Boaz Commons
Community | Compassion | Integrity | Mentorship | Zeal
Welcome to Boaz Commons
“I want you to know that we aren’t exaggerating how much of a family Boaz really is, and the fact that you will immediately feel the community as a Boazie.”
At Boaz Commons, we believe in family. We believe in sharing life together. We believe in celebrating each other's A+ papers and game-winning shots. We believe in supporting each other through the hard times and growing with each other through the tough moments. We believe in the importance of sharing lemonade on the front porch and gathering around the dinner table for a meal. We believe in neighbors becoming friends and friends becoming family.
What you can expect
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.
Tuesday Tea
Tuesday Tea is a weekly event hosted by Ms. Johnson, the Boaz Residential Commons Director. Students are welcome to chat with the RCD and each other every Tuesday morning while enjoying tea and cookies. Not able to chat? Feel free to grab & go but say hello. The Boaz Beehive likes to stay connected.
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, North Texas Food Bank, CitySquare, and Mission Oak Cliff, 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 Proficiency required for graduation. Engage Dallas cultivates unique and enriching experiences for SMU students to explore and serve Dallas!
Questions? Email your Boaz Engage Dallas Student Director, Jonathan Liu at liujc@smu.edu.
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
- TV Lounge
- Tabletop game tables
- Community kitchen
- Community microwaves
- Vending machines
- Walk or bike to class
- Nearby parking available on campus
- Easy access to dining and fitness activities in the Dedman Recreation Center
- 24-hour study rooms and spaces
- Faculty-in-Residence
- Peer Academic Leaders (PALs), Honors Mentors, and Student Wellness Champions
- Educational experiences
- In-Commons classroom
- Professional, on-site maintenance
- 24-hour, on-call staff
- Card-controlled building and room access
- Security escorts available
- Roommate matching available
- Adjacent bicycle racks
Sample floor plans
Community bath double room
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)
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.
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 |
Live, learn, achieve—together
Get to know the faculty, staff, and student leaders of Boaz.
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.
Liv Johnson (She/her/hers)
Residential Community Director
Liv Johnson or Ms. J, as students call her, has been an education trainer and advisor in both government and higher education fields over the last 5 years. She has earned a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Global Leadership. Ms. Johnson has a passion for globalization in higher education and supporting students in their cultural development. Outside of education, she is a proud ARMY veteran and volunteer with the Junior League of Dallas.