Finding their identities

By Josh Rutenberg     8/20/09 7:00pm

As the newest additions to the residential college system since Martel College in 2002, Duncan College and McMurtry College have already begun forming their own unique cultures and traditions. While the question of how to integrate the new colleges has long been in the works, Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman and others working on the transition are confident that the colleges will be able to find their own identities. "On move-in day, McMurtry and Duncan won't have independent governing bodies," Forman said. "It will take them some time to develop a sense of what it means to be a residential college."

Initially, the new colleges will be dependent on the existing infrastructure of Baker and Will Rice Colleges, especially regarding the masters and resident associates who have not yet been chosen for the new colleges. Forman said he expects to see Duncaroos and McMurtrians taking a larger role in their college government as the school year progresses, and predicts the independence of each college to really take off in the spring semester.

"By the spring, we will see very visible evidence of the increasing independence of the McMurtry and Duncan populations," Forman said.

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Having learned from the difficulties of integrating Martel into the college atmosphere, when upperclassmen were selected from volunteers at older colleges, Forman and others have altered their approach with Duncan and McMurtry. Forman said the Baker and Will Rice students, masters, resident associates and college coordinators have all been taking very thoughtful approaches on how to support Duncan and McMurtry without imposing any of their own distinctive college cultures, allowing for the new colleges to grow their own independent communities while still maintaining the feel of a residential college.

"Rice has a strong tradition of having upperclassmen mentor students in a way that no other university is able to accomplish," Forman said. "We are trying something new in having two older colleges mentor two new colleges, and it's really exciting. I look forward to watching their progress."

One of Forman's biggest concerns is helping the colleges balance a need to distinguish themselves from Baker and Will Rice while still attempting to successfully integrate into the residential college system. To accomplish this, 18 representative ambassadors will be staying at Duncan and another nine will reside in McMurtry, with the responsibility to bring students of the new colleges to government meetings, activities and parties at the older colleges. Forman said he hopes that this will allow the new colleges to have a broader sense of what it means to be a residential college at Rice, and to help them plan out their future.

Forman also said that upperclassmen interested in participating in the formation of the new colleges will have an opportunity to do so next year.

"Students will be randomly selected across campus and will be invited to bring along a roommate and possibly two or three friends," Forman said. "The details are not yet set, but the goal is to have these students selected by the start of spring."

The goal of inviting a random selection of students to move into the new colleges is to encourage a community who is not just welcomed to, but also expected to take part in all of the social, cultural, athletic and intellectual activities of the college culture, Forman said. He hopes that those randomly assigned to Duncan and McMurtry will represent a true cross-section of the student body at Rice. Forman estimates the number of selected upperclassmen will be about 200.

With the opening of the two new colleges, Forman and others who have worked for years on the project are excited to see the fruits of their labor come to fruition.

"The opening of Duncan and McMurtry is one of the most exciting challenges I've been involved in my 23 years at Rice," Forman said. "It's been wonderful to see the entire campus share in the enthusiasm and optimism. Every time we've sought assistance or support, we have been overwhelmed with responses from students and staff. It's been a blast after years of planning, and I'm really looking forward to the opening of the new residential colleges.

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