I'm not sure exactly how to describe the problem I'm having with proper terminology, so perhaps this kind of question has already answered and I just don't know how to look for it. Apologies if this problem has been solved before.

I built my own dormitory in Academie le Tour, and I'm pretty certain I followed the correct steps in making it function properly. Started with a residential lot, built on it, included the right stove, sprinkler, 4 island counters, dishwasher/sink, the right doors for the rooms, and then the cheat code. The game recognized the building as a dorm just fine, and I was able to move sims in okay, but then when the sims aged into young adults on the lot (they were moved in as teenagers from the main neighbourhood), the various menus that should have appeared on-screen never did. Time passes just fine, and if I left-click on the sims I can get them to do stuff, but I can't speed/pause, go up/down levels, or leave the lot.

This is a screenshot http://puu.sh/lATAu/656e87b56f.jpg I'm not in camera-mode or anything, notice all the menus are missing. Sim thumbnails, aspiration, motives, everything is missing. I can't save or quit, I have to shut the game down in task manager.

http://puu.sh/lATGg/12caa8003f.jpg here's my kitchen, so you can see what I've got. No cafeteria lady or other dormies I might add.
I would get a snapshot of the dorms but I can't go up a level.

I'd very much appreciate if anyone could help me out
Thanks!

Do you have dorm doors on the students bedrooms?

The old No User Interface glitch. The last time I had that happen I pressed keys on the keyboard until the UI came back. I suggest you start with Escape and work your way across. I don't remember which one did the job.

Tab should bring it up.

It's more than a TAB issue, the OP doesn't have any dormies or cafeteria person.

You bought all furniture when it was residental lot. Try remove all furniture and rebuy everything for DORM.

That should not make a difference. The change zoning cheat should be the last step after the dorm is finished.

I am guessing that it is a mod conflict or other cc problem, but I tend to think mod. Have you tried to play the dorm without any cc?
Last time I had menu options missing (not the whole menu, just some options) - it was due to not having the EP smarter check - which is needed for some of Boiling Oil's mods to work properly.
Every time I have a problem it comes down to a mod (except once, when it was a kitchen counter).
I have never had problems with dorms that I built myself, so I do not think the problem lies there.

The OP still hasn't said if they used dorm doors or not, that would stop students turning up to take a room, although I don't think it should stop the cafeteria worker.

They said they did - or implied it anyway - in their original post.

I've no idea why this is happening. I agree it might be a mod or maybe just a wonky dorm. Maybe try another dorm and check things are working normally?

Op, does a maxis dorm work?

Good question, Jo.
I do not think it is the building, though. I have made plenty of mistakes when building dorms (the cafeteria worker still shows up with the stove/fridge, but might not know what to do if the counters are wrong, for instance - but he/she is still there, in the kitchen!
Then the menus should show up (if the doors are wrong, students only can't claim it, they can still sit on a sofa or turn on a radio, etc). I have done that too. In fact, I once accidentally put the swinging doors in the dorm. The menus still worked and the cafeteria worker still showed up (I had one in the lot bin, could fix the doors and move the students out and in again).
I still think mod. Mod conflict, mod not updated for AL, something in that line.