stimulation. The climbing vines represent the aspirations, growth, and vitality of all House members. The vines also symbolize Weis College House's two gardens and green roof. The trellis symbolizes the support for the Franklin and Marshall community provided by Weis College House.

Motto

Our motto is socii mundi, or united under the sun. It is our call for students to join together in our House community to pursue knowledge and truth.

Mascot

Standing tall with wings outstretched, our dragon mascot represents courage and reason. The flames of the dragon light our path throughout our journey at Franklin and Marshall and beyond.

Picture coming Soon!