News

NEWS 4/23/21 3:56pm

Rice rescinds outdoor mask requirement, testing no longer required for fully vaccinated community members

By Hajera Naveed

Rice announced today that there will no longer be a mask requirement in outdoor spaces and that fully vaccinated individuals will not be required to take weekly COVID-19 tests, in an email sent to the Rice community by Kevin Kirby, chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee. The announcement follows the results of a community survey of vaccination status, which revealed that 74 percent of the Rice community members have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

NEWS 4/20/21 11:46pm

Students respond to RUPD messages regarding unhoused persons on campus

By Rynd Morgan

The Rice University Police Department has responded to several reports of unhoused persons seen on campus, with some of these instances involving the same individual, according to RUPD Chief of Clemente Rodriguez. Since late March, people who are homeless have been reported at Baker College, in the Wiess College alcoves, in Will Rice College commons and entering Herman Brown Hall and George R. Brown Hall, according to emails sent by RUPD to Baker College residents and a message sent by a Wiess College residential associate to Wiess College residents.

NEWS 4/20/21 11:35pm

Updated Beer Bike results cause controversial first-place tie in men’s race, second-place tie in women’s

By Talha Arif

Hanszen College tied with Jones College for first place in the men’s race while also tying with Jones for second place in the women’s race, according to updated Beer Bike 2021 results posted by Rice Program Council. These times were adjusted following a petition submitted by Hanszen due to discrepancies in their own recorded time versus RPC’s time. McMurtry College won the women’s race by almost 40 seconds.

NEWS 4/20/21 10:51pm

Rice approves new undergraduate Operations Research major

By Megan Xiao

The Rice Faculty Senate has recently approved a new undergraduate major and B.A. degree in Operations Research within the Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics. All undergraduate students now are eligible to declare the new major.

NEWS 4/20/21 9:43pm

MECH students and faculty express concerns about undergraduate expansion in town hall

By Nicole Lhuillier

If the mechanical engineering undergraduate population grows alongside the recently announced 20 percent student body expansion, the department will need more faculty, more teaching and grading support, greater classroom capacity and additional funds for equipment, according to the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Advisory Board. The Undergraduate Advisory Board discussed the state of the MECH department and its future at their town hall on April 14.

NEWS 4/20/21 9:34pm

O-Week coordinators and directors prepare for expanded and possible in-person O-Week

By Sumin Yoon

Orientation Week 2021 is likely to be delivered in a similar hybrid format as O-Week 2020, according to the Associate Director of First Year Programs Araceli Lopez.

NEWS 4/16/21 2:31pm

McMurtry wins women’s, Jones wins men's race following pandemic-adjusted Beer Bike

By Talha Arif and Keegan Leibrock

McMurtry College claimed first place in the women’s Beer Bike race while Jones College won the men’s race, according to preliminary results posted by Rice Program Council. This year’s Beer Bike took place over two days and was live streamed due to in-person capacity restrictions. Alumni did not participate this year.

NEWS 4/13/21 11:44pm

Owl House Properties excluded from campus housing website due to student feedback

By Hajera Naveed

At this time, Owl House Properties will not be included on the new housing website as a result of feedback from students, according to Elizabeth Leaver, Housing and Dining operations director for the South Colleges. Students who rented from Owl House Properties were recently asked to fill out a survey asking for their feedback on whether or not the company’s properties should be included on the website that H&D launched.

NEWS 4/13/21 11:43pm

Rice will allow guests to attend in-person graduation, commencement location changed to football stadium

By Bonnie Zhao

Rice administration will allow up to four guests per graduate to attend their respective commencement ceremonies, according to an email sent Monday morning. Previously, families and guests could only participate virtually.

NEWS 4/13/21 11:11pm

Professor emeritus Sidney “Sid” Burrus remembered

By Talha Arif

Charles Sidney Burrus, former dean of engineering at Rice, passed away on April 3 at age 86. Burrus is survived by his son, daughter and four grandchildren.

NEWS 4/13/21 10:53pm

Low vaccine survey response rate impedes fall semester planning

By Bonnie Zhao

Only about half of the student body has filled out the vaccine survey sent out in the COVID-19 Response Weekly Update, and the non-satisfactory response rate is preventing the administration from planning for a fully in-person fall 2021 semester, according to Kevin Kirby, vice president of administration.

NEWS 4/6/21 10:20pm

Larry McMurtry, author and Rice alum, passes at age 84

By Talha Arif

Larry McMurtry (class of ’60), a novelist and screenwriter who attended and taught English courses at Rice University, passed away on March 25 at age 84. He is survived by his wife, son, siblings and grandson.

NEWS 3/30/21 11:59pm

Rice receives 4,000 doses of vaccine to distribute, Fall semester expected to be ‘largely normal’

By Rishab Ramapriyan and Rynd Morgan

Rice University announced yesterday that the state of Texas will give the university 4,000 first doses of Pfizer vaccine for distribution on campus. The first clinic will be Thursday, April 1 in Tudor Fieldhouse, according to Vice President of Administration Kevin Kirby.

NEWS 3/30/21 11:50pm

Colleges change Willy Week name due to event restrictions, conversations about Willy’s Statue

By Rynd Morgan

Several colleges have changed the name of Willy Week this year due to the different structure of the week compared to past years, including the restrictions on the types and frequency of events that can be held due to the pandemic, and because of the ongoing conversation regarding Willy’s statue.

NEWS 3/30/21 6:12pm

Rice releases regular decision results, accepts record number of applicants

By Savannah Kuchar

At 5:00 p.m. today, the Rice University Office of Admission released regular decision results. This year, Rice gave a record number of admission offers to 2,749 applicants from all 50 states and 68 countries, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva.

NEWS 3/29/21 5:22pm

Rice announces twelfth residential college, student body expansion approved

By Ivanka Perez

Rice announced today that it will open a twelfth residential college to account for the plan to expand the student body by 20 percent, which Rice's Board of Trustees has just approved.The undergraduate class is expected to grow to 4,800 by 2025 from its current enrollment of 4,052 students (Fall 2020), according to the press release.

NEWS 3/23/21 11:24pm

Debate team wins national championship

By Bonnie Zhao

Rice University’s debate team won the national championship in the National Parliamentary Debate Association 2021 Championship Tournament. It won first place in Overall Season Sweepstakes, Open (Varsity) Division Season Sweepstakes and Overall Tournament Sweepstakes, according to David Worth, the director of the team.

NEWS 3/23/21 11:14pm

Beer Bike races will follow revised format to ensure COVID-19 safety

By Savannah Kuchar

Beer Bike races will stretch across two days this year, with six separate races featuring two colleges at a time and the winner determined after all teams have been timed, according to Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman.

NEWS 3/23/21 10:29pm

Rice Program Council designs Rondelet to meet COVID-19 guidelines

By Megan Xiao

Due to COVID-19 regulations, the Rice Program Council will be holding Rondelet, an annual formal for Rice students, Friday March 27 at the West Quad on campus by Turrell Skyspace, instead of the typical large, off-campus venue like museums, according to the RPC socials committee.

NEWS 3/23/21 10:26pm

Willy’s Pub remains closed amidst Texas bar reopenings

By Isaiah Hwang

Willy’s Pub remains closed after Governor Greg Abbott’s issuance of an executive order increasing the capacity of all businesses and facilities in Texas to 100 percent and lifting the state mask mandate starting March 10.

News

Rice rescinds outdoor mask requirement, testing no longer required for fully vaccinated community members

Students respond to RUPD messages regarding unhoused persons on campus

Updated Beer Bike results cause controversial first-place tie in men’s race, second-place tie in women’s

Rice approves new undergraduate Operations Research major

MECH students and faculty express concerns about undergraduate expansion in town hall

O-Week coordinators and directors prepare for expanded and possible in-person O-Week

McMurtry wins women’s, Jones wins men's race following pandemic-adjusted Beer Bike

Owl House Properties excluded from campus housing website due to student feedback

Rice will allow guests to attend in-person graduation, commencement location changed to football stadium

Professor emeritus Sidney “Sid” Burrus remembered

Low vaccine survey response rate impedes fall semester planning

Larry McMurtry, author and Rice alum, passes at age 84

Rice receives 4,000 doses of vaccine to distribute, Fall semester expected to be ‘largely normal’

Colleges change Willy Week name due to event restrictions, conversations about Willy’s Statue

Rice releases regular decision results, accepts record number of applicants

Rice announces twelfth residential college, student body expansion approved

Debate team wins national championship

Beer Bike races will follow revised format to ensure COVID-19 safety

Rice Program Council designs Rondelet to meet COVID-19 guidelines

Willy’s Pub remains closed amidst Texas bar reopenings

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