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The Guildhall at SMU is the first digital game development program to be based at a research university. The program has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It offers an 18-month program that prepares students to work in the digital games development industry. The program has three tracks: art creation, software development, and level design. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate from the Hart eCenter at SMU.
The Center for Teacher Education offers a wide variety of special workshops, lectures, and seminars that address issues of contemporary social and scholarly interest to teachers and school administrators. Most are noncredit, but some offer graduate or undergraduate credit. In recent years, offerings have included the Advanced Placement Summer Institute, Music Educators Summer Workshops, Pre-School Teacher Training, the Quarknet Workshop on High-Energy Particle Physics, Teachers As Scholars, and the Gifted Lecture Series. For information, call 214-768-2346 or visit smu.edu/teacher_education/teacher_profdev.asp.
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 ESL students’ 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. ESL Program Approval is required, and students may apply online at smu.edu/esl.
1002. ESL Communication Skills II. Building on skills developed in ESL 1001, 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. ESL 1001 is recommended as a precursor but is not a prerequisite. ESL Program Approval is required, and students may apply online at smu.edu/esl.
1300, 1301, 1302. ESL Rhetoric. The ESL sequence 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 course work. The ultimate goal of ESL Rhetoric 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, ESL Rhetoric students are given extra practice in vocabulary development, grammar skills, standard American English pronunciation, and conversational fluency. 1302 courses are specially designed around themes that are pertinent to the realities and experiences of non-native speakers of English. ESL sections of Rhetoric grant students the same amount of credit as do regular Rhetoric classes, yet “ESL” will not appear on the transcript. ESL Program Approval is required.
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. Intensive English Program (IEP). This multilevel year-long 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. ESL Program Approval is required, and the application package may be downloaded via the IEP link at 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. ESL Program Approval is required, and students may apply online at smu.edu/esl.
3002. Advanced Academic Writing. Building on principals of grammar and style covered in ESL 3001, 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 your transcript as Pass or Fail. ESL Program Approval is required, and students may apply online at 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 your transcript as Pass or Fail. ESL Program Approval is required, and students may apply online at smu.edu/esl.
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 ESL student and the native English speaker benefit from a two-way language exchange. Participation in this program is an option available for students enrolled in a Choices II Wellness class to partially fulfill the out-of-class co-requirements of the class; students should talk to their CHOICES II instructor for details. To apply for a Conversation Buddy, send an e-mail to thunt@smu.edu.
A collection of audio, video, and computer materials is available for self-study use at the Norwick Center for Digital Services. Students may select from tapes and software designed to help them improve their pronunciation, listening, vocabulary, and grammar skills.
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.
The University maintains a teaching and research facility at Fort Burgwin, located 10 miles south of Taos, New Mexico, as a summer campus offering courses in the humanities, natural and social sciences, and performing and studio arts, as well as archaeological research. Students are housed in small dormitories called casitas. Research labs, classrooms, a lecture-studio building, a museum, faculty/staff housing, a dining hall, and a laundry complete the center’s facilities, located at an elevation of 7,500 feet. Pot Creek Pueblo, located on the property, is one of the largest pre-historic archaeological sites in the northern Rio Grande Valley.
For more information, contact the Office of the Director, SMU-in-Taos, Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX 75275-0279; 214-768-3657.
Since 1953, students and faculty of Southern Methodist University have benefited from its membership in Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a consortium of colleges and universities and a management and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ORAU works with its member institutions to help their students and faculty gain access to federal research facilities throughout the country; to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship, and research appointments; and to organize research alliances among its members.
Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (the DOE facility that ORAU operates), undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and faculty enjoy access to a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Students can participate in programs covering a wide variety of disciplines including business, earth sciences, epidemiology, engineering, physics, geological sciences, pharmacology, ocean sciences, biomedical sciences, nuclear chemistry, and mathematics.
ORAU’s Office of Partnership Development seeks opportunities for partnerships and alliances among ORAU’s members, private industry, and major federal facilities. Activities include faculty development programs, such as the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, the Visiting Industrial Scientist Program, and various services to chief research officers.
For more information about ORAU and its programs, contact Dr. James E. Quick, ORAU Councilor for Southern Methodist University, at 214-768-4345; Monnie E. Champion, ORAU Corporate Secretary, at 423-576-3306; or the ORAU Home Page at orau.gov.
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