News

Off-campus community members lose heat, water among statewide infrastructure failures

Below-freezing temperatures, hazardous roads, power outages and frozen water pipes in the Houston area moved Crisis Management to cancel classes Feb. 15 and 16, with Feb. 17 remaining a scheduled sprinkle day. No classes or exams can be held and no assignments can be due on these days. 

Hundreds of students rush to get vaccinated after Rice receives last-minute vaccine doses

Rice students, staff and faculty dashed to the East Gym amidst the ongoing winter storm to claim one of the hundreds of Moderna vaccines administered on campus Monday afternoon. Harris County Public Health gave the vaccines — which would have otherwise gone to waste due to a power outage at their building — to Rice and other institutions that were already equipped to administer the vaccines. 810 vaccines were distributed to Rice’s campus, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

Harris County Health gives 800 doses to Rice amidst winter storm

Rice University received 800 Moderna vaccines that must be administered by 5:00 p.m. today, according to Rice’s Crisis Management Team. Due to the weather and unsafe road conditions, these vaccine doses are designated for those who are already on the Rice campus. Vaccines will be given at the East Gym beginning at 11:15am. 

2021 Candidate Statements and Headshots

Sara Tirschwell, Rice Alumnus, Announces NYC Mayoral Campaign

Sara Tirschwell (Baker College '87) recently announced her New York City mayoral campaign as a Republican candidate. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Tirschwell pursued a 30-year career on Wall Street as a loan trader and hedge fund manager specializing in troubled businesses. 

New international students rush to find in-person class to fulfill visa requirements

New international students rushed to find at least one in-person class that would begin at the start of the semester to satisfy visa requirements, after most of the classes that had an in-person section pushed back their in-person component to start on Feb. 15. 

Decrease in COVID-19 positivity rates prompts earlier move-in dates and lifting of restrictions

Over the past two weeks, COVID-19 cases on Rice’s campus have been decreasing after a spike in positive tests from late December until the third week of January. In response to this decrease, undergraduates were allowed to move in on campus one week earlier, on Feb. 6 and 7, without needing petitions. 

Rice extends the test-optional policy for the Class of 2026 undergraduate applicants

Rice’s Office of Undergraduate Admission extended the test-optional policy into the 2021-2022 application cycle, according to their website. Vice President of Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva said that Rice’s test-optional policy gives students the option to decide whether or not to submit their scores since the pandemic continues to restrict students’ access to testing.

New Sid Rich opens doors to first of its residents

After nearly two years of construction, the new Sid Richardson College building opened its doors to the first of its residents on the week of Jan. 18. The building features ten floors of student housing, spacious common areas including a 4,000 square foot outdoor patio, isolated study pods, an Off Campus lounge and a theatre, according to Housing and Dining Senior Director David McDonald. The magisters’ house, quad and nearby parking lot remain under construction and are expected to be completed in the next two to three weeks. 

COVID-19 cases on campus rise over winter break

Rice experienced a spike in COVID cases over the past few weeks, much of which can be attributed to increased travel and laxer social distancing measures during the holidays, according to Kevin Kirby, chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee.  

Rice plans to increase undergraduate enrollment by 800 students by 2025

Rice plans to increase the undergraduate population by 20 percent by 2025, according to President David Leebron. Leebron presented the preliminary plan for the expansion at the Jan. 27 Faculty Senate meeting. 

Summer 2021 classes to be offered online, maintaining reduced tuition

Classes for the 2021 summer term will be delivered in an online format, unless otherwise specified, and at a reduced rate of $300 per credit hour for Rice undergraduates, according to a memorandum from Provost Reginald DesRoches.

Student Files Lawsuit Demanding Tuition Reimbursement from Spring 2020

Anna Seballos (Jones College ’20) filed a lawsuit against Rice University on Jan. 11 demanding a refund for students who paid full tuition and fees for the Spring 2020 semester.  

Crisis Management Plans Vaccine Rollout for Rice Community

As administration of the COVID-19 vaccine begins worldwide, Rice is working with the state of Texas to be designated as a vaccine site, according to Vice President of Administration Kevin Kirby, who chairs the Crisis Management Advisory Committee.   

Mini O-Week held for 35 Spring 2021 matriculants

Rice held a mini orientation week from Jan. 20 to Jan. 22 to welcome 35 new students, mostly transfers from other universities, to the Rice community for the first time during the Spring 2021 term, according to Araceli Lopez, the associate director of First Year Programs at Rice.  

96 percent of student petitions approved for early on-campus arrival

Of the 550 petitions submitted by students to the Office of Undergraduates, 528 were approved for early arrival prior to Feb. 15, according to Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman. While most of these students will be moving back to campus by Jan. 25, Gorman said 33 will arrive later, between that date and Feb. 15. 

Students cannot return to campus and all classes are remote until Feb 15

Undergraduate students will not be able to return to campus until Feb 15, according to an email from President David Leebron sent out this morning. The email also states that all classes this semester will begin in an online format and that Rice will move to Research Stage 2 in which essential on-campus research will be able to continue but with added safety protocols. 

Record number of students apply for early decision at Rice

On Dec. 10, Rice admitted 421 students through the Early Decision program, a 16 percent acceptance rate, according to Vice President of Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. This year, Rice received its highest ever number of applications for this round of admission, narrowly beating the previous record set in 2018, with 2,635 applying to join the class of 2025. 

Faculty Senate approves extension of drop deadline to Jan. 13, Leebron discusses spring planning

The Faculty Senate voted on Nov. 18 to extend the drop deadline for fall classes to Jan. 13 for continuing students and Jan. 6 for December degree candidates, according to Speaker of the Faculty Senate Christopher Johns-Krull.

Rice launches pilot campus-wide composting initiative

After years of compost deliberations, Rice has partnered with a local composting company, Moonshot, and started the early phases of campus wide composting. The project kicked off last week as Moonshot collected waste on Wednesday and Thursday morning from West and North Serveries, generating 1,418 pounds of compost, according to Moonshot co-founder Joe Villa. H&D plans to expand composting to all serveries once students return in January.