Service House
Community | Acceptance | Character
SMUSH for short
Our House.
The SMU Service House (SMUSH) is a 28-student residence hall dedicated to service and social change. SMUSH is supported through Residence Life and Student Housing (RLSH) and the Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement (OSCIE). The purpose of SMUSH is to develop and nurture a community focused on cooperative responsibility, experiential education, and social action in order to promote self-awareness and community understanding.
What you can expect
House & Faculty Dinners
One thing to know about SMUSH is that we love food! Each week a pair of roommates plans and cooks a meal for the whole house. We believe there is something special about cooking dinner for your fellow housemates and these meals are some of the most anticipated weekly events for residents. Twice a semester, our Faculty Initiatives Committee invites a SMU faculty member to dinner at the Service House. Each professor leads an informal discussion around their area of expertise where SMUSHies get to critically engage with the pressing issues of today.
Club SMUSH
Each semester, SMUSHies plan a Club SMUSH. In the Fall, Club SMUSH is known for its good music, dancing, and wild themes. Each year residents dream up a new theme and invite all of campus to come see what the Service House is all about. In the Spring, residents plan a relaxing brunch the weekend before the start of finals where all SMU students can come to destress and unwind before the end of the year.
Community requirements
- Perform a minimum of 20 hours of individual service and 10 hours of service with members of the house each semester
- Fully participate in the House Retreats (one per semester)
- Attend and participate in bi-weekly House Meetings
- Actively serve on and participate in bi-weekly House Committee meetings (you only need to serve on one committee):
- Service Committee – plans 3 service projects a semester for the house
- Events Committee – plans all general house events, Club SMUSH, and other unique experiences
- Marketing & Recruitment Committee – runs all social media accounts for the house and plan recruitment of new residents
- Faculty Initiatives Committee – plans two faculty dinners each semester and encourage faculty involvement in the house
- Cook one House Dinner per semester
- Assist in recruiting new residents for the following semester
- Assist with Kitchen Duty at least once per semester
Application information
Applications for SMUSH open in November on connect.smu.edu. Decisions are made and students receive notification by the end of February.
Get a sense of the community
Get a feel for all that Service House 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 (two of each per double room): desk, chair, full-size bed, dresser
- Wired and wireless internet
- Electricity
- Free on-site washer/dryer
- Water, sewer, recycling, and trash
- ADA-compliant rooms available
- Easy access to Hughes-Trigg Student Center
- Walk or bike to class
- Nearby parking on Dyer Ct.
Community design
- TV lounge
- Community kitchen
- Community events and socials
- Resident Assistants (RAs)
- House council
- Courtyard
An academically-oriented environment
- Educational programs
- Community service and engagement opportunities
- Professional, on-site maintenance
- 24-hour, on-call staff
- Card-controlled building access
- Security escorts
- Roommate matching available
- Adjacent bicycle racks
Room and furniture dimensions
Square footage ranges- Suite bath rooms: 130 - 240 sq.ft.
- Community bath rooms: 160 - 240 sq.ft.
- Desk: 2'6" H x 4" W x 2' D
- Dresser: 2'6" H x 2'6" W x 2' D
- Bed: 80" L x 36" W (XL Length Twin)
- Window: 4'10" H x 3'2" W
Building facts
| Community abbreviations | SMUSH |
| Building capacity | 28 |
| Year built | Unknown |
| Residential area | North |
| Physical address | 3041 Dyer Ct. |
| Room types | Double |
| Gender | Co-ed by gender by room |
Live, learn, achieve—together
Get to know the staff and student leaders of SMUSH.
Lauren Eisenschenk (she/her/hers)
Residential Community Director
Lauren Eisenschenk has been the RCD for SMUSH since January 2022 and she also serves as the Coordinator for Engage Dallas within the Office of Academic Initiatives. Lauren received both her BA in Political Science and Masters of Public Administration from the University of Alabama. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, attending art exhibits, traveling, and watching SEC football in the fall. Her favorite Service House tradition is weekly House Dinners when a roommate pair cooks dinner for the entire house and the house gest to enjoy an evening full of delicious food, community, and laughter.