The Residence Life Program at SMU is an integral part of the resident student's total educational experience. Numerous activities are scheduled each year for resident students; many of these activities bring students into direct contact with faculty and staff. The University prides itself on offering a full living and learning experience for its resident students.

The University operates 14 residence halls. Three are designated as first-year halls; seven as four-class halls; and four as upperclass halls, graduate, and family halls (three of these four halls offer apartment accommodations).

Separate from residence hall accommodations, the University has 11 national fraternity and nine sorority chapters on campus. The Department of Residence Life and Student Housing also leases numerous apartment facilities. And, as a service to the community, a card catalog with a limited listing of rooms in private residences is available in the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing.

Housing Policy for All Students

All first-year 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 $400 to cover the Advance Tuition Deposit ($200), the Matriculation Fee ($100), and the Housing Deposit ($100). These fees and deposits are nonrefundable.

New graduate students should submit the completed application/contract to the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing, together with a check or money order for $100 for the nonrefundable Housing Deposit, when accepted by their graduate school.

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 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 Residence Life and Student Housing 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 and Perkins (first-year theme community, Hilltop Scholars at Perkins Hall). Four-class halls are designated for first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior students and include Morrison-McGinnis, Cockrell-McIntosh, Virginia-Snider (honors house), Shuttles, Peyton (fine arts community), Mary Hay (fine arts community), and Smith (wellness community with a substance-free pledge). Smith and Perkins remain open during the winter break between the fall and spring terms. All rooms are furnished with single beds or bunks, 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 most buildings are of twin-bed size, 80 inches long.

Upper-Class, Graduate Student, and Family Halls

Three 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 Community Involvement.

Moore Hall is designated for sophomores and above, including graduate students, 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.

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 room or apartment is equipped with a telephone, local telephone service, voice mail system, and Ethernet connections to the University's computer system. Renovated halls also have in-room cable television programming. All residence halls are air-conditioned, and rooms have individual climate-control. Coin/card-operated washing machines and dryers are located in all residence halls.

Undergraduate students living in traditional residence halls are required to participate in a meal plan offered by SMU Dining Services. Students living in Moore, Martin, and Hawk apartments are exempt from the meal plan requirement. With the exception of Smith, Perkins, Martin, Hawk, and Moore, all residence halls are closed during the winter break between fall and spring terms.

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; World Wide Web: www.smu.edu/housing; e-mail: housing@mail.smu.edu.