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NEWS 11/2/21 11:09pm

Faculty discusses rocky ImagineOne rollout during Faculty Senate meeting

By Bonnie Zhao

Faculty discussed Rice University’s troublesome transition to ImagineOne that caused issues such as delayed payment, inaccessibility to grant money and inability to track spending and funds in the Oct. 27 Faculty Senate, after months of faculty members, staff and students expressing dissatisfaction with the new payment system. 

NEWS 10/26/21 11:51pm

Social sciences offers new STaRT program

By Jamal Sayid

Rice University’s School of Social Sciences introduced a new program this year to help students forge connections and learn relevant skills to become better researchers. The program took place from Oct. 8 to 12 and will hold its next event in the fall of 2022.

NEWS 10/26/21 11:45pm

Rice community discusses classroom mask policy continuation

By Nishanka Kuthuru

Rice reports that the classroom mask mandate will most likely continue for the semester despite there being no evidence of transmission in the classroom, according to Kevin Kirby, the Crisis Management Advisory Committee chair. Some professors have said they prefer for the mask mandate to remain in place, due to the state of COVID in Houston.

NEWS 10/26/21 11:44pm

Pub expected to reopen Nov. 1 with masks, reduced capacity

By Prayag Gordy

Willy’s Pub has scheduled its reopening for Nov. 1, according to General Manager Elizabeth Groenewold. Pub’s doors have been closed since early March 2020 following an alleged hazing incident and the later imposition of Rice’s COVID-19 rules. Pub’s capacity will be 100 students on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and will increase to 150 students on Thursday for Pub Night, according to Groenewold, a Will Rice College senior. Masks will be required unless actively eating or drinking. Pub’s pre-COVID capacity was 299.

NEWS 10/19/21 10:53pm

Wellbeing & Counseling Centers see 37% increase in demand from last year

By Zoe Katz

The Wellbeing & Counseling Center have both seen an increase in use since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Elizabeth Plummer, the clinical director of the Counseling Center. According to Plummer, walk-in appointments are available for emergency situations, and slots for these crisis appointments have been accounted for in the Counseling Center’s schedule to make walk-ins accessible. Since last year, the Counseling Center has seen nearly four times as many crisis appointments as they usually do, according to Timothy Baumgartner, director of the Counseling Center.

NEWS 10/19/21 10:11pm

Administration lifts indoor alcohol ban in residential colleges

By Bonnie Zhao

Rice is now permitting indoor consumption of alcohol in residential colleges if students abide by the rules and expectations in Rice’s Alcohol Policy, according to an email sent by Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman on Oct. 15. Alcohol restrictions on cross-college events will still remain in effect. 

NEWS 10/19/21 10:05pm

SJP to handle cases of students abusing COVID-19 accommodations

By Prayag Gordy and Chloe Singer

Student Judicial Programs will handle disciplinary cases for students suspected of abusing Rice’s COVID-19 isolation policies, according to SJP Director Emily Garza. Garza and Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman told the Thresher that they are not aware of any reports of student misconduct with respect to COVID-19 accommodations.

NEWS 10/13/21 1:35am

Baker Institute director to step down after 28 years

By Ben Baker-Katz

Edward Djerejian, founding director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, announced last week that he will step down at the end of June 2022. The first and only person to hold the position, Djerejian will have been at the helm of the Baker Institute for 28 years when he retires in April.

NEWS 10/13/21 1:34am

​​Rice joins inaugural cohort of Gulf Scholars Program for undergraduates to research environmental issues

By Emily London

Rice, along with six other universities across the Gulf Coast region, joined the initial phase of the National Academies Gulf Scholars Program. The program will expand undergraduate opportunities to research crucial environmental, health, energy and infrastructure issues in the Gulf Coast through a one-credit seminar course in the spring and fall semesters and a ten-week paid summer research experience, according to Jamie Padgett, the program’s faculty director. 

NEWS 10/13/21 1:32am

Opera Studies Music Director Miah Im remembered

By Nishanka Kuthuru

Miah Im, music director of opera studies at Rice University, passed away on Sept. 30 at the age of 47 due to pancreatic cancer. Ana María Martínez, a Grammy award winning soprano and Shepherd School of Music’s Artist-in-Residence, was Im’s good friend and colleague of 20 years. She said that Im always cared for her work and responsibilities and took them very seriously.

NEWS 10/13/21 1:30am

Critical Dialogues on Diversity workshop now required for Class of 2025

By Viola Hsia

All Rice new students are now required to take a new workshop, Critical Dialogues on Diversity. The CDOD course, UNIV 195, will be a five-week, discussion-based workshop that will explore critical approaches to culture, identity and dialogue, according to an email sent to new students by Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alexander Byrd on Oct. 5.

NEWS 10/5/21 11:31pm

New payment system complicates life for student organizations

By Bonnie Zhao

Student-run businesses, club sports and organizations across campus are among those who have expressed dissatisfaction with ImagineOne, the new payment system used by Rice. Earlier this year, Rice implemented iO to replace its old pay system, Banner, according to Paul Padley, interim vice president for IT.

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