Living on campus is a cornerstone of the foundational collegiate experience on any campus. At SMU, we seek to foster a residential experience that allows students to learn, connect, and belong; an environment that can appropriately challenge and support our students as they grow to become world changers.
Our Residential Community Director (RCD) team is integral to the success of our mission, and we are proud to host a group of dynamic professionals who bring a wide array of talents to SMU. Our department is committed to our staff, their development, and their success in the field of student affairs. We believe you will find our Residential Commons system to be a one-of-akind model where professionals find it easy to build connections with students, faculty, and campus partners.
As we continue to grow and develop our program, we are actively seeking professionals who demonstrate the desire to be educators and make a difference in the lives of our students.
Working in RLSH at SMU gives professionals a unique opportunity. We hope you will consider joining us and becoming a part of our team!
As we say here at SMU,
Dr. Aramis Watson PonyUp!
One of the Residential Commons Pillars is “Student Led, University Supported.” The original template of this publication was led by RLSH Student Street Team member,
Madi Tedrow, SMU '22.
SMU FAST FACTS
11:1
4,156
2,491
7,115
SMU recently accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports and officially became a full member on July 1st, 2024 and has seen immediate success.
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
MISSION
Southern Methodist University will create, expand, and impart knowledge through teaching, research, and service, shaping world changers who contribute to their communities and excel in their professions in an emerging global society. Among its faculty, students, and staff, the University will cultivate principled thought, develop intellectual skills, and promote an environment emphasizing individual dignity and worth. SMU affirms its historical commitment to academic freedom and open inquiry, to moral and ethical values, and to its United Methodist heritage.
THE DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
The Division of Student Affairs creates and supports a robust student experience and forges strategic partnerships to best serve the entire SMU community. As educators and scholar-practitioners, we create purposeful learning and leadership opportunities for students to clarify and develop their knowledge, values, skills, and identities – challenging each to become a world changer.
RESIDENCE LIFE & STUDENT HOUSING
Residence Life & Student Housing fosters the foundational SMU experience where ever student belongs, learns, and connects through their residential community. We make campus home.
SMU is proud to celebrate 10 years of the Residential Commons system in 2024! Since fall 2014, SMU students have thrived in a two-year, live-on Residential Commons model. This prestigious system, inspired by the traditions of Oxford and Cambridge, has enriched undergraduate life by offering a distinguished residential experience. The Commons includes live-in faculty and staff members, resident assistants, and student leaders, all dedicated to creating exceptional communities and offering students abundant opportunities for intellectual and personal growth.
In this milestone year, we honor the rich traditions that have shaped each Commons, while uniting to celebrate the bonds formed within these unique communities.
Memorable gatherings, traditions, and activities have fostered an environment where close-knit relationships and a sense of belonging flourish. Faculty members play a key role in mentoring students, further strengthening the unity of the living, and learning experience. Over the past decade, the Residential Commons has transformed student housing at SMU, integrating academic and residential life. As we celebrate this 10-year legacy, we honor the impact of the Commons on our campus and unite in anticipation of many more years of community, enrichment, and growth.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Residential Commons. This milestone marks a journey of growth and shared experiences that have shaped the lives of countless residential students. In February 2025, we will culminate this celebration with RC10 Fest, an exciting event that will bring together current students, alumni, and the broader community to honor our past and look forward to the future. We can’t wait to bring everyone together to commemorate this special moment in our Residential Commons history!”
Dr. Brittany Billar Director of Academic Initiatives
01. Student-led, universitysupported
The Commons experience is defined by you and empowered by faculty and staff.
02. An uncommon opportunity
Gain lifelong pride and affiliation with your Commons through a totally unique living experience.
03. Home sweet home, Mustang style
Find your home in your Commons where neighbors become friends and friends become family.
04. Diverse members, dynamic community
SMU and the Commons embrace and support diversity from all places, majors, and identities.
05. Intellectually charged, people powered
Residents are challenged to think deeply and put their learning into practice.
BELONG HERE
Faculty-in-Residence:
Hospitality, advocacy, integrity, & balance
Cockrell-McIntosh is one of the most centrally located commons with easy access to Gerald Ford Stadium. Values:
Dr. Maria del Pilar Melgarejo
Cockrell Classic
LIFE on campus
Living on campus has been great! It provides you the opportunity to really invest in the lives of the students in your community beyond when you are in your office or at an event. Life on campus allows you the opportunity to easily support other communities and develop close relationships with other RCDs because you all live in the same place. Living on campus does require effort to maintain a work/life balance but once you find what works for you, it is very a convenient and exciting aspect of the job. The commute to work is pretty easy, too! With the flexibility to make it my own,I have quickly felt like my apartment at SMU has become home and more than enough space for just me!
Overall, living on-campus has been fun! There are definitely some things to get used to - like seeing your coworkers and students all throughout the day (not just during work), but overall - I've felt like I've been able to set boundaries and feel at home on-campus. My apartment has more than enough space for myself and my husband and we're given freedom to decorate and make our places our own. I would describe living on-campus to someone considering the role as very similar to living in an apartment complex. Sometimes, your neighbors are loud or knock on your door, but I've never felt like I have no personal space or separation. Boundaries are important for that, though!
Macon Stockholm
Residential Community Director
Kathy Crow Commons
COLLABORATION TRADITIONS &
Collaboration between faculty, staff, and students provides student leadership opportunities that assist students' growth throughout their collegiate experience.
Each Residential Commons represents the diversity of the SMU community and has established identities and traditions to help students create a shared sense of belonging.
Examples of some Commons traditions:
SnoMac (Morrison-McGinnis)
Camp McElvaney (McElvaney)
The Great Crumpkin (Crum)
Taste of Diversity (Mary Hay
Peyton Shuttles)
SMUSHgiving (SMU Service House)
VieSta (VS)
MAKING CAMPUS HOME
This plan contributes to a thriving residential commons experience by ensuring students are engaged academically, emotonally and socially.
As part of this plan, RCDs will advise a Commons Council. This Commons Council will plan the signature event for the commons and host monthly events for the community at large.
Making Campus Home helps our students to -
Belong:
To their community, SMU and Dallas
Learn:
About their academic studies, their self/other and leadership
Connect:
To their academic area, faculty, community, SMU and Dallas
FiR
Involvement:
Lecturer of Spanish
College at SMU:
Dedman College of Humanities & Sciences
Fall 2023
Residential Commons with a current RCD vacancy
THE FiR EXPERIENCE
Dr. Daniele Forlino, Kathy Crow Commons FiR
Living in Kathy Crow Commons as Faculty-in-Residence (FiR) since Fall 2021 has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me and my wife, Aria (who also works at SMU), and for our children (Rocco and Sofia), who absolutely love living on campus. In fact, the Residential Commons model was one of the characteristics about SMU that most excited us when we moved to Dallas seven years ago! Having grown up in a large Italian family as the youngest of nine children, I knew that I would embrace the chance to become part of the Residential Commons family and to be able to share meals, laughs, tears, and adventures with our residents and peer leaders.
We look forward to our monthly family dinners in the dining hall, the weekly Sunday events that we host in our apartment, and chatting over tea with our students by the fireplace every Thursday. All of these activities, and so many more, allow us to interact with our students outside of the traditional classroom setting and to foster lasting personal relationships with our incredible team, which includes our Residential Community Director, Resident Assistants, and Peer Leaders.
Maria del Pilar Melgarejo, Ph.D. Commons:
Entered the FiR Role:
Cockrell-McIntosh Commons
ONTHEHILLTOP
Nichole Fernandez-Jurado (UDH) and her partner, Parker, with their dog Charlie and Santa at Kathy Crow Commons’ annual winter program, “Let it Crow”
Our residential communities welcome FiRs, RCDs, and their partners and families as a part of the community. Live-in staff are welcome to have their family members live with them, and we allow those staff members to determine who they consider family. Additionally, RCDs and FiRs can have two pets per apartment.
We welcome you to ask us for more information on our partner/pet policies.
Ryan Nelson (VS) and C.J. Jacques-Schufford (Loyd) touring the athletics facilities together.
Daniele Forlino (Kathy Crow Commons FiR) and Aria Cabot (spouse, Adjunct Lecturer of Italian, & Director of the World Languages and Literatures Teaching and Technology Center at SMU) with their children, Sofia and Rocco, at their weekly event, CROW Series
Both Molly and I have followed unconventional paths in our lives and hope to encourage students to broaden their definition of success. After all, those who wander are not always lost.
At the end of students' time in the Residential Commons, I hope that students say that both Molly and I [are] approachable, passionate, and openminded. That we were inclusive community builders. That we encouraged engagement and curiosity. And that we were the best doggie moms in the whole world!
Living on campus and the community I have built has been one of the best parts of my time at SMU. The RCD community welcomed me and my partner with open arms and have continued to become some of our closest friends. One thing I love about my coworkers and living on campus is the unique traditions and social events that we have. One of my favorite RCD traditions is an apartment crawl at the start of the semester to see everyone's space and get to know more about one another. Events like these have allowed me to build relationships with my coworkers that have become real and meaningful friendships. In my past year on the hilltop, I have attended concerts, sports games, movie nights, and on-campus events with my fellow RCDs. I Love that no matter what you are interested in, there is always someone who shares that passion or is willing to learn about it. This type of support and friendship has made SMU feel like home to me and makes me so excited to welcome new RCDs into our community!
Mal Williams Residential Community Director Ware Commons
Top: Mal Williams (Ware), Elizabeth Turner (MoMac), Roman Peterson (MHPS), CJ Jacques-Schufford (Loyd), Ryan Nelson (VS), Lauren Eisenschenk (Boaz)
Bottom Row: Macon Stockholm (KCC), Mal Williams (Ware), Roman Peterson (MHPS)
Top Row: Daniel (Mal William’s Partner), Elissa Moody (SMUSH), Lauren Eisenschenk (Boaz), Ryan Nelson (Virginia-Snider) at Service House program
Shopping
SMU is located near top shopping centers, including Highland Park Village, NorthPark Center, and the Shops at Park Lane
Concerts
Dallas is home to a robust live music scene, whether it be big artists preforming at the American Airlines Center or intimate live music at places like The Bomb Factory.
Nature
The State Fair
The 52' "Big Tex" statue that greets visitors at the annual State Fair of Texas, each September and October is the tallest cowboy in Texas.
Sports
Dallas is home to six professional sports teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Wings, FC Dallas, and the Texas Rangers
Running/ biking trails are close to campus, including the Katy Trail (3.5 mi one way to Downtown) and a trail around White Rock Lake (5 mi from campus).
Food
Dallas is known for its Tex-Mex and barbecue, but has big ambitions in all cuisines with over 12,000 restaurants throughout the city.
WELCOME TO THE 214
is a booming cosmopolitan city with countless cultural activities, restaurants, outdoor experiences, and sporting events.
Dallas is home to many creative neighborhoods with lots of music, art, and eateries to offer, like Deep Ellum and the Bishop Arts District
Coffee
Coffee-lovers have the opportunity to try the many coffee shops in Dallas, including the Turkish coffee at Pax & Beneficia, the yellow cheerful ambiance of La La Land, the brunch-friendly Ascenscion Coffee, and many more.
The Arts District in downtown Dallas is the largest arts district in the United States. With restaurants, parks, museums, concert halls, and free festivals that bring tens of thousands of people to the neighborhood, there's something for everyone.
Companies
Dallas is 3rd in the country with the most Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the area, including Exxon Mobil, McKesson, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Texas Instruments, and more.
Access to Travel
Dallas is centrally located and within a four-hour flight from most North American destinations. It is served by two airports; Dallas/Ft. Worth International and Dallas Love Field (4 mi from campus) that combined provide more than 2,200 flights daily.
Dallas Museum of Art, pictured right
Macon Stockholm
Hometown:
Grad institution:
Favorite thing about being an SMU: Raleigh, NC
University of Georgia
SMU is the best environment for me to grow - both personally and professionally. I've been given opportunities to work on projects that spark my passions and grow my skill set on a regular basis.
Roman Peterson
Hometown:
Grad institution:
CJ Schufford
Hometown:
Grad institutions:
Why I chose SMU: Fort Worth, TX
Texas Christian University (M.Ed); Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business (MBA)
Being able to continue my professional and personal journey within the city I had grown up.
Favorite thing about being an RCD: Lake Jackson, TX
Oklahoma State University, Southern Methodist University
Helping residents become the person they want to become
Hometown:
Grad institution:
Favorite thing about living in Dallas San Diego, CA
Vanderbilt University
It is such a fun place to live as a young adult. There is always something new and exciting going on!
Hometown:
Grad institutions:
Favorite thing about being an RCD: Missoula, MT
Kent State University, Southern Methodist University
Supporting students and helping them to help themselves
Greelie Bauman
Hometown:
Grad institutions:
Favorite thing about being an RCD: Corinth, Texas
University of North Texas
The warm and welcoming environment amongst the staff and students and the opportunity for meaningful personal and professional relationships!
Elissa Moody
Molly Brooks
Hometown:
Grad institutions:
Loganville, GA
Favorite thing about being an RCD:
Western Carolina University
Building relationships with students, especially my RAs and student leaders!
Hometown:
Grad institution:
Favorite thing about living in Dallas:
Mal Williams
Chino Hills, CA
Elon University
All of the RCDs are so supportive and kind, and while we spend a lot of time socializing with each other during and after work hours.
We all do a great job of helping each other maintain work-life boundaries and self-care. When one of us starts working through lunch, we either convince that person to take a real lunch break or offer to pick up food for them so they can still take care of themselves while getting all of their work done.
Hometown:
Grad institutions:
Why I chose SMU: Charleston, AR
Arkansas Tech University
I chose SMU because of how friendly everyone was during my visit and to experience city living!
Hometown:
Grad institutions:
I love being in such close proximity to all of the concerts that come through Dallas!
Lauren Eisenschenk
Hometown:
Grad institution:
Why I chose SMU: Gainesville, FL
University of Alabama
SMU truly supports you in following your passions and helping you find ways to integrate them into your work.
Nichole Fernandez-Jurado
Hometown:
Grad institution:
Favorite thing about living in Dallas:
Farmington Hills, MI
Texas Christian University
All of the gluten free options at restaurants around the city!
Favorite thing about being an RCD: Milwaukee, WI
Texas Christian University
I choose SMU because I could tell that RLSH really cares for the development and wellbeing of the RCDS!
Ryan Nelson
Hometown:
Grad institutions: Why I chose SMU:: Florence, SC
Southern Methodist University
I enjoyed my graduate experience at SMU, so much so that I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else Pony Up!
Elizabeth Turner
Maddie Steele
Dylynne Dodson
We invite you to view our full job description and formally apply through our Human Resources website. Applications received by the priority date will be given full consideration. For questions, please contact Eleanor Luna, Associate Director of Residence Life, at 214768-4981 or rlsearch@smu.edu.
SMU will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. SMU's commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
