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NEWS 7/23/20 11:03am

Midtown Fiesta by Innovation District closes, drawing attention to food inaccessibility in the area

By Rynd Morgan

The Fiesta Mart in Midtown at 4200 San Jacinto St., which was leased from Rice University and is across the street from the currently under construction Ion building, closed on July 10. The store serviced both Midtown and Third Ward residents and the closure has drawn attention to the issue of food access in the Third Ward, which is classified as a food desert.

NEWS 7/8/20 6:04am

Historians share perspectives on monuments and racism, following recent discussions about William Marsh Rice

By Ivanka Perez

"The model [for discussions] has long been [that] it's a small group, usually of men, but a small group has met behind closed doors and made these decisions. And I think what all of us in all of our different work have said over and over and over again is that this has to be a public conversation. All stakeholders need to be involved in these decision-making processes,“ Anne Twitty, panelist at Monday’s webinar, said.

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 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.

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 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. 

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 5/10/20 10:02pm

History professor Caleb McDaniel wins Rice’s first Pulitzer Prize

By Rynd Morgan

History professor Caleb McDaniel became the first Rice professor to win a Pulitzer Prize for his book “Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America” on May 4. The book is about Henrietta Wood, a woman who in 1870 successfully sued the man who abducted her and sold her into slavery.

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.

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