Simmons School of Education and Human Development
(2010 Graduate Catalog)
University Life and Services
John E. Wheeler,
Director
Students whose first language is not English may encounter special challenges as they strive to function efficiently in the unfamiliar culture of an American university setting. The Office of General Education offers the following ESL resources to students from all schools and departments of SMU.
The Courses (ESL)
1001. ESL Communication Skills. The goal of this course is to improve ESLstudents’ oral and aural interactive skills in speaking, giving presentations, pronunciation, listening and American idiomatic usage so that they may become more participatory in their classes and integrate more readily with their native English-speaking peers. It is designed to meet the needs of both undergraduate and graduate students who may be fully competent in their field of study yet require specialized training in order to effectively communicate in an American classroom setting. The course is noncredit and no-fee, and is transcripted as pass or fail. ESLProgram approval is required, and students may apply online at
www.smu.edu/esl.
1002. ESL Communication Skills II. Building on skills developed in ESL1001, students make use of their knowledge and practice to explore various aspects of American studies. In addition to speaking and presentation skills, reading and writing are also exploited as a means for students to gain a deeper understanding of American culture, customs, attitudes and idiomatic use of the language. The course is noncredit and no-fee, and is transcripted as pass or fail. ESL1001 is recommended as a precursor but is not a prerequisite. ESLProgram approval is required, and students may apply online at
www.smu.edu/esl.
1300, 1301, 1302. ESL Rhetoric. The ESLsequence of first-year writing aims to provide students with the tools they will need to successfully complete writing assignments required of them during their University coursework. The ultimate goal of ESLRhetoric is to bring students’ analytical reading and writing skills in line with the standards expected of their native English-speaking peers. In addition to the principles of effective writing taught in regular rhetoric classes, ESLRhetoric students are given extra practice in vocabulary development, grammar skills, standard American English pronunciation and conversational fluency. The 1302 courses are specially designed around themes that are pertinent to the realities and experiences of non-native speakers of English. ESLsections of rhetoric grant students the same amount of credit as do regular rhetoric classes, and “ESL” will not appear on the transcript. ESLProgram approval is required.
20XX. Intensive English Program (IEP). All 2000-level courses are exclusive to IEP. This multilevel, yearlong program is designed to prepare students and professionals for academic success at the university level. The course of study consists of English for Academic Purposes, TOEFL-related skills and American culture. It is open to currently enrolled and newly incoming students, as well as to those not affiliated with SMU. On-campus housing and meals are available during the six-week summer term. This is a noncredit, nontranscripted program, and separate tuition fees will be charged. ESLProgram approval is required, and the application package may be downloaded via the IEP link at
www.smu.edu/esl.
3001. Advanced Grammar for Writers. This course helps students develop their grammar and writing skills within the context of academic readings. Problem areas of English grammar and style are explored through periodic assignments, research documentation methods, and a final research project. The course is free of charge, noncredit bearing, and will appear on the transcript as pass or fail. ESLProgram approval is required, and students may apply online at
www.smu.edu/esl.
3002. Advanced Academic Writing. Building on principles of grammar and style covered in ESL3001, this course helps students further improve the writing skills needed for their particular academic careers using academic texts as a basis for out-of-class writing assignments and a final research project. The course is free of charge, noncredit bearing, and will appear on the transcript as pass or fail. ESLProgram approval is required, and students may apply online at
www.smu.edu/esl.
4001. ESL Pronunciation Skills. Students improve their pronunciation by focusing on sentence stress, rhythm, intonation, and body language while learning to mimic American speech patterns. With the instructor’s assistance and extensive individual feedback, students develop personal strategies and exercises to become more aware of their own weaknesses. The course is free of charge, noncredit bearing, and will appear on the transcript as pass or fail. ESLProgram approval is required, and students may apply online at
www.smu.edu/esl.
Conversation Buddy Program
Once at the beginning of each term, all students are notified via campus e-mail of this opportunity to practice their language skills in an informal, one-on-one setting outside the classroom for one to two hours a week. Every effort is made to match native speakers of English with a native speaker of a language or culture in which they may have an interest. In this way, both the ESLstudent and the native English speaker benefit from a two-way language exchange. To apply for a Conversation Buddy, send an e-mail to
smithjr@smu.edu.
ESL Self-Study Lab
A collection of audio- and videotapes plus computer software is available for self-study use at the Fondren Library Information Commons. Students will find materials to help them improve their pronunciation, listening, vocabulary and grammar skills.
Top 
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. Martin Hall also houses some senior undergraduates.
Hawk Hall, a one-bedroom-apartment facility, houses single graduate students, married students (graduate and undergraduate) with families and some senior undergraduates. 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 RLSH and the Office of Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies 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 wireless 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 RLSH 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 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 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 RLSH before acceptance of the housing contract.
For more information, visit
www.smu.edu/housing or contact the department: Department of Housing and Residence Life, Southern Methodist University, POBox 750215, Dallas TX 75275-0215; phone 214-768-2407; fax 214-768-4005;
housing@smu.edu.
Top
SMU Memorial Health Center
www.smu.edu/healthcenter
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 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 (www.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 non-major 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 (www.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, lab, X-ray, pharmacy, and supplies 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 all domestic students, both undergraduate and graduate, taking nine or more credit hours to have health insurance through either an individual/family plan or the University-offered plan. All international students taking one or more credit hours must enroll in the University-offered plan unless they have a special waiver personally granted by the Health Center staff.
SMU’s mandatory policy requires those students with the enrollment status mentioned above to provide documentation of current insurance coverage or to
enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan by the drop/add date each term. Students can enroll in SHIP, after they have enrolled for classes, by selecting the “Health Insurance” button on the “Student Center” component of Access.SMU. A domestic student who already has private health insurance coverage must waive SHIP coverage to avoid automatic enrollment into the plan and thereby have a premium charge of $699 per term applied to his/her University account. Changes will not be permitted 30 days after the first day of the term. For more information and instructions on how to waive or elect SHIP coverage, visit www.smu.edu/healthinsurance.
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 diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, rubeola (red, or regular, measles), rubella (German, or three-day, measles) and tuberculosis (a negative skin test or chest X-ray within the past year). 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.
Note: Effective January 1, 2010, new students living on or planning to live on college campuses in Texas must provide proof of meningitis vaccination at least 10 days prior to moving into campus housing. Contact the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing for more details: 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.
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 (www.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. For more information regarding scheduling appointments, call 214-768-2277 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or go to www.smu.edu/counseling.
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 www.smu.edu/liveresponsibly.
Office of Health Education and Promotion. This office serves as a resource for health information on campus. It 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 www.smu.edu/healthcenter/healtheducation or call 214-768-2393.
Top
Housed within the L.E.C., DASS offers comprehensive disability services for all SMU students with disabilities. Services include classroom accommodations and physical accessibility for all students with a learning disability and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as other conditions such as physical, visual, hearing, medical or psychiatric disorders. For undergraduate students, academic coaching is available in the areas of transitioning, learning strategies instruction, educational planning and self-advocacy. For accommodations, it is the responsibility
of the undergraduate and graduate students themselves to establish eligibility through this office. Students 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. More information
is available at
www.smu.edu/alec/dass.asp.
Top
SMU provides a licensed child care center for children ages 1 month to 5 years on a space-available basis. For more information, contact the director of the center: SMU Preschool and Child Care Center, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 215, Dallas TX 75275-0215; telephone 214-768-2278.
Top
Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports (
www.smu.edu/recsports) is a facility designed for recreational sports and wellness. A 170,000-square-foot expansion and renovation was completed in 2006. The center provides racquetball courts; aerobic studios; an indoor running track; basketball courts; 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.
Clubs. Sport clubs offer an opportunity for students interested in concentrated training and participation in a sport but 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 an 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. SMU Outdoor Adventures is the campus source for outdoor recreation and adventure offering fun and challenging recreational adventure activities, community-building programs, and student leadership and personal growth opportunities. The Outdoor Adventure Center, located on the bottom floor of the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, is the place to rent outdoor recreation and picnic equipment and sign up for SMU OA trips offering traditional and nontraditional outdoor adventure pursuits such as backpacking, rock climbing, skydiving and canoeing. SMU OA also manages the SMU Climbing Center, the indoor climbing and bouldering facility, and the Portable Challenge and Team Development course.
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 Mustang Cheerleaders, Mustang Pom-Pom Squad 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 an outstanding one.
Intercollegiate Athletics. SMU is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division I-A) and participates in Conference USA. Men and women student-athletes compete in basketball, cross country/track and field (women only), swimming and diving, golf, soccer, tennis, volleyball (women only), crew (women only), equestrian (women only), and football (men only).
Other Recreational Facilities. The Perkins Natatorium, the Barr Outdoor Pool, the Morrison-Bell Track, Moody Coliseum, outdoor tennis courts and open recreational fields combine to provide students with a full range of leisure possibilities.
Top
Share