Boaz Commons

Get a sense of the community

Get a feel for all that Boaz Commons has to offer by scrolling through the photo gallery or viewing the video. If you prefer, check it out for yourself by visiting campus, or take an online 360°room tour.

We've got a lot to offer

Amenities

Fully furnished rooms

Furniture (per resident): desk, chair, bed, & dresser
Wired and wireless internet
Free on-site washer/dryers
ADA-compliant rooms available
Electricity, water, sewer, & recycling/trash service included

Designed for community

TV Lounge
Tabletop game tables
Community kitchen
Community microwaves
Vending machines

Convenient location

Walk or bike to class
Nearby parking available on campus
Easy access to dining and fitness activities in the Dedman Recreation Center

An academically-oriented environment

24-hour study rooms and spaces
Faculty-in-Residence
Peer Academic Leaders (PALs), Honors Mentors, and Student Wellness Champions
Educational experiences
In-Commons classroom

Worry-free features

Professional, on-site maintenance
24-hour, on-call staff
Card-controlled building and room access
Security escorts available
Roommate matching available
Adjacent bicycle racks

Building facts

Community abbreviations	BZ
Building capacity	179
Year built	1956
Residential area	Central
Physical address	3200 Binkley Ave.
Room types	Singles and doubles
Gender	Co-ed by gender by room

Sample floor plans

Sketches are for illustration only; actual room layouts and furnishings may vary.

Community bath double room

About our namesakes

Hiram Abiff Boaz was the first vice president and second president of SMU. He was born in Murray, Kentucky on December 18, 1866. Hiram Boaz graduated from Southwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in 1893 and a master’s degree in 1894 and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. Hiram Boaz served as SMU’s president until 1922 and later retired in 1938.

Caroline Browne Boaz was married to Hiram Abiff Boaz and considered one of the "first ladies" of SMU after her husband became the second president. Dr. William S. Tate is quoted as saying that Caroline and her husband had lives that were an example and an inspiration to the students of SMU. Hiram Boaz was quoted at the dedication for Boaz Hall as giving credit to Caroline Boaz for his inspiration and success. They were married for 68 years.

Room and furniture dimensions

Square footage ranges
Double room: 196 sq.ft.
Single room: 100 sq.ft.

Furniture and room dimensions

Dresser | 30” tall, 29.5” wide, 2’ deep
Desk | 30” tall, 48” wide, 28" deep
Closet | 55” tall, 83” wide, 28” deep (this varies greatly)
Closet Rod | 66” from the rod to the floor
Window | 42.5" wide, 53.5" tall, 29.5" from the ground
Bed | 80" long (XL Twin)
Single Room | 82” wide, 196” long (this varies greatly)
Double Room | 138” wide, 135” long excluding closet area
Room Height | 95” floor-to-ceiling (varies by floor)

Serve where you live: Engage Dallas

Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU’s Residential Commons to address community needs focusing on South and West Dallas. The initiative is a long-term, university-wide commitment led by students to partner with local residents, organizations, and other leaders to positively impact the community. There is equal emphasis on campus and community impact stemming from the initiative.

In Boaz Commons, we focus on Food Insecurity as a community need in Dallas. Boaz students address this by collaborating on service events and activities with local partners, The Stewpot, Our Saviour Community Garden and Sunny South Community Garden to directly help those most in need. Our students who serve gain a broader understanding of current social problems, build community with both the city and their peers, and can earn their Community Engagement and Civics & Individual Ethics proficiencies required for graduation. Engage Dallas cultivates unique and enriching experiences for SMU students to explore and serve Dallas!

Start serving today!

Questions? Email your Boaz Engage Dallas Student Director, Bailey Kamau at engagedallas@smu.edu

What you can expect

Students relaxing on the Boaz Commons Patio

Boaz Break

Boaz Break happens every Sunday on the Boaz patio, where Jack and Priscilla Levison set up a table with a special treat or two. Everyone hangs out on the patio to enjoy snacks and catch up with friends. Even Boazies who have moved out come back for this sweet tradition! If you want to strike up a conversation with a Boazie, just ask them their favorite Boaz Break snack!

Bows + Bowties

Once a year we invite the entire campus to join us at a beautiful off-campus location for a formal dance. The Boaz formal has a DJ, a photo booth, and desserts and is often cited as a favorite memory. We load up on a bus with our friends from other Commons and head out to a stellar Dallas location. In the past, we have hosted our formal at the Dallas Arboretum with an incredible view of the Dallas skyline. It’s a great night to dress up and enjoy an evening with all of your friends.

RCD Liv Johnson with Boaz students at Muffin Mornings

Wake Up Wednesday

Wake Up Wednesday is a weekly event hosted in the Boaz Lobby. Students are welcome to chat and relax with each other every Wednesday morning while enjoying a variety of breakfast treats. Not able to chat? Feel free to grab & go but say hello. The Boaz Beehive likes to stay connected.

Live, learn, achieve—together

Get to know the Faculty-in-Residence and Residential Community Director of Armstrong Commons.

Dr. Jack Levison (He/him/his)

Faculty-in-Residence

Jack Levison is a long way from his native Long Island, so he pretends, when he rides his bike, that White Rock Lake is the Atlantic Ocean. He doesn’t have to pretend that he takes enormous pleasure in the company of his wife, Priscilla, or that living tooth to jowl with students is an exciting venture he never could have imagined when he was a college freshman himself. Jack has taught at colleges from coast to coast—from Durham, North Carolina, to Seattle, Washington—and he currently holds the W.J.A. Power Chair in Perkins School of Theology at SMU. Learn more about Dr. Levison and his family.

Laruen Eisenschenk (She/her/hers)

Residential Community Director

Lauren Eisenschenk has been the RCD for Boaz since June 2023. Lauren received both her BA in Political Science and Masters of Public Administration from the University of Alabama. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, attending art exhibits, traveling, and watching SEC football in the fall.