SMU and Residence Life & Student Housing (RLSH) is committed to housing incoming first-year, continuing second-year, and first year transfer students on-campus.
We are very excited to welcome our largest incoming first-year class to campus and are eagerly preparing for students' arrival. This means that we need to temporarily employ spaces that are not always used as student rooms, in order to accommodate everyone.
To ensure all first and second year students are able to benefit from residential campus environment, RLSH identifies temporary housing spaces for students. Students who are placed in an overflow assignment will be offered the same residential experience as other residents who are placed in a permanent assignment. Generally we use community spaces that are converted into student rooms on a limited basis or assign roommates to RAs (Resident Assistants) in double rooms.
Community spaces are converted to construct temporary student rooms. These spaces were originally game rooms, study rooms, and other similar spaces. Most of these overflow spaces are about 500 square feet, and house between two and four students, just like a traditional student room! Each overflow space is fully private with a locking door, walls to the ceiling, standard exterior windows with blinds, and any hallway windows will be covered with opaque film and have privacy blinds too.
Each overflow space will be equipped with the standard student furniture found in SMU's student rooms, including: standard bed (Twin XL) at the standard height (level #2), a desk, dresser, and chair. As there is typically extra room, we will leave some upholstered lounge furniture in the space that you may arrange. Additionally, these rooms will have a rod for hanging clothes, but will not have a closet.
These overflow spaces will be able to utilize the same community restrooms as other students on the floor.
An RA, or Resident Assistant, is a student who is employed by Residence Life and Student Housing to live and work in the residential community. As a member of the staff team RAs endeavor to build a positive and safe community experience for residents. The RA serves as an important link between the residents of the floor and the university.
Some RAs are assigned to standard double rooms, and during high occupancy periods we assign a resident to the other space in that room. Since these rooms are standard, they will have all standard furniture and features expected in other student rooms, including: two twin xl beds, desks, dresses, and chairs.
