Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916
Thursday, April 25, 2024 — Houston, TX

Kern Vijayvargiya

NEWS 2/3/11 6:00pm

Baker Institute world ranking rises

By Kern Vijayvargiya

The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania recently recognized the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy as one of the top think tanks in the world. In its latest "Global Go-To Think Tanks" annual report, the TTCSP ranked the Baker Institute 16th among university-affiliated think tanks in the world and 27th among all U.S. think tanks.The new rankings are an improvement for the policy think tank; last year, the TTCSP ranked the Baker Institute 37th in the U.S. University-affiliated think tanks were not assessed in 2009.

NEWS 4/15/10 7:00pm

Baker enters final stage in search for RA

By Kern Vijayvargiya

Baker College will select a new Resident Associate by April 23, as current RA Jessica Logan is leaving at the end of this year.Baker President Megan McSpedon chose eight Baker students to form a RA search committee, Liz Young, RA search committee co-chair, said. McSpedon hoped to choose students who had not been previously involved with Baker's student governing body, Young, a Baker sophomore, said.

NEWS 1/14/10 6:00pm

College transfers deserve understanding

By Kern Vijayvargiya

As you may have already heard, the Office of the Dean of Undergraduates has offered a limited number of students the option to transfer to Duncan College or McMurtry College at the beginning of the next academic year. The process was intended to populate the new colleges, which each currently boast one class, with upperclassmen - a necessary goal.But unfortunately, a seedy and despicable result has taken place. Instead of fostering a new sense of community within the new colleges, this process has engendered a wave of infighting within the other residential colleges.

NEWS 5/14/09 7:00pm

Amorous relations revisited

By Kern Vijayvargiya

Don't stand so close to your professor! The Faculty Senate updated its Statement on Consensual, Amorous Relations with Students for the first time in over a decade last month. The new statement, which goes into effect in September, prohibits any romantic relationships between faculty and all undergraduate students, and between faculty and graduate students directly under their supervision or in their department. The updated statement, which was approved in a 17-2 vote by the Senate on April 15, includes stricter language and more precise definitions of expected behavior, Faculty Senate Speaker Deborah Harter said.

NEWS 3/12/09 7:00pm

Blanket tax system unfairly conducted

By Kern Vijayvargiya

Last month was a bad time to be a blanket tax. In the Student Association general election, every proposed blanket tax increase failed. In fact, the only amendment that did pass was the removal of University Blue's tax.It is conceivable that the failure of the tax increases resulted from a faltering economy, leading students to be more frugal with their fees. But I believe that this trend also indicates a general shift away from the elective blanket tax here at Rice.

NEWS 2/19/09 6:00pm

Serveries plan to remove all trays over spring break

By Kern Vijayvargiya

While spring break will only keep students away from Rice for a week, trays will be taking a permanent vacation once spring break is over. Residential dining will go trayless beginning Sunday dinner on Mar. 8, which is immediately following Spring Break, Director of Residential Dining and Catering David McDonald said. On Feb. 9, the Student Association passed a resolution to support the removal of trays from serveries in an effort to reduce food waste by up to 33 percent and reduce ever-tightening budgets. The change is also expected to lead to a reduction in water and chemical waste when trays no longer have to be washed after every meal.

NEWS 1/15/09 6:00pm

Data show modest increases in Rice faculty salaries, continuing salary disparities based on gender

By Kern Vijayvargiya

In 2007-'08, Rice University faculty earned the highest average faculty salaries and compensations of any Texas university, according to data published by the American Association of University Professors. In that term the average salary for Rice faculty members was $103,700. When benefits are included, the average compensation for all Rice faculty members was $129,100.The data also showed that salary disaprities continue to exist between male and female faculty members.

NEWS 9/11/08 7:00pm

Rice ranks first on exit exam

By Kern Vijayvargiya

As part of the new national accreditation process, 844 new freshmen and transfer students will participate in assessments aimed at monitoring the quality of undergraduate education. The new accreditation process began last year with exit-level exams for graduating seniors to demonstrate the quality of learning in colleges and universities. Student performance on these exams determine whether the school gets accreditation.

NEWS 9/4/08 7:00pm

Common reading author Mortenson addresses the importance of education in fighting global terrorism

By Kern Vijayvargiya

Providing education in poor countries is possible for just $2 a day, Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, said this week to a crowd including over 500 freshmen. The bestselling author of this year's common reading spoke in the Rice Memorial Center's Grand Hall Tuesday. The speech was part of a series of common reading events that will include a film series, "Beyond Belief," Sept. 24 in the Rice Media Center. Mortenson serves as the director of the nonprofit Central Asia Institute, which supports 64 schools, over 520 teachers and 25,000 students in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Three Cups of Tea, a New York Times Bestseller that won numerous nonfiction awards, chronicles Mortenson's efforts to build schools for girls in these countries.

Editor's Picks

Most Popular

The Rice Thresher