Residence Accommodations
The mission of the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing (RLSH)
is to advance the goals and objectives of the University by creating residential
communities that empower residents to value learning, citizenship and leadership.
In a very real sense, the residential experience enhances the University’s efforts
to recruit and retain great students. Doing this requires more than a housing operation
that manages a series of dormitories. To support SMU’s mission, goals and objectives, RLSH must develop and sustain the residence halls and apartments as communities that support the broad range of student needs. To this end, RLSH seeks opportunities to promote an intellectual culture in residence halls that complements
an already flourishing campus social culture. The University prides itself
on offering a full living and learning experience for its resident students.
RLSH is responsible for the campus residential community, including all residence
halls, approximately 40 SMU-owned apartments, and 10 SMU-owned Greek
chapter houses. This responsibility includes making sure facilities are well maintained
and safe, and that students have opportunities to grow personally and excel
academically.
Housing Policy for All Students
All first-year undergraduate students are required to live on campus. Exceptions
may be granted at the discretion of the director of Residence Life and Student
Housing to those students who plan to live with a parent or legal guardian in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area. For housing purposes, “first-year” means the first two
terms of college and successful completion of 24 SMU credit hours. Upperclass,
transfer and graduate students have no on-campus living requirements.
Applications for Residence
Applications for on-campus housing for new undergraduate students are
accepted when a student has been admitted to the University. New undergraduate
students should request campus housing when applying for admission to the
University. The housing application/contract form will be sent from the Division
of Enrollment Services with the notice of acceptance for admission to the University.
The application/contract should be completed and returned to Enrollment
Services, together with a check or money order in the amount of $550 to cover
the Advance Tuition Deposit, the Matriculation Fee and the Advance Housing
Deposit. These fees are nonrefundable.
New graduate students should submit the completed application/contract along
with a check or money order of $100 to cover the Advance Housing Deposit to
RLSH after acceptance into their graduate school program.
Priority of assignment is based on the date on which applications are received
by RLSH. Notification of assignment will be made by RLSH. Rooms are contracted
for the full academic year (fall and spring terms). Rent for the fall term will be
billed and is payable in advance of the term for students who register before August
1, and rent for the spring term will be billed and is payable in advance of that term
for students who register before December 1. Students who register after these
dates must pay at time of registration. Rent for the full academic year will be due
and payable should a student move from the residence hall at any time during the
school year. Accommodations for shorter periods are available only by special
arrangement with the director of RLSH before acceptance of the housing contract.
It is important that applicants become familiar with the housing contract, since it
is a legally binding contract.
Undergraduate Residence Halls
First-year halls include Boaz, McElvaney, Smith and Perkins (Hilltop Scholars
program). Four-class halls are designated for first-year, sophomore, junior and
senior students and include Morrison-McGinnis, Cockrell-McIntosh, Virginia-
Snider (honors community), Shuttles, Mary Hay and Peyton (fine arts community),
the Multicultural House and the Daniel House (transfer student community). All
rooms are furnished with single beds, dressers, desks, chairs and closets or wardrobes
for clothes. Each student is expected to furnish a pillow, bed linens, bed
covers, bedspreads, towels, mattress pad and study lamp. Mattresses in all buildings
are 80 inches long, extra-long twin size.
Upper Class, Graduate Student and Family Halls
Four halls are designated for upperclass students (sophomores and above),
graduate students and students with families (married couples with or without
children, or single parents with children).
The Service House is a small upperclass hall with a thematic focus of community
service. This hall is run in conjunction with the SMU Office of Leadership and
Community Involvement.
Moore Hall is designated for sophomores and above and consists of two-person efficiency
apartments. Each apartment has a kitchen/sleeping area and a bathroom. The
kitchen area contains an electric stove, refrigerator, sink, garbage disposal and dishwasher,
as well as built-in cabinets, table and two chairs. The bedroom area contains
two single beds, two desks and chairs, two dressers, two closets and a bookcase.
Martin Hall, an efficiency apartment hall, houses single and married graduate
students, and married undergraduate students.
Hawk Hall, a one-bedroom-apartment facility, houses married students (graduate
and undergraduate) with families. Families with no more than two children may
be housed in Hawk Hall.
SMU Apartments
SMU Apartments adjoin campus, and are located in the Highland Park Independent
School District. All apartments are unfurnished, and tenants must be
students (sophomores and above), faculty or staff. Availability is limited.
Special Housing Needs
Students having special housing needs because of a disability should contact
RLSH prior to submitting the housing application. Whenever possible, the housing
staff will work with that student in adapting the facility to meet special needs.
General Housing Information
In the residence halls each room or apartment is equipped with a telephone,
local telephone service, voicemail system and Ethernet and wireless connections
to the University’s computer system. Renovated halls also have in-room cable
television programming. All residence halls are air-conditioned d, and rooms have
individual climate-control. The SMU Apartments are unfurnished and telecommunication
services (i.e., telephone, cable, Internet connections) are not provided.
Washing machines and dryers are located in all residence halls and adjacent to
SMU Apartments, Multicultural House and Daniel House.
Undergraduate students living in traditional residence halls are required to
participate in a meal plan offered by SMU Dining Services. Like the residence
hall contract, the meal plan obligation is for the entire academic year and is billed and paid for on a term basis. Students living in Moore, Martin and Hawk Halls as
well as the Multicultural House, Daniel House, Service House and SMU Apartments
are exempt from the meal plan requirement. With the exception of Daniel
House, Martin, Hawk and Moore, all residence halls are closed during the winter
break between fall and spring terms. SMU Apartments are on 12-month leases
and open throughout the term of the lease.
For more information, contact the Department of Residence Life and Student
Housing, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 750215, Dallas TX 75275-0215;
telephone 214-768-2407; fax: 214-768-4005; www.smu.edu/housing; e-mail: housing@smu.edu.
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