Faculty senate to vote on extending drop deadline to early January
The Faculty Senate will vote on Nov. 18 on whether to extend the drop deadline for the fall semester to early January after final grades are posted, according to Speaker of the Faculty Senate Christopher Johns-Krull.
“[Dean of Undergraduates Bridget] Gorman came to the Senate Executive Committee and really wanted us to think seriously about adopting something for this semester,” Johns-Krull said at the Student Association meeting on Nov. 9.
If a class is dropped by that deadline, it will appear on student transcripts as “NG” or “no grade” similar to the spring semester.
Johns-Krull said for continuing students, the deadline will likely be around Jan. 13 to drop a class, but for December degree candidates, the deadline will likely be a week earlier since December degrees are awarded on the first Friday of January.
Johns-Krull said international students will need to get prior approval from the Office of International Students and Scholars.
“We saw some situations in the spring where students were trying to use the late drop accommodation that we provided, that would put them and Rice at odds with the Department of State and various federal rules about visas and visa compliance,” Johns-Krull said.
Johns-Krull said there is no current plan to implement a modified pass-fail system. SA Senators are pushing for more accommodations for both this semester and next, and are circulating a form for students to provide insight into what accommodations they would like.
More from The Rice Thresher
7.5% acceptance rate marks lowest in Rice history
Rice admitted 2,439 students from 32,459 applicants March 26, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. With a 7.5% admit rate, this is the third consecutive year of record-low acceptance rates. The Thresher previously reported 7.7% and 8.56% acceptance rates for the Class and 2027 and 2026 respectively.
Public parties to resume, Martel sundeck off-limits for morning party
Campus-wide public parties will resume in time for Beer Bike and Brown College’s Bacchanalia, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced in an email to students March 22. The sundeck will permanently be off-limits for Martel College’s morning party, and colleges will not be allowed to reschedule or host additional public parties this semester.
Senate debates resolution to boycott, divest SA funds from Israel-aligned companies
A student resolution calling on the Rice Student Association to participate in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement was presented at the Senate meeting March 25. The resolution is titled “Student Association Boycott and Divestment from Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza.”
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.