Community Engagement (CE)
Community engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern.
Learn more about the Community Engagement graduation requirement.
Community engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern.
Learn more about the Community Engagement graduation requirement.
Students will demonstrate the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation necessary to contribute to the civic life of communities.
Students may use pre-matriculation transfer coursework, concurrent enrollment, dual-credit, and test credit (AP or IB) to satisfy Graduation requirements. The coursework must be college-level, credit-bearing work, taken and passed for a letter grade. Students must receive SMU transfer credit for the course.
Courses that transfer in with an SMU equivalent number (for example FREN 2401) will automatically satisfy any Proficiency & Experience requirements fulfilled by the course. The same is true for many courses on the listed on the SMU Transfer Equivalency Guide.
Courses that transfer in with generic course numbers (for example, ENGL 10XX) will not automatically satisfy Proficiency & Experience requirements and must be petitioned using the Proficiency & Experience (PE) Fulfillment Verification petition.
Students must submit one petition for each graduation requirement, even if they are using a single course to petition multiple requirements. Students may use a single course to satisfy up to three Proficiency & Experience requirements (assuming the course meets the criteria for all three).
How to petition generic transfer coursework:
Petitions are electronic and are usually reviewed within two weeks of receipt. Students should not assume that a petition has been completely processed until they receive a formal notification of approval or denial from the Office of General Education via The Common Curriculum email (theccmail@smu.edu). The formal notification, in cases of approval, follows the formal update to the students Degree Progress Report (DPR), noting that the petitioned requirement is satisfied.
Use the course search options below to find Community Engagement-tagged courses at SMU. Following successful completion of the course, your Degree Progress Report (DPR) will be updated to reflect satisfying this graduation requirement. Learn how to find tagged courses below via one of two means.
Search courses on the Common Curriculum website:
Search courses in my.SMU:
Students may propose their own, individualized plan to complete the Community Engagement Proficiency and Experience.
Before the Individual Activity:
Complete the Individual Activity:
During the individual activity:
After the Individual Activity:
Sometimes students complete, or desire to take, an SMU course which was not tagged with the desired Proficiency & Experience, but after reviewing the Student Learning Outcomes, Supporting Skills, Course Content Criteria (outlined above), they believe they may have satisfied the requirement. Use this process below to petition credit for the graduation requirement.
Current SMU students who wish to take an SMU course that they believe has activities that satisfy this Proficiency & Experience, must submit, prior to beginning the course:
Upon completion of the course and a posting of the student's grade, students must submit:
There are a number of pre-approved clubs or organizations which can fulfill the Community Engagement Proficiency and Experience. Review them below and get in touch with their organizers to begin.
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. Engage Dallas accepts new members anytime. Follow the get started instructions on their website.
Mustang Heroes
Mustang Heroes was founded in 2010 by a group of incoming first-years at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. They dreamed of inspiring fellow students in service in hopes of making both SMU and Dallas a better place to grow, live and learn. By May 2012, Mustang Heroes organized and served with three different long-term community partners: Head Start, KIPP Charter School and the Family Getaway Shelter. Mustang Heros accepts new members in the beginning of fall semester. Visit the apply page on their website.
Peer Academic Leaders
Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) are a diverse group of undergraduate students with common goal to help students better understand the University/Common Curriculum, utilize academic resources, and navigate academic challenges. Under the direction of the UAC, PALs work directly with students in their Residential Commons, empowering them to take ownership of their collegiate careers through mentorship and educational programming. Traditionally, PALs recruits new members in the spring semester before beginning the academic year-long service in fall. Get in touch with their advisors.