Access and Other

Release of Educational Records

SMU and Residence Life & Student Housing (RLSH) values privacy. Therefore, we adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The FERPA of 1974 helps protect the privacy of student education records. FERPA provides the right to inspect and review education records, the right to seek to amend those records, and to limit disclosure of information from the records. The intent of the legislation is to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of education records.

More about FERPA and housing

FERPA states that no personally identifiable information from a student’s education record will be disclosed to any third party without written consent from the student. Several exceptions exist, including these selected examples: 

• Information defined by SMU as directory information may be released unless the student sends a written request to the registrar that it be withheld.
• Information authorized by a student through my.SMU.

Information may be released to a parent or guardian if the student is declared financially dependent upon the parent or guardian as set forth in the Internal Revenue Code.
SMU understands that many undergraduate students want to allow their parents access to all or some of their education records. Students now have the ability to provide their consent for access to their records by using the Release of Education Records feature under the Profile tile in my.SMU, SMU’s student information system.

Once release authorization is granted, some records are available online through the parents’ own confidential access to my.SMU. Other records are available by contacting the office holding the records, such as RLSH.

Card Access Request

You are requesting access to our student’s living environment – their home away from home. Please be respectful of our student’s spaces when you enter our communities.

Students who have an active room assignment will automatically receive SMU ID card access to their assigned community. In some instances, student leaders, employees, and affiliates may request card access to our residential communities. Requests with legitimate business needs will be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Please complete the online Building Card Access Request and allow up to two business days for review.

If more immediate access is needed, please call the Residence Life and Student Housing office at 214-768-2407 during our normal business hours.

Request Meal Plan Change

Your SMU meal plan makes life easier, but SMU Dining Services knows that dining on campus isn't a one size fits all.mWhile all residents of the Residential Commons and traditional residence halls (Perkins, Smith) are required to have a meal plan, you will be able to select from several options. Meal plans are optional for students living in other communities.

Residents may select their meal plan with SMU Dining Services after enrolling for classes or SMU Dining will assign a meal plan. Please note that some residents will have differing meal plan options based on their grade level and residence hall.

• You will be able to view your meal plan options by logging into your account at mealplans.smu.edu.
• To request a meal plan change, submit a Help Desk Ticket at help.smu.edu or via email at help@smu.edu.

Need more information? Please visit the SMU Dining Services website or contact SMU Dining at dining@smu.edu.