Faculty and Staff - Get Involved

Faculty and staff power our transformational living and learning environment at SMU. They engage with Residence Life and Student Housing (RLSH) within a variety of formalized and organic roles related to our work. Below are the various groups that contribute to our culture of success. Join us.

 

Affiliate Program

The Affiliate Program at SMU is an integral part of the Residential Commons, where faculty and staff commit to supporting the intellectual, cultural, and social life of the 11 communities by engaging residents and providing mentorship, guidance, and support to students.

Affiliates get involved in the Residential Commons in a wide variety of ways, ranging from casual meals, sporting events, and social gatherings to lectures, career panels, and theatrical performances—to name a few. Regardless of their level of engagement, each of the faculty and staff listed here have indicated a willingness and enthusiasm to support students. 
 
Interested in becoming a Commons Affiliate? Faculty and staff were introduced to the  opportunity to become an affiliate during their Human Resources New Employee Orientation If you do not have a current Commons affiliation, please use the short webform below. 

Connect Faculty Program

The Connect Faculty program is a collaboration between the offices of Residence Life and Student Housing (RLSH) and Social Change and Intercultural Engagement (SCIE). The Connect Mentorship Program (known by students as Connect) is a year-long mentorship program aimed at retaining students of color at SMU. Our Connect Faculty meet with Connect students who live in their affiliated commons to be a resource, build connections, and champion their success.

Questions about the program and interest in serving as a Connect Faculty can be directed to Dr. Brittany Billar, Director of Academic Initiatives at bbillar@smu.edu. 

Please indicate interest in the position by September 1, 2024, to be considered for the 2024-2025 academic year. The program begins with a kickoff event on Sunday, September 15.

Connect Faculty Position Description

Engage Dallas

Faculty and Staff Affiliates can serve with their commons in the Engage Dallas program. Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU’s Residential Commons to address community needs focusing on south and west Dallas. The initiative is a long-term, university-wide commitment led by students to partner with local residents, organizations, and other leaders to positively impact the community. There is equal emphasis on campus and community impact stemming from the initiative. Think big and do good today.

Faculty-in-Residence Program

 

The goal of the Faculty-in-Residence (FiR) is to provide students with unprecedented access to our world-class faculty. FiRs provide both formal and informal resident-faculty interactions through educational programming, classes, individual and small-group advising, and casual association.

These interactions provide students with opportunities to approach and relate to faculty members on a more personal level, learn about resources, and enhance their confidence and ability to interact with all faculty members.

SMU faculty members are integrated into the 11 Residential Commons and work with Student Affairs staff and other faculty to facilitate student learning. Meet the current FiRs in SMU’s Residential Commons.

Visit the FiR Recruitment and Selection webpage for additional information.

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Faculty-in-Residence