SMU President R. Gerald Turner appointed faculty, staff, and student members to a newly-formed Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention on June 11, 2007 to examine efforts in the areas of education, prevention, enforcement, and assistance. At that time, Turner stated, “The considerable benefits of an SMU education and the entire collegiate experience should be enjoyed without the destructive influence of illegal and dangerous lifestyle habits. Prevention requires a partnership involving the institution, parents, and students themselves, as well as external law enforcement agencies and community leadership. All of us must do more, and more often, to make an impact.” The President Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention was formed in 2009 and has met quarterly each academic year since its founding chaired by the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Provost. 

Programs requesting to use these funds must meet the following criteria: 

• Be educational in nature regarding substance abuse prevention OR
• Be hosted Th-Sun starting at 10pm at the earliest and ending no earlier than 12am

By letter to the University community, dated September 28, 2012, R. Gerald Turner, President of Southern Methodist University, announced the formation of the President’s Task Force on Sexual Misconduct Policies and Procedures chaired by SMU Trustee Kelly Compton. President Turner’s letter stated, “SMU is committed to fostering a healthy and supportive environment, to holding members of the community accountable if they violate the rights of others, and to providing care and counseling to the victims of sexual misconduct. At the same time, we encourage respect for the rights of all concerned while investigations and processes unfold.” Within that framework, the Task Force, made up of SMU students, faculty, and administrators, along with community members representing law enforcement agencies and victims’ advocacy and support organizations, met over the course of the 2012-13 academic year to examine SMU’s process for responding to allegations of sexual misconduct and to recommend strategies for strengthening the University’s policies and procedures, and prevention and education efforts. The Task Force issued its final report to Dr. Turner on April 22, 2014, which included 41 recommendations addressing each of the seven areas in Dr. Turner’s charge. The implementation workgroup is charged with assessing the progress of putting those recommendations into action.