Dear Students, 

As you may know, first- and second-year Combined Degree students and second-year BFA students live with other Arts and Sciences and Engineering students on the Medford/Somerville campus, while first-year BFAs live in the Beacon Street residences near the Fenway Campus. We have seen that living in the Medford/Somerville residence halls gives SMFA students the opportunity to build social networks beyond their SMFA cohort and fully embrace student life at Tufts. We have long wished to provide our first-year BFA students with the same experience and opportunities enjoyed by their Arts and Sciences and Engineering classmates. And over the years, some of our incoming BFA students have asked why this was not the case for them. However, there simply were not enough rooms on campus to accommodate them. 

That is about to change. With the Fall 2027 opening of the Pachyderm Place Apartments designed to house approximately 670 juniors and seniors, we will be able to guarantee incoming BFA students housing on the Medford/Somerville campus. Beginning in September 2027, all SMFA BFA first-year students will live on the Medford/Somerville campus. They will be integrated with other incoming first-year Arts and Sciences and Engineering students through the standard room and roommate assignment process managed by Residential Life and Learning. Also, moving forward, all SMFA undergraduates will have the same two-year campus residency requirement as all other undergraduates. While the Beacon Street residences have provided a welcoming home to our first-year BFA students, we are confident this change will broaden their social networks and community building opportunities.

The Fall 2026 BFA first-year students will be the last cohort to live at 1023, 1025, and 1047 Beacon Street. We look forward to planning some fun and special activities with them to celebrate this historic milestone. These buildings are not owned by Tufts University and we will not be renewing our leases.

All undergraduate students at SMFA (BFA and Combined Degree) will continue to receive free MBTA passes through the UPass program. 

We know change can create some uncertainty. This adjustment has been well planned and will benefit our SMFA undergraduates’ residential experience at Tufts as well as their sense of community and belonging.

We hope you have a productive and enjoyable summer!

Scheri Fultineer, MTS, MLArch
Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
Professor of the Practice

Bárbara M. Brizuela, PhD
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Education 

Camille Lizarríbar, JD, PhD
Dean of Students for AS&E and Chief Student Life Officer