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NEWS 8/30/16 10:50pm

New year brings new major, minors

By Megan Gordon

The beginning of the academic year has seen the launch of new programs in three departments: a Bachelor of Science in environmental science, a minor in physics, and a minor in medical humanities.

NEWS 8/30/16 10:47pm

Engineering dean to leave at the end of school year

 

Ned Thomas will step down as Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering at the end of the school year and return to teaching as a full-time faculty member, according to an email Provost Marie Lynn Miranda sent to faculty last week. Miranda said the search for a replacement to Thomas, who has served since 2011, will begin soon.

NEWS 8/24/16 11:09pm

Drug threat fails to materialize

 

Prior to this year’s Orientation Week, the university administration received information that some returning students were planning to distribute illicit drugs on Move-In Day with the intent of targeting new students, according to Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson.

NEWS 8/23/16 11:24pm

Sexuality course pilot stalled until spring

By Amber Tong

The Dean of Undergraduates’ office and the Student Association are working to offer pilot programs for a Critical Thinking in Sexuality course in spring 2017 rather than this fall as some expected, according to Dean John Hutchinson.

NEWS 8/23/16 11:19pm

Student concerns spur MECH changes

By Amber Tong

The mechanical engineering department has taken steps this summer to address understaffing and underfunding issues, following student complaints at a town hall organized by undergraduates in the spring.

NEWS 8/23/16 11:17pm

Students pursue political passions, blue or red

By Emily Abdow

On Beer Bike morning, while the rest of Rice was preparing to ingest liquid at high speeds, Duncan College sophomore Maurice Frediere was at the convention for Senate District 13 to elect delegates for each precinct within the district.

NEWS 8/23/16 11:09pm

SA tables CUC credit limit censure

By Drew Keller

The Student Association Senate unanimously voted to table a resolution that would have censured the Faculty Senate for approving new limits on the number of credit hours undergraduates can take.

NEWS 8/23/16 11:07pm

RUPD delays camera rollout

By Emily Abdow

The Rice University Police Department’s plans to install security cameras on the outer perimeter of residential colleges has been delayed due to the need for feedback from students, according to Chief of Police Johnny Whitehead.

NEWS 8/23/16 11:02pm

Committee recommends full transition from OwlSpace to Canvas

By Amber Tong

A faculty committee tasked with investigating the university’s learning management systems has unanimously recommended that the Office of Information Technology transition from OwlSpace to Canvas for all courses starting this semester, according to the committee’s recent report. The Academic Technologies Subcommittee of the University Information Technology Committee further recommended that OIT actively promote Canvas, provide training and support for faculty, establish a clear process for course migration, disallow creating new courses in OwlSpace and archive all Owlspace courses for research. The recommendations came after the school piloted Canvas in more than 60 courses over three semesters.

NEWS 4/28/16 7:24pm

President Leebron, Dean Miranda address credit hour cap protests in email to student body

 

In response to student concerns regarding the Faculty Senate's passage of a new credit hour limit, President David Leebron and Provost Marie Lynn Miranda sent an email addressed to Rice students describing the proposal, the process behind its development and further steps. The email, entitled "Addressing Concerns About the Recent Faculty Senate Bill," is copied below.

NEWS 4/22/16 10:29am

Faculty Senate approval of credit hour limit in face of student protests spurs campus debate

By Emily Abdow

The Faculty Senate voted 14 to nine Wednesday in favor of the Committee for Undergraduate Curriculum’s proposal to lower the limit on the number of credit hours undergraduate students can enroll in from 20 hours to 18 hours, starting with the incoming class of 2020. More than 100 students were present at the Faculty Senate meeting to protest against the proposal in a sit-in organized by the Student Association, with at least 50 remaining until the vote on the changes two hours after the meeting began.

NEWS 4/22/16 9:38am

Students present humanities research

By Hannah Todd

Rice student researchers in a humanities research practicum presented at a research symposium April 14 and April 15. This past semester, the Humanities Research Center partnered with Houston institutions and university archives for students to conduct research in medical humanities or cultural heritage. John Mulligan, a Rice lecturer, led the program.

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