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Monday, March 31, 2025 — Houston, TX

Classes canceled Tuesday, Jan. 16, dining schedule modified

empty-campus-francesca-nemati-web
Brochstein Pavilion sits empty at 2:51 p.m. Tuesday. Rice canceled classes and closed public dining due to “severe winter weather.” Francesca Nemati / Thresher

By Riya Misra     1/15/24 8:02pm

Rice will suspend classes and normal campus operations Tuesday, Jan. 16 due to severe winter weather, according to an email from Vice President of Administration and Finance Kelly Fox. No classes will be held in person or online. The Rice Memorial Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but Coffeehouse and Sammy’s will be closed. 

Unless otherwise stated by instructors, coursework may still be due, Fox wrote.

Public dining, including Brochstein Pavilion, will be closed. North, West, South and Seibel Serveries will operate on a normal schedule besides breakfast, which will open at 9 a.m., while Baker Servery will be closed.



Only essential personnel should report to campus, according to Fox’s email. Other staff and faculty members are encouraged to work remotely, and campus buildings will only be accessible via Rice ID.

“The university urges all employees to exercise extreme caution as they travel to and from Rice as the conditions remain hazardous across Houston,” the email said.

Campus events will be canceled, except for the upcoming men’s basketball game against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which will run in Tudor Fieldhouse as scheduled.

While the shuttle service is suspended, parking lots will remain open. The Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center and Fondren Library will both open at 10 a.m. and close at midnight and 2 a.m., respectively.

Rice’s alert follows a similar one from the University of Houston, including their campuses in Sugar Land and Katy, which announced closures Jan. 16 due to inclement weather. The Houston Independent School District also canceled classes.



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