In a series of email announcements over the summer, President Leebron has made clear that Rice University's plan for the fall of 2020 involves a significant presence on campus of undergraduate students and a significant fraction of courses taught in person. Another significant portion of the of undergraduate population will live off-campus, in the middle of a community where COVID-19 is still spreading uncontained. President Leebron’s justification for his logistically complex "Return-to-Rice" plan is "to provide a robust intellectual and social environment" for the fall semester. For a thorough analysis, see https://www.ricethresher.org/article/2020/08/return-to-campus-but-to-what-end
This is surely one of the most consequential decisions Rice has ever been faced with, and it was made without substantive faculty input. The Administration made references to consultation with faculty experts, but none came forth or was identified. While faculty members did serve on the Academic Restart Committee, that committee dealt with the implementation of a decision already in place. The Rice Faculty Senate has not met since April 22, 2020. In the most recent townhall meeting held on August 3, the Administration provided further details about their plan, but did not answer questions about the fundamental assumptions behind the plan. It was not a forum for a genuine exchange of opinions.
While the final decision on the manner in which Rice will run its Fall semester is a corporate decision, the faculty of Rice University is entitled to debate the science on which this decision was made and express its opinion on the trade-off between risks and benefits of all options available to carry out our educational mission.
The Constitution of the Faculty Senate states:
"A petition signed by fifty voting members of the faculty shall require the Speaker to convene a special meeting of the university faculty in plenary session to discuss a specific matter."
The undersigned are voting members of the Rice faculty and are hereby calling on the Speaker of the Senate to convene such a special plenary meeting during the week of august 10 to discuss the tradeoff between risks and benefits of the return-to-Rice plan. The meeting must be held in a manner that enables full participation by participants, including the ability to make motions, debate them, and vote on them.
Updates
August 5, 2020
President Leebron is forcing a dangerous plan onto our campus while hiding behind fake consensus and closed doors. They are ignoring our safety because they want to ignore our voices. We are keeping the pressure on until they stop treating faculty like props in their administrative theater.
August 5, 2020
President Leebron and the administration are finally starting to feel the heat from this outpouring of dissent. They thought they could silence us and push this reckless plan through without any real faculty oversight but they were wrong.
20 Comments
While I understand there are financial ramifications of not opening and there are students who have nowhere else to go, I remain unconvinced that in-person classes are a good idea. This should at least be discussed by the faculty.
Texas is 3rd in the US in the number of Covid19 cases, and the number of cases is rapidly increasing, at > 7000/day. There is a complete lack of leadership at the state and federal levels. Leadership has to come from below at this point.
Houston, Texas, and the US South, is facing increasing covid cases and deaths, with no clear end in sight. The country and state are suffering from a devastating lack of leadership, showing no interest in containing the growing pandemic. Rice is in a strong position to show some leadership in this situation, and the best way to do so is to not open up in person classes this fall, but to go fully on-line. Rice should be a responsible leader in this situation, and join other respected universities that have decided to go fully on-line this fall. It is the only safe thing to do, and a service to the Rice community, their families and friends, the city, the state, and much more. There is no reason to put everyone’s life or health at risk while this pandemic is raging through our country.
Faculty governance and open robust conversation are our core values as an intellectual community.
This decision is even more impactful than the Baylor merger. The issue back then was mostly a matter of money and reputation; the issue today is mostly a matter of life and death.
It makes no sense to open at this time.
Supportive of holding Faculty Senate plenary sessions that discuss Rice's plans and the virus situation as they coevolve.
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In a series of email announcements over the summer, President Leebron has made clear that Rice University's plan for the fall of 2020 involves a significant presence on campus of undergraduate students and a significant fraction of courses taught in person. Another significant portion of the of undergraduate population will live off-campus, in the middle of a community where COVID-19 is still spreading uncontained. President Leebron’s justification for his logistically complex "Return-to-Rice" plan is "to provide a robust intellectual and social environment" for the fall semester. For a thorough analysis, see https://www.ricethresher.org/article/2020/08/return-to-campus-but-to-what-end
This is surely one of the most consequential decisions Rice has ever been faced with, and it was made without substantive faculty input. The Administration made references to consultation with faculty experts, but none came forth or was identified. While faculty members did serve on the Academic Restart Committee, that committee dealt with the implementation of a decision already in place. The Rice Faculty Senate has not met since April 22, 2020. In the most recent townhall meeting held on August 3, the Administration provided further details about their plan, but did not answer questions about the fundamental assumptions behind the plan. It was not a forum for a genuine exchange of opinions.
While the final decision on the manner in which Rice will run its Fall semester is a corporate decision, the faculty of Rice University is entitled to debate the science on which this decision was made and express its opinion on the trade-off between risks and benefits of all options available to carry out our educational mission.
The Constitution of the Faculty Senate states:
"A petition signed by fifty voting members of the faculty shall require the Speaker to convene a special meeting of the university faculty in plenary session to discuss a specific matter."
The undersigned are voting members of the Rice faculty and are hereby calling on the Speaker of the Senate to convene such a special plenary meeting during the week of august 10 to discuss the tradeoff between risks and benefits of the return-to-Rice plan. The meeting must be held in a manner that enables full participation by participants, including the ability to make motions, debate them, and vote on them.
Updates
August 5, 2020
President Leebron is forcing a dangerous plan onto our campus while hiding behind fake consensus and closed doors. They are ignoring our safety because they want to ignore our voices. We are keeping the pressure on until they stop treating faculty like props in their administrative theater.
August 5, 2020
President Leebron and the administration are finally starting to feel the heat from this outpouring of dissent. They thought they could silence us and push this reckless plan through without any real faculty oversight but they were wrong.
20 Comments
It’s inevitable.we can’t ignore it . Rice campus should shutdown until spring. If Rice doesn’t close the campus then there will be a disaster and eventually they will shutdown the campus. Thank god, returning students are not there yet. Rice should tell them not to go to campus in coming weekend.
While I understand there are financial ramifications of not opening and there are students who have nowhere else to go, I remain unconvinced that in-person classes are a good idea. This should at least be discussed by the faculty.
Texas is 3rd in the US in the number of Covid19 cases, and the number of cases is rapidly increasing, at > 7000/day. There is a complete lack of leadership at the state and federal levels. Leadership has to come from below at this point.
Houston, Texas, and the US South, is facing increasing covid cases and deaths, with no clear end in sight. The country and state are suffering from a devastating lack of leadership, showing no interest in containing the growing pandemic. Rice is in a strong position to show some leadership in this situation, and the best way to do so is to not open up in person classes this fall, but to go fully on-line. Rice should be a responsible leader in this situation, and join other respected universities that have decided to go fully on-line this fall. It is the only safe thing to do, and a service to the Rice community, their families and friends, the city, the state, and much more. There is no reason to put everyone’s life or health at risk while this pandemic is raging through our country.
Faculty governance and open robust conversation are our core values as an intellectual community.
This decision is even more impactful than the Baylor merger. The issue back then was mostly a matter of money and reputation; the issue today is mostly a matter of life and death.
It makes no sense to open at this time.
Supportive of holding Faculty Senate plenary sessions that discuss Rice's plans and the virus situation as they coevolve.
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It’s inevitable.we can’t ignore it . Rice campus should shutdown until spring. If Rice doesn’t close the campus then there will be a disaster and eventually they will shutdown the campus. Thank god, returning students are not there yet. Rice should tell them not to go to campus in coming weekend.