Spaces, Food, and Policies

Spaces

Religious Life Commons

The Religious Life Commons is located on the 2nd floor of Hughes-Trigg Student Center, around the corner from the Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life.

Prayer Room

The Prayer Room is located in the 2nd floor of Hughes-Trigg Student Center, around the corner from the Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life. Two Ablution rooms are located nearby as well.

Habito Labyrinth

A seven-circuit design, based on the eleven-circuit medieval labyrinth in France’s Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres. The Labyrinth is located in the Frost Marcus Labyrinth Courtyard Gardens, in the open and accessible space between Prothro and Selecman Halls at Perkins School of Theology.

Laura W. Bush Native Texas Park

The Native Texas Park is open from sunup to sundown 365 days a year. It is located on the south side of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on Bush Avenue.

Moody Graduate School Building Quiet Room

Moody Hall offers a quiet reflection room for meditation and prayer for SMU students, faculty, and staff.

Food

The Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life works collaboratively with SMU Hospitality to meet religious dietary needs. If you have other special dietary needs, please reach out to SMU Hospitality to schedule a conversation with the campus dietitian.

  • Halal protein is available at every meal in Umphrey Lee Dining Hall [International Station]
  • Halal “grab and go” options are available at:  Mac’s Place, The Market (in Hughes-Trigg Student Center) and POD (in Owen Arts Center)
 

  • While SMU does not have a kosher kitchen, pre-packaged kosher meals are available upon request in Umphrey Lee Dining Hall and Arnold Dining Commons
  • Kosher “grab and go” options are available at:  Mac’s Place, The Market (in Hughes-Trigg Student Center) and P.O.D. (in Own Arts Center)
  • SMU Hospitality provides a dietician that is eager to meet with students seeking to keep kosher – More information about scheduling an appointment is available here.

Umphrey Lee Dining Hall, Arnold Dining Commons, The Market, Mac’s Place and P.O.D. all provide vegan and vegetarian food items.

Policies

SMU Religious Life Partners Program Policy Statement: Status as a Religious Life Partner is at the discretion of the OCRL as outlined in this document and is subject to revision and updates as needed. 

SMU Religious Life Partners Program Policy Statement

SMU Religious Observance Policy for students: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.

OCRL recommends that you notify your professor in writing during the first two weeks of each semester if you plan to miss class for religious holiday observance.

University Policy 7.22 provides information for faculty and staff religious holiday observance.

View Religious Holidays for the 2024-2025 Academic Year