Life at Rice can give gift of eco-awareness

Fall of 2016 marks my fourth year in Houston. To me, becoming a senior international student does not only mean being able to laugh at John Oliver’s jokes about Donald Trump or start singing “The Duck Song” as soon as I saw grapes in the servery, but most importantly, being a lot more conscious about sustainability and the environment. College has been the best opportunity for me to learn to be green from the people around me.

Rising number of student clubs prompts scrutiny from administration, SA

Student Activities plans to address the increasing number of student clubs according to Olivia Barker, Associate Director of Student Activities. This semester, there are 49 new student clubs and 239 reregistering clubs, while 42 clubs from last year did not complete their renewal or registration process.

Rice pilots Canvas as alternative to Owlspace

Rice University is testing a new learning management system, Canvas, in 15 pilot courses involving 16 instructors and nearly 1,000 students, according to Director of Informational Technology and Access Services Diane Butler. Canvas could potentially replace Owlspace as the primary platform for learning management.

Graduate school mentorship introduced

The graduate/undergraduate mentorship program that intends to facilitate interaction and mentorship among graduate and undergraduate students attracted 207 undergraduate student applicants according to Chris Sabbagh, a former Jones College senator.

Budde named commencement speaker

Dennis Budde, a Baker College senior, will speak about improvisation as the student convocation speaker at the commencement ceremony on May 16. 

Coadvisor apps increase to more than 400, acceptance rate at 25 percent

Colin Powell to speak at graduation

The Rice University administration announced Wednesday that former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell will deliver this year’s commencement address on May 16.

New common app for co-advisors hits roadbumps

First Year Programs is implementing a new online platform for the Orientation Week 2015 co-advising application. According to Chris Landry, Associate Director of FYP, the application consists of a series of common questions followed by supplements for each individual college. Applicants may apply for up to four colleges.

McMurtry addresses surplus housing with proposal to remove point bonus

The McMurtry College government will vote on a proposal designed to encourage students to remain on campus at their Town Hall meeting on Feb. 17, according to McMurtry College Internal Vice President Sean Harger. The proposal intends to address McMurtry’s current housing surplus issue.

Blanket tax crack team finalizes proposal for ballot

Jieya Wen

Class size growth prompts concerns

The size of Rice University’s student body has increased by 36 percent over the last 12 years as called for by President David Leebron’s Vision for the Second Century; however, the growth has prompted some students and faculty to express concerns about class sizes. According to Leebron and Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, the administration has addressed this by hiring more faculty and looking further into optimal class sizes.

Rice Education of the Future report reveals need for leadership, entrepreneurship opportunities

The Rice Education of the Future initiative’s final report suggests that students’ experiences outside the classroom, such as entrepreneurial, mentorship and leadership experiences, need the most improvement, based on results from the Student Association’s campus-wide survey and a separate survey of 400 students.

Rice takes steps to avoid 'phantom class' scandal

In response to recent reports from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill of athletes taking classes for eligibility without actually attending them, Rice University is reexamining potential risk factors that could lead to these “phantom classes.”

H&D proposes repurposing space creatively

New, creative design spaces may come to residential colleges in the coming years, according to David McDonald, senior business director of  Housing and Dining. H&D is initiating the endeavor in collaboration with Rice Education of the Future. The spaces will be multi-disciplinary and their design open to student input.

Information Tecnology hires new CIO, VP to consolidate different IT units

Rice Wins ACM-ICPC Contest

A team of three Rice University students entitled Rice Gray won first place at the South Central USA regionals of the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest on Oct. 4. The winners are Jose Vera-Garza, a Lovett College sophomore, Philip Taffet, a Duncan College sophomore, and Nick Merritt, a Martel College junior.

Village property changes management

The Rice Management Company has hired Trademark Property Company to oversee asset and property management, leasing and repositioning of the Village Arcade in Rice Village. The Village Arcade, part of the Rice University endowment, is managed by the Rice Management Company, according to company president Allison Thacker (Baker ’96). 

Architecture firm examines campus spaces, solicits input

Rice University has hired New York architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi to conduct a two-stage Student Space Study. The first stage of the study will investigate student space usage across campus, according to Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby.

Pod structure to encourage discussion

The Rice University Student Association is employing a new group structure, referred to as a pod, to address four presidents’ topics of interests: the LPAP requirement, campus-wide election timelines, campus-wide announcements and calendars and the blanket tax process, according to SA President Ravi Sheth.

Software failure crashes network

The three major Rice University wireless networks, Rice Visitors, Rice Owls and Eduroam, crashed due to software failure, according to Director of Rice Networking, Telecom and Data Center William Deigaard.