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
While a resident of SMUSH, you're invited to dinner with professors. The program fosters informal, out-of-classroom interactions between you and your professors.
Club SMUSH
SMU Service House member, or “smushie,” Andrea Nguyen said that in addition to fun and SMU community, “the purpose of the event is to increase campus awareness of the SMU Service House, and introduce different parts of campus to the house residents and our culture of community, responsibility, and service.” The event’s theme changes each year.
Community requirements
- Perform a minimum of 20 hours of individual service and 10 hours of service with members of the house each semester
- Submit your service hours by Reading Day each semester
- Fully participate in the House Retreats (one per semester)
- Attend and participate in weekly House Meetings
- Actively participate in a House Committee:
- Service - plans service projects for the house
- Special Events - plans parties, themed events, and other unique experiences
- Recruitment/Public Relations - plan recruitment of new residents
- Commons – Building stronger relationships with each Residential Commons
- Faculty Initiatives - encourage interaction between residents and faculty
- Historian - preserve SMUSH history
- 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 December 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.
During the first few days of each semester, everyone in the house participates in House Retreat. At this retreat, new and old residents find common ground, hang out, and generally also do a service project of some sort. Although the service takes priority for a few hours, the remainder of the time is for building friendships and having fun.
Each week of the semester, a pair of residents prepares a large dinner to share with everyone in the house. The costs for the meal are funded by Residence Life & Student Housing (RLSH), so all you do is decide what you want to cook! In the past, SMUSH house dinners have ranged from simple meals of a few soups to homemade chicken pot pie to complete Thanksgiving feasts. Eating meals together only the SMUSH family closer together in a way that is almost impossible to find in a traditional residence hall.
In addition to these activities, the Resident Assistants and Special Events committee put on a variety of programs throughout the semester. Past programs include practical activities such as TIPS certification, time management or test preparation assistance, and resume building, but also fun programs like movie nights, parties, contests, and other similar activities.
Unlike most other on-campus residence halls, every member of the Service House attends house meetings, where they can participate in how the house is governed. Residents are in charge of almost every aspect of life in the house, from running meetings, to planning events, to setting and enforcing many of the rules.
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.
Micah Johnson
Residential Community Director
Micah Johnson has been the RCD for SMUSH since October 2016. He also serves as the OSCIE community engagement coordinator. A huge sports fan, Micah enjoys hanging with friends watching and playing basketball. He aspires to be a university president one day for a historically black college.