Rice talks with Baylor College of Medicine

By Staff Editorial     10/30/08 7:00pm

Wednesday morning, the Houston Chronicle printed an article divulging that Rice and the Baylor College of Medicine have been discussing the possibility of an institutional merger. Wednesday afternoon, President David Leebron sent an e-mail to campus addressing the issue (see story, page 1).We sincerely hope the university pursues the acquisition of BCM for several reasons. First, BCM's reputation would instantly enhance Rice's prestige on both a national and international scale. The university could boast ownership of both a business and medical school, immediately boosting our ability to compete with peer institutions like Washington University in St. Louis in terms of post-graduate programs. Secondly, BCM would find in Rice a more stable financial future, which can only help in increasing its status as a top medical school. Thirdly, any possible merger could be made very smoothly thanks to Rice's long collaborative history with BCM, and the fact that the medical school's administrative and physical structures are already in place. Lastly, but very importantly, the merger would probably have a minimal effect on the day-to-day life of the average undergraduate. There would be no on-campus construction or increase in on-campus foot and vehicle traffic, and undergraduate institutions would be (we hope) largely unaffected.

However, our enthusiasm for the project does not mean that we are encouraging the administration to move ahead at full steam. In his e-mail, Leebron stated that he is "look[ing] forward to engaging with the Student Association and all students as this conversation evolves." We certainly hope that he honors this statement in the future, and that he opens his office door to free and open discourse with any student, faculty or staff member who wishes to give input.

We also encourage students to learn as much as possible about the potential project. Keeping abreast of any new information, whether by scanning the Thresher or the Houston Chronicle, or by e-mails from the administration itself, is imperative if students want to provide an educated opinion on Rice's future dealings with BCM.

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