2016
New Student
Transition Guide
The SMU Office of Student Transitions
& Orientation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREPARING FOR AARO
New Mustangs: Welcome
Social Media
Register for AARO
Parents & Family Members
Check List to Prepare for AARO
Housing & Travel Info
Testing, My.SMU, SMU Email Account
Education Records Release & FERPA
Academic Honesty Tutorial
Health Center Requirements
AARO Parking
Check List for Packing
DURING AARO
Arrive & Check-in
Tentative AARO Schedule
Housing & Dining
Testing
FOLLOWING AARO
Involvement
SMU ID Card
Mailing Service
Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS)
Employment on Campus
Textbooks
Who’s New at SMU
Health Insurance
Tuition and Fees
Mustang Corral
Common Reading
Mark Your Calendar
CONTACT INFO
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Campus Map
Contact
PREPARATION
Preparing for AARO
New Mustangs
New Mustangs:
Welcome from the Office of Student Transitions & Orientation
Congratulations on your decision to attend Southern Methodist University! The orientation
process is designed to connect you and your family to SMU. Welcome to the Mustang Family!
At
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•
•
•
AARO You Will:
Meet your advisor
Register for Fall classes
Take academic placement tests (optional)
Learn about connecting to the SMU:
o
o
o
o
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Learning Environment
Spirit (Values, History, & Traditions)
People
Campus
Community (Dallas)
Social Media
Facebook
Social Media
Twitter
Connect with us on social media to get updates
about AARO & Mustang Corral, hear from the
orientation leaders, and more!
Instagram
WordPress
Click icons and follow us!
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PREPARATION
PREPARATION
Parents & Family
Registeration
Register for AARO
Registeration
In order to register for AARO. You will need your SMU ID number and your password. You will
complete your registration online through my.smu.edu. To register for AARO, students will log in
to their My.SMU account. Click here to access our AARO Registration Guide which will guide
you through the registration process.
AARO Fee for Family Members/Guests
• $30 - Includes AARO materials and meals.
• Please check the appropriate guest options for dietary preferences when registering.
First Year AARO Sessions
Session
Session
Session
Session
Session
Session
Session
Session
Session
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
June 28-29
July 5-6
July 7-8
July 12-13
July 14-15
July 19-20
July 21-22
July 26-27
July 28- 29
Contact
Deanie Kepler
Transfer AARO Sessions
Session
Session
Session
Session
Session
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
June 24
July 11
July 25
August 8
August 16
International Students AARO
August 14th-15th (Sunday - Monday)
Director of Parent & Family Programs
(214)-768-4797
Parents & Families
As the parents and family members of a new
Mustang you are now part of the SMU family
– a family rich in heritage and educational
opportunities. This family includes current
students, faculty and staff, and thousands of
graduates over the years who remember their
experiences on the Hilltop with pride. We are
dedicated to providing a unique educational
experience to our students, one that will be
valued by students and families for years to
come.
Though students typically spend their college
years away from home, parents and families
continue to play a critical role in a student’s
educational experience. SMU welcomes
parent and family involvement in the student’s
experience when appropriate and encourages
continued support. You will receive a copy of
the Family Handbook, designed to make your
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student’s academic transition easier. Your
first responsibility is not to do everything for
them, but to encourage your student to take
advantage of all that SMU offers and to take
responsibility for the educational experience
that your student will have at SMU.
We encourage family members to attend
AARO with your student. You play a role in
your student’s success at SMU. AARO will
help you learn more about what your student’s
academic experience will be like when they
come to campus in the Fall and will introduce
you to resources on campus that will be helpful
for you and your student.
In addition to attending academic and
resource sessions with your students, we
also have several family specific programs
planned including a panel discussion with
representatives from all over campus.
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PREPARATION
PREPARATION
Travel
Check List
Ground Transportation from DFW or Love Field Airport
to SMU Campus
Before AARO Check List
Make Sure You Complete These Items before attending AARO
Super Shuttle
www.supershuttle.com
+1(817)329-2000
Toll Free: +1(800)258-3826
Things to Do
Register for AARO, including students and guests
Book lodging for your visit
Arrange your transportation
To and from DFW Airport:
- Approx. $31.00 one way for the first passenger
- $10.00 for each additional passenger
Complete your Language Placement Exam
Log into my.SMU and your SMU email account
Complete FERPA Release
Yellow Checker Shuttle
www.yellowcheckershuttle.com/
+1(214) 841-1900
To and from DFW Airport - $21.00/ person
To and from Love Field Airport - $21.00/ person
To and from Love Field Airport:
- Approx. $20.00 one way for the first passenger
- $10.00 for each additional passenger
Complete Academic Honesty Tutorial
Complete University Advising Center Student Bio Sheet
Print your paking pass
AARO Housing
AARO Housing
We encourage AARO guests to make reservations at the host hotel for AARO-The Hilton
Dallas/Park Cities. Please identify yourself as an SMU Orientation 2016 participant when
making your reservation. Visit their website or call (214) 368-0400 to make a reservation.
Hilton Dallas/Park Cities
Address: 5954 Luther Lane, Dallas, TX, 75225, USA
Tel: +1(214)368-0400
Car Rental
Avis Rent A Car Systems
http://www.avis.com/meeting/tools
+1(800)331-1600
Guaranteed best possible rates for
SMU AARO participants
Discount number: A906399
Taxi / Uber / Lyft
www.cowboycab.com/index.html
Taxi: DFW Airport to SMU Campus
DART
www.dart.org/riding/dfwairport.asp
Uber or Lyft:
Love Field Airport to SMU Campus
- Approx. $11.00 one way, 15 minutes
DFW Airport to SMU Campus
- Approx. $33-$37 one way, 35 minutes
DFW Airport to SMU Campus
- 90 minutes one way
- Approx. $60-$90 one way, 35 minutes
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$2.50 for a two-hour pass,
$5 for one day pass.
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PREPARATION
Testing
My.SMU
PREPARATION
Heath Center
SMU Email
Health Center Requirements
• Texas law requires all new students under the age of to 22 provide documentation to the
Health Center demonstrating vaccination against Bacterial Meningitis within 5 years of first
day of class as new SMU student.
• Submit required documentation and health form at least 2 weeks prior to registration of
classes/AARO session.
• (Enrollment holds will be placed on students until this requirement is fulfilled).
Take Your Language
Placement Exam
My.SMU is the self-service
system where students can:
SMU Email Account
• We offer Language
placement exams
during AARO, but we
encourage any student
who needs to take a
placement exam to do
so PRIOR to AARO.
•
•
•
•
• All official SMU
communication is directed
through this account
• Click here to access your
account! Use your SMU ID
number and password to
log in
• Find information about
language placement
exams here.
Enroll/drop classes
View the schedule of classes
View grades
View and request transcripts
and degree process reports
• Update/verify personal
information
Contact SMU OIT for assistance (214)-768-4357 or click here
Other Requirements Include:
•
•
- Proof of immunization against measles, mumps and rubella
- Some students may be required to have the TB skin test
For receipts of completion go to
My.SMU > Student Self-Services > Student Center > Medical Health History
Contact: healthcenter@smu.edu or (214)768-2141 (select option 1)
Parking
Parking on Campus
A parking pass will be emailed to student’s SMU email one week before AARO. The email
will include a parking pass, map, and instructions on how to enter/exit the parking garages.
Packing
FERPA
Education Records Release & FERPA
Things to Bring
SMU ID number and password
Under The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA),
students have the ability to grant permission to others
(including family members) to access education records.
University Advising Center Student Bio Sheet
Health form (if not yet submitted to the SMU Health Center)
Disability documentation if seeking accommodations
• Learn how to use the Release of Education Records feature
on My.SMU here. Please complete this process PRIOR to AARO.
• Still unsure about FERPA? Click here to learn more!
Academic Honesty Tutorial
Peruna Passport
AARO Parking Pass
Academic Honesty
All entering students must complete an online tutorial on academic honesty and take an
online quiz prior to enrolling for their second semester at SMU. The tutorial and quiz can be
accessed through Blackboard.
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Copies of AP and IB testing scores
College transcripts for any dual credit courses
Appropriate clothing for ID & Rotunda yearbook photographs
Casual clothing for 90º to 100º weather
Sweater (for air-conditioned rooms)
Comfortable shoes
Toiletries
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DURING AARO
DURING A ARO
1. Plan to arrive on campus around 8:00 a.m. Park in one
of the AARO guest locations and display your parking
pass in the dashboard. Click here for additional parking
info.
Resource Expo
Schedule
Academic Reality
Small Groups
SMU Late Night
Day 1 programming ends at 7:00 p.m. for
families. Students stay on campus for SMU
Late Night!
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Housing & Dining
Housing at AARO
All first year students are required to stay overnight
in Boaz Commons. Staying on campus provides an
opportunity to experience residence hall living at SMU.
Dining at AARO
Hilltop Hello
Main Stage Dinner Theatre
For Transfer AARO, please make travel
plans to arrive on campus by 8:00 a.m.
and plan to stay until 5:00 p.m.
Individual Advising
Check in at Boaz Commons
College 101 for Families
tion schedule via email.
Family Meeting
First Year - DAY 1
Small Groups
International students will receive details about orienta-
Mustang Brunch
Plan to arrive on campus by 8:00 a.m. on the first day
of AARO and stay until 5:00 p.m. on the second day.
Elective Programming & Individual Advising
AARO Check-In
Making the Most Transfer Credits
2016 Tentative AARO Schedule
Family Welcomes
International AARO Schedule
Academic Reality & Resource
3. Go to the Hughes-Trigg Student Center (HTSC)
to check in. During check in, students will take their SMU
ID and Yearbook photo.
Enrollment Workshops
Transfer AARO Schedule
Hilltop Hello
2. Make your way to Boaz Residential Commons to drop
off student luggage. (You cannot dropoff luggage until
8:00 a.m.)
Red & Blue Lunch
Schedule
Arrive
Arrive
Group Advising Meetings
DURING AARO
First Year - DAY 2
Indivodual Advising
Mustang Brunch
Small Groups
What’s Next for Families
Residential Commons Tours
Elective Programming & Individual Advising
Resource Expo
Day 2 programming ends at 5:00 p.m.
Brunch will be provided on the second day. Students
who arrive late or on an incorrect AARO date cannot
be accommodated. Please be sure your dietary
accomodations are accurately reflected on your AARO
registration.
Testing
Placement Exams
Placement Language Exam
Students can take placements exams during AARO
although this should be complete before.
Math Exam
Six math tests are offered during AARO:
• Math 1303 & 1304 Pre-Calculus
(for placement only, no credit)
• Math 1307, 1309, 1337, & 1338 (for credit)
• To find out which test you should take and look
at sample tests, click here
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FOLLOWING
FOLLOWING AARO:
GENERAL SMU INFORMATION & RESOURCES
FOLLOWING
Involvement
Get Involved
The following resources will help connect
you to the SMU People and Campus. Click
on the following links to begin discovering
how you will get involved at SMU!
SMU ID Card
Your SMU ID Card
Students will take their SMU ID photo during AARO check-in. This
photo will also serve as their yearbook photo. Freshmen
will recieve their SMU IDs when they
check into their residential commons.
Transfer students will pick up their
SMU IDs at the Help Desk at the
Hughes-Trigg Student Center when
they arrive on campus.
Mailing Service
PO Box
• Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports
• Chaplain’s Office
• Community Engagement & Leadership
• Greek Life
• Multicultural Student Affairs
• Residence Life & Student Housing
• Student Activities
• Office of Transfer & Transition Services
Students Living On-Campus
• PO Boxes are required for students living on-campus during the
academic year
• Fee: $45, nonrefundable – charged to the student account
• Mail can be picked up at the Copy and Mail Center on the main
floor of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center
• Students will receive emails with initial PO Box assignment,
expiration of PO Box, and when they receive mail/package
Students Living Off-Campus
Non-resident students (including those living in fraternity and
sorority houses) may rent a mailbox for a $85 fee. Students
should visit the Copy and Main Center to reserve PO Box.
How to address mail:
SMU Student Name, # ____
3140 Dyer Street
Dallas, TX 75275
Contact: Mail and Copy
Center by Ricoh
(214)768-445
Disabilities
• Veterans Affairs
• Women & LGBT Center
Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS)
DASS is the primary contact for all SMU students with disabilities such as:
• Learning and attention disorders
• Physical, sensory, and medical disorders
• Psychiatric disorders
Three Main Functions of DASS:
Get Involved
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1. Determining accommodation eligibility
2. Collaborating with faculty and staff to ensure
accommodations are provided for those deemed eligible
3. Providing academic coaching for students with learning and
attention disorders
Contact:
Learn more about DASS by coming
to our office in the ALEC, visiting our
website,
or calling us at
(214)768-1470
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FOLLOWING
PREPARATION
FOLLOWING
Employment
Employment on Campus
Health
New Mustangs
Insurance
Health Insurance
Division of Enrollment Services-Student Employment
• (214)768-3490, or email
Hegi Family Career Development Center
• On or Off Campus Employment
• Mustang Trak – online employment database
• Career Counselors
• (214)768-2266
Textbooks
Textbooks
SMU Bookstore’s Textbook Reservation Programming
• Offers the largest selection of discounted books
• Choose to pick up books in the store when you return for
classes, or have your books shipped
• Textbook rentals are also available at the bookstore
• SMU requires all domestic students, both undergraduate and graduate, taking 9 credit
hours or more to have adequate health insurance through either an individual/family
plan or the University offered plan – Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
• All international students taking 1 or more credit hours must enroll in the University
offered plan unless they have a special waiver personally granted by the Health Center staff
• All students using an individual/family plan must waive the University offered plan in My.SMU
by the deadline each semester
• All students enrolling in the University offered plan (SHIP) must do so each semester
through My.SMU
• Fall 2016 Deadline: September 7th.
• Students who do not waive or elect the plan by the deadline above will be charged $1,200
to their student account – NO reversal of premiums or charges to insurance status can be
made after the deadline EACH semester
• To learn more visit our website or call (214)768-3408
SMU Bookstore
Located in the Park Cities Plaza, 3060 Mockingbird Lane (next to La Madeleine)
Tuitions & Fees
Who’s New at SMU
Submit your photo and info for your listing in the 2016 Who’s New
at SMU New Student Guide
Welcome to Southern Methodist University! To help you become acquainted with the University
and your classmates, The Office of Student Transitions & Orientation has started work on the
annual Who’s New at SMU New Student Guide. You may complete your listing by uploading your
photo and information today online via the New Student Guide
2016 Upload System.
You may also order your own student copy and/or parent and
family copies of The 2016 Who’s New at SMU New Student
Guide or place a Parent Welcome to SMU Ad, simply follow
the instructions online. If you have any questions about the
Guide, please don’t hesitate to contact our publisher Main
Campus Publications at
smudirectory@maincampuspublications.com .
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Tuition and Fees
• After completing course registration at AARO, the Division of Enrollment Services will send a
billing notification when the bill is available for online viewing through SMUpay
• The email will be sent to the student’s SMU email and to the designated Authorized Payer email
• Charges will represent the cost of the hours in which the student is enrolled, room and board,
and selected Essential Services
• Learn more about the direct cost of attendance of SMU here
• Payment is due upon receipt of your invoice
• Students whose accounts are not cleared by the deadline are charged a late payment fee of:
- $50 for balances between $250 and $999.99
- $150 for balances between $1,000 and $5,000
- balances over $5,000 will be charged 3% of the outstanding balance not to exceed $750
• After the monthly payment due date has passed a 1.5% past due fee will be assessed on the unpaid
student and/ or miscellaneous account balances each month until the balance is paid
• To contact the Division of Enrollment Services, email or call (214)768-3417
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FOLLOWING
Mustang Corral
Mustang Corral
Mustang Corral is one of the best traditions SMU
has to offer! This program is designed to give
all incoming students a sense of what life is like
on campus. As a student, you will meet and
interact with other incoming students, faculty, staff
members, and alumni. During Mustang Corral, you
will explore academic life, the spirit and traditions
of SMU, and engage in personal self-discovery.
These diverse activities encourage meaningful
relationships within each Round Up Group, a group
of 12-15 new students. The bonds that you make
during this short time will prove to be a valuable
connection throughout your collegiate experience.
Mark Your Calendar
Aug. 17 - Aug. 21
Click Here to Get More Information
about Mustang Corral.
Common Reading
Common Reading
A university is a multi-faceted community offering
many opportunities for learning and growth. At SMU
you can expect to encounter ideas and issues that
are new—some may even be uncomfortable. As a
student you will partcipate in engaging discussions
of texts that provoke strong reactions and reward
close reading. The SMU Common Reading Experience
provides the first of these opportunities.
All entering students, many continuing students, and faculty
from across campus all participate in SMU’s Common Reading
Experience each year. This ongoing experience begins with
the book’s presentation at AARO, independent reading over the
summer, focused discussion groups in the Residential Commons
led by SMU faculty or staff in small groups during Mustang
Corral, and a lecture by the author early in the fall semester.
During AARO, all students will receive a copy of the 2016
Common Reading, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
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FOLLOWING
Mustang Corral
Aug. 18
Discover Dallas, Camp Corral
Aug. 19
Camp Corral
Aug. 20
Sexual Violence Prevention Assembly
Class Photo
Find Your Classes
Night at the Club
(Student Organization Fair)
Aug. 21
University Worship
Common Reading Discussion
Rotunda Passage & Convocation
Aug. 22
First Day of Class
Sept. 7
Last Day to Waive or Elect Health Insurance
SMU Campus Map
sites.smu.edu/apps/campus-map/
Contact Information
SMU Student Transitions & Orientation Office
www.smu.edu/StudentAffairs/NewStudent/Contact
Hughes-Trigg Student Center, Suite 300
(214) 768-4560
website: smu.edu/newstudent
email: orientation@smu.edu
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