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FEATURES 7/6/20 12:52am

What has the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice been up to?

By Ella Feldman

Last month, a group of Black students published a list of demands for the administration to “address the systemic oppression and inequity that is embedded within Rice’s history by acknowledging and amplifying voices, experiences and communities that have historically been unheard.” One of the six demands is to remove Founder’s Memorial, the statue of William Marsh Rice found in the Academic Quad, on the basis of Rice’s enslavement of 15 people and involvement in the cotton trade. This demand received particular attention with “Down With Willy,” a student-led social media campaign to demand the administration remove the statue.

OPINION 7/2/20 5:42pm

True anti-racism at Rice begins with removing the statue of a slave owner

By Divine Webber , Taylor Crain , Lauren Palladino and Emily Weaver

“Statues are not meant to teach events. They are constructed to honor the memory of those depicted. Like all slave owners, William Marsh Rice is not worth reverence,” write Taylor Crain (Lovett ‘21), Lauren Palladino (Duncan ‘21), Emily Weaver (Jones ‘22) and Divine Webber (Duncan ‘22).

NEWS 7/1/20 4:24pm

Gorman announces in-depth fall semester plans

By Savannah Kuchar

Students returning to campus in the upcoming fall semester will have to adjust to a number of precautionary changes all subject to change, such as rearranged housing, bathroom schedules and mandated COVID-19 testing, implemented in efforts to protect against the spread of COVID-19, according to an email sent July 1 by Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman.

NEWS 6/24/20 4:53pm

Students push for removal of Founder’s Memorial from academic quad, administration responds

By Rynd Morgan

“We cannot ignore the very real and very problematic history of the man who founded this institution,” Gabrielle Falcon (Martel ‘20) said. “Progress is inevitable and I would hope that Rice would do its best to join the wave of progress we have been seeing this summer, instead of making pointed decisions to prevent it from flourishing.”

NEWS 6/24/20 11:46am

Students can take classes asynchronously, accommodations for high-risk students and staff

By Brian Lin

Rice made further announcements concerning fall semester at a faculty town hall on Tuesday, June 23 after initial decisions were announced on Thursday, June 18. Students cannot be required to attend a class synchronously during dual delivery, the Registrar’s Office will soon release updated schedules listing which courses are online-only and a form will soon be sent out asking students and staff if they are at a higher risk of severe illness, according to Christopher Johns-Krull, the chair of the Academic Restart Committee.

OPINION 6/22/20 6:19pm

Replace Willy’s Statue with Johnson

By Yoseph Maguire

“In this cultural moment the university can no longer play the same old games of working groups and task forces to confront its racist history. Therefore I am calling for the replacement of the statue of William Marsh Rice in the middle of Rice University’s campus with one of Raymond Johnson, the first Black graduate student at Rice and a current professor in the math department,” writes Yoseph Maguire (Wiess ‘18).

NEWS 6/18/20 6:33pm

Academic Restart Committee outlines fall calendar

By Brian Lin

In an email to faculty, the Academic Restart Committee announced the first set of decisions for the fall semester: there will be an “independent study” week after Thanksgiving break until Dec. 4, finals will be given remotely and daily schedules will shift to accommodate a maximum class size of 50 people.

NEWS 6/16/20 12:20pm

Rice suspends standardized testing requirements for Class of 2025

By Rishab Ramapriyan

Rice’s Office of Admission has removed the standardized testing requirements for the 2020-21 admission cycle due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.

NEWS 6/16/20 10:35am

CARES Act allotment announced

By Savannah Kuchar

Rice has announced plans to allocate all $3.4 million in funds received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to students, according to an email sent yesterday morning from Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Seiichi Matsuda.

FEATURES 6/4/20 10:27am

Black at Rice: ‘It feels like we’re mourning all the time.’

We asked Black students if they wanted to respond to the countless instances of racist violence against Black Americans, and the protests taking place across the country as a result. Here’s what they said.

FEATURES 5/31/20 12:29pm

Rice for Black Life encourages Rice community to financially support Black activism

By Ella Feldman

In the 2019 documentary “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am,” Morrison encouraged those looking to make change to ask themselves, “What can I do where I am?” That sentiment sparked Summar McGee (Hanszen College ’20) to found Rice For Black Life, she said. Rice For Black Life is a Black-led coalition of 45 Rice students, Rice affiliates and community members seeking to “support Black liberation, the affirmation of Black life and the abolition of white power structures,” according to a recent email from the group.

NEWS 5/29/20 10:38pm

Clancy Taylor, graduate student in the English department, dies at 25

By Ivanka Perez

Clancy Sheridan Taylor, a graduate student in the English department, died on May 16 at age 25. They had just received a Master of Arts in English for their two years of study.

NEWS 5/26/20 8:19am

Rice mandates mask-wearing, shares vision to reopen campus

By Brian Lin

Rice announced the health protocols, which will be in place starting June 1 until further notice, in an email to students yesterday. Leebron had previously shared a $10 million budget gap caused by COVID-19 and the potential for full-time employees to be furloughed in a town hall on Friday.

NEWS 5/17/20 5:30pm

First-ever virtual commencement held for the Class of 2020

By Savannah Kuchar

With an in-person graduation ceremony indefinitely postponed, the class of 2020 was presented in a virtual commencement ceremony, livestreamed yesterday on the university’s YouTube and Facebook page. The undergraduate ceremony included footage of students and campus, messages from various community members, and a reading of all the graduating seniors’ names.

NEWS 5/16/20 1:04am

Students and administration respond to new Title IX rules on sexual harassment

By Saniya Gayake

Rice administrators are working to change Rice’s sexual misconduct policy in response to the Department of Education’s Title IX changes announced May 6. Students have also mobilized to express concerns over the implications of these policies for survivors of sexual violence at Rice.

NEWS 5/4/20 9:17pm

Leebron announces plans for fall semester: Shortened semester, dual in-person and online classes

By Rishab Ramapriyan

President David Leebron announced plans for reopening campus for the fall semester in an email to all faculty and staff on Monday evening. Rice plans to reopen for the fall semester in mid-August with its full population on campus, but there will be significant modifications to class and campus operations, according to Leebron’s email that was obtained by the Thresher.

NEWS 4/23/20 6:19pm

Rice accepts $3.4 million allocated for student financial relief under CARES Act, amid controversy

By Rynd Morgan

Rice University will accept the $3.4 million allocated to them through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, according to Kathy Collins, vice president for finance. The purpose of the fund is to provide emergency financial aid grants to students. The U.S Department of Education prohibited Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients and undocumented students from receiving the federal aid provided by the CARES Act.

NEWS 4/22/20 2:26pm

Faculty Senate passes additional academic accommodations, discuss fall semester concerns

By Talha Arif

The Faculty Senate has unanimously approved a second round of academic relief measures, including moving the Pass/Fail deadline to June 1 and allowing undergraduates who drop courses after this Friday to receive a “NG” designation.

NEWS 4/21/20 7:16pm

Rice University pays $3.7 million to settle claims of defrauding the National Science Foundation

By Rishab Ramapriyan

U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick announced last Wednesday that Rice has paid the United States more than $3.7 million to settle allegations of fraud relating to the use of National Science Foundation research and development grants. Rice officials said that they do not admit any liability or violation of the law, according to the Office of Public Affairs.

FEATURES 4/14/20 10:39pm

Pipe cleaner chemistry kits and 13-hour time differences: Students adjust to remote classes

By Anna Ta

For some students, moving back home two months earlier than expected to finish out the semester has meant the mixed blessing and curse of home-cooked meals and navigating impossible time differences for Zoom class; for others, it has meant trying to focus long enough to pass courses amid unstable internet access and the burdens of financial stress. For all students, the pandemic has posed unique obstacles to obtaining the education they had hoped to get out of the semester.

homepage

What has the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice been up to?

True anti-racism at Rice begins with removing the statue of a slave owner

Gorman announces in-depth fall semester plans

Students push for removal of Founder’s Memorial from academic quad, administration responds

Students can take classes asynchronously, accommodations for high-risk students and staff

Replace Willy’s Statue with Johnson

Academic Restart Committee outlines fall calendar

Rice suspends standardized testing requirements for Class of 2025

CARES Act allotment announced

Black at Rice: ‘It feels like we’re mourning all the time.’

Rice for Black Life encourages Rice community to financially support Black activism

Clancy Taylor, graduate student in the English department, dies at 25

Rice mandates mask-wearing, shares vision to reopen campus

First-ever virtual commencement held for the Class of 2020

Students and administration respond to new Title IX rules on sexual harassment

Leebron announces plans for fall semester: Shortened semester, dual in-person and online classes

Rice accepts $3.4 million allocated for student financial relief under CARES Act, amid controversy

Faculty Senate passes additional academic accommodations, discuss fall semester concerns

Rice University pays $3.7 million to settle claims of defrauding the National Science Foundation

Pipe cleaner chemistry kits and 13-hour time differences: Students adjust to remote classes

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