Crum Commons
As a community we help students find their purpose through wisdom, integrity, and discipline.
Integrity | Purpose | Wisdom | Discipline
WelCrum Home
Crum Commons at SMU is a fellowship of students, faculty, and staff who aim to create meaningful relationships in an environment where its fellows “know and are known” in order to promote rich intellectual, cultural, and social growth. All Crum fellows celebrate the traditions of service, wisdom, integrity, and discipline. Crum Commons seeks self-motivated, life-long learners with diverse interests who contribute to a community of scholars “in all reverence for light and truth.”
What you can expect
The Great Crumpkin
The Great Crumpkin is a fall tradition that originated with Crum’s homecoming dynamic-duo theme “Snoopy and Woodstock.” It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a film by cartoonist great Charles Schulz. The Great Crumpkin is a celebration of the fall with pumpkin carving, fall treats, and, this year, a delicious catered meal outside in the quad.
Crum vs. Armstrong Water Balloon Fight
On the eve of Stampede (after moving in), all new students meet in Moody Coliseum for the Corral Kick-Off. After the Kick-Off, students return to Crum Commons, where thousands of water balloons wait in the quad between Crum and Armstrong. This is the first of many rivalry competitions Crum engages in with Armstrong. Last year’s winner of the water balloon fight was clear. Crum’s army of balloon archers was unmatched, and our reputation of domination will continue again a second time.
Declaration of Lights
‘Tis the season for hot cocoa, colorful lights, and ginger bread. The Holidays in Crum are taken to a completely new level of cheer. The living room is transformed into an oasis of comfort, lights, and free hot chocolate (BYOM..Bring Your Own Mug). A large tree is donned in the living room and a tree and menorah can be found on every floor.
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 Crum Commons, we focus on Arts as Social Impact as a community need in Dallas. Crum students address this by collaborating on service events and activities with local partners, The Senior Source, Junior Players, and Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 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 and Civics & Individual Ethics proficiencies required for graduation. Engage Dallas cultivates unique and enriching experiences for SMU students to explore and serve Dallas!
Questions? Email your Crum Engage Dallas Student Director, Morgan Glover at mmglover@smu.edu.
Get a sense of the community
Get a feel for all that Crum 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
- Movable furniture
- Study rooms and spaces
- Tabletop game tables
- Community microwaves
- Good Crumpany Recording Studio
- Walk or bike to class
- Nearby parking in Mustang garage
- Easy access to dining in Arnold Dining Commons 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 programs
- In-Commons classroom
- Professional, on-site maintenance
- 24-hour, on-call staff
- Card-controlled building access
- Security escorts
- Roommate matching available
- Adjacent bicycle racks
Sample floor plans
Community bath double room
Community bath single room
Room and furniture dimensions
Square footage ranges- Typical square footage ranges from 180-250 sq.ft.
- Desk: 2'6" H x 4" W x 2' D
- Desk Storage Unit: 30"H x 17W x 24 1⁄2 D; Grommet allows students to lock desk storage
- Dresser: 2'6" H x 2'6" W x 2' D
- Bed: 80" L x 36" W (XL Length Twin)
- Window: 45" inches wide. Height depends on floor.
About our namesakes
Sylvie and Gary Crum have shown a commitment to expanding opportunities across the SMU campus through their far-reaching leadership and generosity. Gary Crum received his Bachelor of Business Administration from SMU in 1969 and was an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He went on to earn his Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972.
Gary Crum serves on the SMU Board of Trustees and the Cox School of Business Executive Board and has received Distinguished Alumni Awards from SMU and the Edwin L. Cox School of Business. Sylvie Crum is active in numerous civic activities in their home community of Houston. Graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in French, she formerly served as the University of Texas System Board of Regent’s representative on the Intercollegiate Athletic Council for Women and is a member and former chair of the Longhorn Foundation Advisory Council. She also serves as a director for the United States Lacrosse Foundation.
The Crums currently serve as the CEOs of the CFP Foundation, a Houston-based charitable organization focused primarily on educational issues related to Texas. They have three children, Ashley, Christopher, and Clayton. Continuing the legacy of their father, Ashley ’03 and Christopher ’05 earned Bachelors of Business Administration at SMU. In addition, Christopher earned a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University in 2010. Clayton received a Bachelor of Business Administration with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. Sylvie and Gary Crum received SMU’s Mustang Award in 2012 in recognition of their significant philanthropy to the University. They have supported SMU through their leadership and financial gifts to athletics, the Cox School of Business, and student initiatives, as well as other areas across campus.
In 2013, Sylvie and Gary Crum provided a leadership gift for a new living-and-learning Residential Commons facility. SMU recognized their remarkable generosity with the naming of Crum Commons.
Building Facts
| Community abbreviations | CRUM |
| Building capacity | 262 |
| Year built | 2014 |
| Residential area | Southeast |
| Physical address | 5805 Bush 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 Crum Commons.
Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller
Faculty-in-Residence
Leanne Ketterlin Geller is a professor in the department of Education Policy and Leadership in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development. She holds the Texas Instruments Endowed Chair in Education and is also the director of Research in Mathematics Education unit. She serves as the Faculty-in-Residence for the Crum Commons. Learn more about Dr. Ketterlin Geller and her family.
Maddie Steele (she/her/hers)
Residential Community Director
Maddie Steele will serve as the RCD for Crum Commons.