Residential Commons

Video

A place everyone can call home

SMU’s Residential Commons allow students to experience the cohesiveness and intimacy of a small school while still enjoying the cultural and scholarly resources of a large university.

SMU’s implementation of the is perhaps the most distinctive feature of the University. It offers students a familiar, comfortable living environment, personal interaction with faculty members and administrators, and exciting opportunities for academic and extracurricular exploration. The Residential Commons do much to foster spirit, allegiance, and a sense of community at SMU.

Íæż½ã½ãhas designed the Residential Commons to integrate the academic, residential, and social experience and to create a sense of belonging.

Each Commons has unique identities, traditions, gatherings, and meaningful activities that build community and long-term bonds among residents. Each Commons is led by a Faculty-in-Residence (FiR), a Residential Community Director (RCD), and a variety of student leaders. 


Everyone has a commons affiliation

All entering first-year students receive assignment to one of 11 Residential Commons.

Students remain affiliated with their Residential Commons during their time at Íæż½ã½ã(and beyond). Íæż½ã½ãmakes every effort to represent the diversity of the entire undergraduate community within every Residential Commons. In this sense, each college is a microcosm of the larger student population.

First-year commuters and transfer students who do not live in a Residential Commons affiliate with Boaz Commons or Ware Commons, respectively—every undergraduate student belongs to a Residential Commons.