Virginia-Snider Commons

Virginia-Snider is currently under renovation and will reopen in August.

Virginia-Snider Commons Crest

Reason | Integrity | Strength

Instagram

Room Type 360 View: To Be Announced

Room Type Floorplan: To Be Announced

 

J. Virginia Hall is described as having "a gable over the main entrance decorated with an oval window and festoons of fruit and drapery." She is named Virginia K. Johnson, a religious and social worker in the Methodist Church who established an occupational training school for at-risk women in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood.  

Snider Hall has "a central gable sporting an unusual polychromatic elephant, purchased overseas by a benefactor of SMU, and festoons of foliage." Snider Hall is named for local real estate magnate C.W. Snider, of Snider Plaza fame.

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

Designed for community

  • Free laundry
  • Movable furniture
  • Study rooms and spaces
  • Community microwaves
  • Game room

Convenient location

  • Walk or bike to class
  • Nearby parking in Binkley garage
  • Easy access to Umphrey Lee
  • Central location on-campus

An academically-oriented environment

  • 24-hour study rooms and spaces
  • Faculty-in-Residence
  • Peer Academic Leader (PAL), Honors Mentors, and Wellness Education Student Team (WEST)
  • Educational programs

Worry-free features

  • Professional, on-site maintenance
  • 24-hour, on-call staff
  • Card-controlled building and room access
  • Security escorts available
  • Roommate matching available
  • Adjacent bicycle racks

 

  • Community abbreviations: VS
  • Building capacity: 256
  • Year built: 1926 (renovated in 2026)
  • Residential area: North
  • Physical address: 3301 Dyer Street
  • Room types: Singles and doubles
  • Gender: Co-ed by gender by room

 

Square Footage Ranges
To Be Announced

Furniture and room dimensions
Desk: 30"W X 24"D X 30"H
Dresser: 30"W X 24"D X 30"H
Bed: 85" length, 38" width, 65" height

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.

 Virginia Snider Commons crest, Childhood Literacy

In Virginia-Snider Commons, we focus on Childhood Literacy as a community need in Dallas. Virginia-Snider students address this by collaborating on service events and activities with local partners, Voice of Hope, Reading Partners, and Readers 2 Leaders, 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! 

Start serving today! 

Questions? Email your Virginia-Snider Engage Dallas Student Director, MacKenzie Thierry at kthierry@gmail.com

What you can expect

VieSta Students riding climbing wall in the courtyard.

VieSta

 VisSta is the signature event for Virginia-Snider Commons and is one of the most anticipated events of the year. This annual event is hosted by the Virginia-Snider Leadership team, which is comprised of Commons Council, Peer Leaders, and Resident Assistants. VieSta is an outdoor event that is hosted in the Health Center Quad nestled outside of Virginia-Snider. The event is comprised of inflatables, food, and most importantly fun. VieSta occurs in the Spring semester and celebrates all the memories made throughout the year as a commons.

Order of the Elephant Knighting Ceremony

The Knighting Ceremony is an annual tradition held in Virginia-Snider Commons where all the new members of the VS community are inducted into the Order of the Elephant and receive their Elephant Lapel Pin. This ceremony serves as a formal education to the values of the community for new members and to assist in creating connections with other affiliated members of Virginia-Snider. Delicious food from SMU Catering is also served at this event!

Live, learn, achieve—together

Get to know the Faculty-in-Residence of Virginia-Snider Commons.

SMU Mustang logo

Faculty-in-Residence

SMU Mustang logo

Residential Community Director