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NEWS 4/8/20 3:04am

Summer 2020 courses move online, fees reduced

By Rynd Morgan and Trisha Gupta

All summer 2020 courses, except for research and internship, must now be offered online, and no face-to-face courses may meet, according to the Office of the Registrar. In addition, fees for summer 2020 courses have been reduced to $250 per credit hour from the typical $800 per credit hour billed for online summer classes, according to the Rice Cashier’s Office.

NEWS 4/7/20 9:06pm

Student-run businesses support employees, plan ahead amid uncertain times

By Henry Baring

Shut down for the remainder of the semester, student-run businesses are facing challenges filling the financial and emotional gap left by COVID-19. Questions hover for Coffeehouse, The Hoot and Rice Bikes, as well as student-owned East-West Tea and student-staffed Willy’s Pub, as to how they will support their student employees, deal with disrupted income and plan ahead.

NEWS 4/7/20 7:08pm

Construction continues undeterred on campus

By Christina Tan

For the students still staying in the south colleges, one noise rises above the rest: the sounds of construction on the new Sid Richardson College building. Although most major buildings on campus have been closed, all construction projects on campus have continued due to their continued classification as “essential” under Houston’s stay-at-home order.

NEWS 4/3/20 7:56pm

Campus evolves with COVID-19

By Rynd Morgan

The university's decision making has evolved along with the pandemic it is responding to, with near-constant updates on policies covering everything from travel, academics, campus buildings and housing and dining. Given the rapidly changing situation at the university as the pandemic ramps up in the U.S. and internationally, this article hopes to centralize the information and clarify the current state of university policies in each of these areas. 

NEWS 3/30/20 2:40pm

On-campus commencement postponed, online ceremony to occur

By Christina Tan

In light of ongoing COVID-19 concerns, an on campus commencement is postponed until further notice, according to an email sent by President David Leebron, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Interim Provost Seiichi Matsuda. There will be an online ceremony on May 16, according to Gorman, where graduates names will be read out loud. 

NEWS 3/27/20 5:02pm

Rice accepts 10 percent of applicants for the Class of 2024

By Dan Helmici

Rice University accepted 10 percent of applicants to the undergraduate class of 2024, a slight increase in acceptance rate from last year’s record-low 8.7 percent acceptance rate. Due to Rice’s cancellation of all on-campus admission events in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, accepted students will be invited to virtual events in lieu of visiting campus during the traditional Owl Days and Admit Days.

NEWS 3/25/20 1:28pm

Any classes this semester can be taken pass/fail, Faculty Senate decides

By Christina Tan

Undergraduate students will be able to designate all courses this semester pass/fail after the Faculty Senate approved the motion for academic relief in Spring 2020 to address the academic disruption caused by COVID-19, by a unanimous vote (28 in favor, 4 absent).  The senate also passed two other motions: the first will move the deadline to input grades for graduating students to May 15 at 5 p.m. The second states that students will not be “unduly penalized academically” if any courses in progress cannot be offered for completion due to the university’s response to the pandemic.

NEWS 3/24/20 9:17pm

Wiatt wins external vice president race, with low voter turnout amid preoccupation with COVID-19

By Anna Ta

Isabel Wiatt won 64.5 percent of the vote over Kevin Guo in the race for Student Association external vice president, the only race in the second round elections, which take place in order to fill SA offices that had not garnered candidates in the first round of elections. The results drew the SA elections to a close with a low 16.5 percent voter turnout rate as students scrambled to adjust to college life in the midst of a pandemic. 

NEWS 3/20/20 2:04pm

Rice approved 77 percent of petitions to stay on campus, but some students disappointed with decisions

By Christina Tan

On-campus students had less than two weeks to pack up and leave campus for the semester after being notified on March 12 that the move-out deadline would be March 25. While many students left or stayed away from campus, some students took an option provided by the Dean of Undergraduates’ office: filing petitions to stay on campus. 77 percent of petitions were approved, according to Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, including petitions from students who later decided to leave campus.

NEWS 3/18/20 11:32am

Students petition for a pass/fail semester due to COVID-19 disruption

By Savannah Kuchar

Yesterday, a petition created by Kendall Vining requested that administration give students the option to pass/fail their classes this semester, in light of all the recent changes on campus due to COVID-19. Vining, Student Association internal vice president, wrote and posted the petition, and at the time of publication it had 2,473 signatures and comments in support from students and parents.

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