Lyle School of Engineering - University Life and Services
The Department of Residence Life and Student Housing operates two apartment residence halls designated primarily for graduate students.
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. Also located in Hawk Hall is the SMU Preschool and Child Care Center.
Special Housing Needs
Students having special housing needs because of a disability should contact the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing 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
Each apartment is equipped with a telephone, local telephone service, voice mail system and Ethernet connections to the University’s computer system. All residence halls are air-conditioned and some have individually climate-controlled rooms. Washing machines and dryers are located in all residence halls. Meal plans are not required in graduate halls.
Applications for Residence
New graduate students should submit the completed application and contract to the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing with a check or money order for $100 made payable to Southern Methodist University for the nonrefundable housing deposit.
Priority of assignment is based on the date on which applications are received by the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing. Notification of assignment will be made by Residence Life and Student Housing. 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 for students who register before August 1, and rent for the spring term will be billed and is payable in advance for students who register before December 1. Students who enroll after these dates must pay at the time of enrollment. 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 executive director of Residence Life and Student Housing before acceptance of the housing contract.
For more information, please visit the website at
smu.edu/housing or contact the department: Department of Housing and Residence Life, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 750215,
Dallas TX 75275-0215; phone 214-768-2407; fax: 214-768-4005;
housing@smu.edu.
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Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports
Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports (smu.edu/recsports) is a facility designed for recreational
sports and wellness. The 170,000-square-foot expansion and renovation was completed in 2006. The center provides racquetball courts; aerobic studios; indoor running track; basketball; indoor and outdoor sand volleyball courts; climbing wall; bouldering wall; 25-meter, five-lane recreational pool; 15,000 square feet of fitness and weight equipment; lobby; and café. Various fitness classes are offered. These facilities are open to SMU students, faculty, staff and members.
Intramurals
Many opportunities for team and individual competition are available through intramurals. Various leagues provide year-round opportunities to participate in a wide variety of activities. The five major sports are football, volleyball, basketball, soccer and softball. Other sports and activities offered are bowling, golf, racquetball, tennis, track, swimming and game room activities. Additional leadership opportunities are available for those interested in officiating or supervising various activities.
Sport Clubs
Sport clubs offer an opportunity for students interested in concentrated training and participation in a sport who do not want to train and devote the practice time required for NCAA competition. These student-sanctioned clubs, funded by the Student Senate, offer competition with other university/college club teams in baseball, badminton, cricket, crew, cycling, ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, martial arts, rugby, sailing, soccer, triathlon, volleyball, and wakeboarding.
Aquatics
SMU Aquatics features a five-lane, indoor recreational pool and outdoor, zero-depth entry fountain pool known as “The Falls.” Students have opportunities to participate year-round in recreational swimming, sunbathing and competitive water sports such as water basketball, volleyball and polo. Classes offered include water fitness, adult and child swimming lessons, children’s group lessons, and American Red Cross Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor certifications. Both pools also are available for student group reservations.
Fitness
SMU Fitness offers group exercise classes, personal training sessions and massage therapy. The group exercise (Group X) classes are offered throughout the day to accommodate early birds, night owls and everyone in between. A plethora of different types of cardio, strength and flexibility classes are available. Experienced and knowledgeable trainers offer sessions to train clients, either one-on-one or in groups, to meet their personal fitness goals. Licensed massage therapists offer chair or full-body massages. All SMU Fitness programs have a fee for participation.
Outdoor Adventures
Outdoor Adventures comprises Outdoor Recreation (outdoor trips), The Rental Shop (renting outdoor equipment), SMU Climbing Center (climbing wall and bouldering wall), and Challenge and Team-Building Activities (incorporating a portable challenge course). SMU OA offers fun and challenging outdoor recreation activities, community-building programs and leadership opportunities through backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing and more.
Mustang Band
Founded in 1917, the Mustang Band was named the “Best College Marching Band” in Texas in Kirk Dooley’s
Book of Texas Bests. Long known as “the hub of SMU spirit,” the band represents the University at football and basketball games, produces the
Pigskin Revue during homecoming and performs at special University- and community-related events. Membership is open to all SMU students by audition, regardless of major, and scholarships based on need and ability are available.
Spirit Squads
The Cheerleading Squad, Pom-Pom Squads and Peruna mascot are integral parts of SMU’s spirit tradition and are national award winners, having participated in the NCA/NDA Collegiate National Championships. Along with the Mustang Band, they make SMU’s spirit contingent a superb one.
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SMU Memorial Health Center
The University’s health facilities are located in the SMU Memorial Health Center, 6211 Bishop Boulevard. An outpatient primary care clinic, specialty clinics, pharmacy and lab/X-ray facilities occupy the first floor. Counseling and Psychiatric Services and the Office for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention are located on the second floor. The Health Center (smu.edu/healthcenter) is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc.
Outpatient Medical Services. SMU provides a convenient, economical medical clinic for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury, as well as for immunizations and continuation of treatment such as allergy injections. The clinic is staffed by physicians, physician’s assistants, registered nurses, medical assistants, and lab and X-ray technologists. Physicians are available by appointment from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For Saturday clinics and extended hours, see the Health Center website (smu.edu/healthcenter). For appointments and health information, call 214-768-2141. After hours and during holidays, a nurse advice line is available at 214-768-2141.
Patient Observation. When ordered by a staff physician, a student may be held in observation between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Observation is available for most types of nonmajor medical treatment. When necessary, students are referred to medical or surgical specialists in Dallas. The patient will be responsible for the costs of these services.
Acute/After Hours Care. For emergency care after clinic hours, it is recommended that students call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room. Refer to the Health Center website (smu.edu/healthcenter) for hospital information and location of an urgent care facility.
Costs. Undergraduate and graduate students paying the full fee (which includes a health service fee) receive fully covered primary care physician services at the Health Center for that term. Appointments with the gynecologist or dermatologist and lab, X-ray, pharmacy and supplies costs will be charged at reasonable rates. Graduate students not paying full fees have the option to pay the Health Center fee of $140 per term or $50 per visit, not to exceed $140 per term.
Mandatory Health Insurance Policy. To ensure that students have appropriate health care coverage, SMU requires its students to maintain insurance as a condition of enrollment. All international students enrolled in one or more credit hours are required not only to maintain coverage, but their coverage must be in the SMU Student Insurance Plan.
International students may apply for a waiver if:
1) the student is covered by a comparable embassy plan or
2) the student can provide documented evidence of comparable health insurance coverage by a U.S. employer, including medical evacuation and repatriation.
All domestic students taking at least nine credit hours are required to:
1) provide proof of comparable U.S. health coverage or
2) enroll in the SMU Student Insurance Plan. All students may view the plan benefits, waive coverage and/or enroll online at
ahpcare.com/smu, or call Academic Health Plans at 888-308-7320 for further details.
A student must be enrolled in at least one credit hour to qualify for the SMU Student Health Plan. Insurance packets are also available at the Health Center. Domestic students who have other insurance will be provided an itemized receipt upon request at the time of service. This receipt is adequate to file with insurance companies for reimbursement. Health insurance is separate from the student health-center fees and is paid for independently.
Pharmacy. A complete pharmacy with registered pharmacists is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Many prescription plans are accepted.
X-ray and Laboratory Services. X-ray and laboratory tests are available for nominal fees. All
X-rays are interpreted by a radiologist.
Immunizations. All students are required to have an SMU medical history form on file in the SMU Health Center before registration. To comply with SMU policy, all students must provide proof of immunizations against measles, rubeola (red or regular measles), and rubella (German or three day measles). These immunizations must be documented by a physician, public health record or school health record. Students will not be allowed to register without compliance. Students are encouraged to check their Access.SMU account for health forms and immunization status. Immunizations are available at the Health Center.
Class Absence Due to Illness. Students should schedule appointments with physicians at times when classes will not be missed. The Health Center does not issue excuses from classes for illness. Refer to the Health Center website (smu.edu/healthcenter) for the Class Absence Policy.
Notification of Parents. Students are encouraged to call one or both parents when ill. Parents or guardians will be notified in cases of life threatening illnesses. The Health Center staff may not speak to parents without the student’s permission.
Health Service Records. All health service records are confidential. A copy of medical records may be released to a physician only with a written release by the student. Records are not made available to parents, SMU administrators, faculty or staff without the student’s written consent.
Counseling and Testing Services
Counseling and Psychiatric Services. CAPS provides psychiatric evaluation, crisis intervention and group/individual/couples psychotherapy for students. All interviews are conducted on a voluntary and confidential basis. There is no charge to students who have paid the University health fee. Students can seek confidential help for concerns such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, career/life planning, learning disabilities, sexual identity, eating/body image concerns and sexual assault/sexual harassment matters. Any laboratory tests or pharmaceuticals ordered will be charged to the student. Appointments may be scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, by calling 214-768-2877.
Testing Services. Testing Services offers testing to the Dallas-area community. These services include on-campus administration of national testing programs such as the SAT, LSAT, GRE Subject and PRAXIS. Other testing offered includes CLEP tests and correspondence examinations for other universities. For additional information, call the center at 214-768-2269.
Office for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention. This office provides a free and confidential source of help and information to the SMU community on issues related to substance abuse and addiction. Appointments for counseling or assessment can be made between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, by calling 214-768-4021. For more information, visit smu.edu/liveresponsibly.
Office of Health Education and Promotion. This office serves as a resource for health information on campus. The office promotes programs and activities that focus attention on health-related issues affecting college students. Students can get involved with health education on campus through the Peer Advising Network. For more information, visit smu.edu/healthcenter/healtheducation or call 214-768-2393.
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The SMU Preschool and Child Care Center is a fully licensed center open throughout the year to students, faculty and staff. Children ages 1 month through 5 years are accepted, subject to space availability. Hours of operation are 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fees are adjusted to the age of the child. For more information, please contact the center: Director, SMU Preschool and Child Care Center, Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX 75275; 214-768-2278.
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The Honor Code of Southern Methodist University
Intellectual integrity and academic honesty are fundamental to the processes of learning and of evaluating academic performance, and maintaining them is the responsibility of all members of an educational institution. The inculcation of personal standards of honesty and integrity is a goal of education in all the disciplines of the University.
The faculty has the responsibility of encouraging and maintaining an atmosphere of academic honesty by being certain that students are aware of the value of it, that they understand the regulations defining it and that they know the penalties for departing from it. The faculty should, as far as is reasonably possible, assist students in avoiding the temptation to cheat. Faculty members must be aware that permitting dishonesty is not open to personal choice. A professor or instructor who is unwilling to act upon offenses is an accessory with the student offender in deteriorating the integrity of the University.
Students must share the responsibility for creating and maintaining an atmosphere of honesty and integrity. Students should be aware that personal experience in completing assigned work is essential to learning. Permitting others to prepare their work, using published or unpublished summaries as a substitute for studying required material, or giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in the preparation of work to be submitted are directly contrary to the honest process of learning.
Students who are aware that others in a course are cheating or otherwise acting dishonestly have the responsibility to inform the professor and/or bring an accusation to the Honor Council.
Students and faculty members must share the knowledge that any dishonest practices permitted will make it more difficult for the honest students to be evaluated and graded fairly and will damage the integrity of the whole University. Students should recognize that both their own interest and their integrity as individuals would suffer if they condone dishonesty in others.
The Honor System
All students at SMU are subject to the jurisdiction of the Honor Code and as such will be required to sign a pledge to uphold the Honor Code (smu.edu/studentlife). The Honor Council is composed of a minimum of 27 members selected through an application and interview process organized by the Honor Council Executive Board. Five faculty members will be nominated by the Faculty Senate. The council’s responsibility is to maintain and promote academic honesty.
Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, cheating, academic sabotage, facilitating academic dishonesty and fabrication. Plagiarism is prohibited in all papers, projects, take-home exams or any other assignments in which the student submits another’s work as being his or her own. Cheating is defined as intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise. Academic sabotage is defined as intentionally taking any action that
negatively affects the academic work of another student. Facilitating academic dishonesty is defined as intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any provision of the Honor Code. Fabrication is defined as intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
Suspected cases of academic dishonesty may be handled administratively by the appropriate faculty member in whose class the alleged infraction occurred or may be referred to the Honor Council for resolution. Suspected violations reported to the Honor Council by a student or by an instructor will be investigated and, if the evidence warrants, a hearing will be held by a board composed of a quorum of four members of the Honor Council.
Any appeal of an action taken by the Honor Council shall be submitted to the University Conduct Council in writing no later than four calendar days (excluding school holidays) after notification of the Honor Council’s decision.
Code of Conduct
The following are University procedures and standards with which every student must become familiar. The University considers matriculation at SMU an implicit covenant and a declaration of acceptance on the part of the student of all University regulations. The Student Conduct and Community Standards Office (smu.edu/studentconduct), part of the Office of the Dean of Student Life, assists students in their personal development by providing a fair conduct process that issues consistent sanctions for behavior that is incongruent with the University’s expectations for students.
Conduct. Standards of conduct are established through faculty, student and administrative efforts and are under continuous evaluation by the entire University community in order to assure reasonable and fair limits. At SMU, the student is assumed to have a high degree of loyalty and responsibility to the University and its well-being, as well as to himself or herself in personal, social and intellectual pursuits; the student’s behavior both on and off campus is evidence of this.
Students at SMU will discover that they are encouraged to exercise a great amount of personal freedom as well as accompanying responsibilities. Through their personal capacities for intelligent thought and action, mature students understand that there are situations in which certain behavior must be modified for the benefit of others. The University stands firm in its commitments to the rights and freedoms of students, expecting in return the same respect and concern.
The University expects all students to be responsible citizens and to abide by all federal, state and local laws. Personal irresponsibility – including, but not limited to, that evidenced by dishonesty, gambling, hazing, irresponsible conduct, and the misuse of drugs and alcohol – renders a student subject to disciplinary action. Although most specific regulations pertain to a student’s behavior while on campus, a lack of personal responsibility and integrity is always considered grounds for discipline no matter where it occurs. Due respect for the entire University community, faculty, staff and one’s fellow students is always expected.
Students are required to identify themselves when asked by a properly identified faculty or staff member, or by another student serving as a University staff member. Persons who are not members of the University community and without business on campus may be asked to leave.
Disciplinary Action. Clear disciplinary procedures are an important part of the mission of SMU as an educational institution. The intent of the system of due process at SMU is to be educational and not merely punitive for students. The goal continues to be to produce quality citizens. It is pertinent
to the purpose of discipline to remember that self-discipline is part of the entire educational process, whereby the student becomes more fully aware of the importance of responsibility for oneself and others. Anytime a student displays irresponsible behavior, that student will be subject to discipline.
Depending on the degree of misconduct, a student may be subject to sanctions ranging from a conduct reprimand to expulsion from the University. Should a student be asked to leave the University, he or she should do so in an expeditious and peaceful manner. The student should remain off campus until he or she receives written permission from the Office of the Dean of Student Life to return to campus. In the event of such separation, a student is still responsible for University financial obligations.
The University believes in student representation on all disciplinary bodies. To ensure fairness and due process for all students in the conduct process, the student is granted an impartial hearing and the right to appeal to the University Conduct Council. A student who is appealing a sanction may remain in school until the decision and penalty are reviewed, unless considered harmful to the University, to any individual, or to himself or herself. All actions by the council are subject to presidential review.
Having voluntarily enrolled as students at Southern Methodist University and assumed a place in the University community, all students are presumed to be knowledgeable of, and have agreed to abide by, the rules and regulations set forth in the Student Code of Conduct, as outlined in the
SMU Student Handbook. This book is available from the Office of the Dean of Student Life: Hughes-Trigg Student Center, third floor; smu.edu/studentlife.
Loss of Personal Property. The University is not responsible for the loss of personal property belonging to students in any building or on any grounds owned by the University, whether the loss results from theft, fire or unknown cause.
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The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities strives to support the educational, career, social and recreational choices of SMU students with documented disabilities through coordination of services and reasonable accommodations. It is the responsibility of the students themselves to establish eligibility for services or accommodations through this office. They must provide:
1) appropriate current documentation in keeping with SMU's documentation guidelines and 2) a request indicating what kind of assistance is being sought, along with contact information.
Documentation takes one to two weeks to be reviewed. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the office at 214-768-4557 to learn what opportunities and services are available. It is recommended that contact be made as early as possible so students can establish their eligibility for services in a timely fashion and take full advantage of services for which they may be eligible. For more information, please visit the website at
smu.edu/OSSD.
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