LIBRARY FACILITIES
Established as a public library by the original Rice charter,
Fondren Library is regularly used by citizens of Houston. In
1994, approximately 650,000 people visited the library; on an
average day, about 21.5% of the patrons were from outside Rice.
PUBLIC ARTS EVENTS
Rice sponsors more than 400 arts events each year, many of which
are free of charge and open to the public. Events include
operas, concerts, and recitals presented by the Shepherd School
of Music; theatrical productions of the Rice Players and the
residential colleges; modern dance performances by Rice Dance
Theater; art and photography exhibits at the Rice University Art
Gallery and Rice Media Center; and Media Center film screenings.
During the past year, an estimated 10,000 people viewed exhibits
at the Rice University Art Gallery and more than 65,000 people
attended the free events offered by the Shepherd School of Music.
SYMPOSIA, LECTURES, SPEAKERS
Through endowed lectureships, academic departments, and campus
organizations, Rice sponsors a wide variety of annual lectures
and symposia in the Houston area. Speakers Outreach
sends volunteer faculty lecturers to Houston
nursing homes and senior centers.
KTRU 91.7 FM
Rice University's 50,000-watt student-operated station uses
volunteer disc jockeys and technicians to broadcast an eclectic
mix of music, news, sports, and educational programming. The
station also sponsors occasional concerts on the Rice campus.
RICE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Rice University Press is a small, high-quality, not-for-profit
press whose recent publications include the award-winning books
The See-Through Years: Creation and Destruction in Texas
Architecture and Real Estate, 1981-1991 as well as The Galveston
that Was and The Oilmakers.
RICE STUDENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM (RSVP)
Rice students, alumni, faculty, and staff annually contribute
tens of thousands of hours of community service through RSVP. In
1994-95, over 1,200 individuals participated in RSVP-sponsored
activities. Further information can be obtained by calling RSVP/Community
Involvement Center at 527-4970. Programs include:
1. SOFAA (Students Organized for AIDS Awareness). Volunteers educate Rice students on ways to prevent the spread of AIDS and raise awareness about treating with compassion those who are HIV+.
2. Amigos. Student volunteers enter into mentoring relationships with 9- to 14-year-olds (predominantly Hispanic) at Houston's Ripley House community health center.
3. English as a Second Language. RSVP volunteers tutor Rice employees who are not native English speakers.
4. Amnesty International Chapter. Amnesty International educates students about human rights violations. Members write letters on behalf of persons imprisoned for political or religious beliefs.
5. Rice Recycling & Recovery. The profits of this student-run recycling program fund an RSVP Community Fellowship, which provides a grant each year to a Rice undergraduate doing volunteer work in Houston during the summer.
6. Habitat for Humanity Chapter. The Rice chapter was chartered in February 1993 with funds provided by a School of Continuing Studies Community Action Grant.
7. Operation Success. Volunteers from Rice's Black Student Association tutor, advise, and coordinate activities for students at a predominantly black Houston high school.
8. OUTReach. Student volunteers provide one-on-one tutoring on a weekly basis to students at a predominantly Hispanic Houston middle school.
9. Volunteers for Youth. Varsity athletes are paired with junior high school students to help the students cope with emotional strains resulting from physical limitations, dysfunctional family environments, or low self-esteem.
10. Best Buddies. RSVP volunteers are matched one-on-one with mentally handicapped persons. Members develop friendships through group and individual outings.
RICE CENTER FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Codirectors of the Rice Center for Education are Dr. Linda McNeil
(527-4827, lmcneil@pop.rice.edu) and Dr. Ronald Sass (527-4066,
sass@pop.rice.edu).
1. Rice/Baylor Honors Premedical Academy. This six-week summer school program is aimed at increasing medical school acceptance rates among African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Puerto Ricans. Contact: Dr. Ron Sass, 527-4066, sass@pop.rice.edu.
2. School Writing Project. The School Writing Project has helped English teachers throughout the Houston area to make the transition from serving as passive transmitters of state-approved curricula to being authors and innovators in the teaching of writing. Contact: Dr. Marvin Hoffman, 285-5330, hoffman@pop.rice.edu.
3. Model Science Lab. This lab is designed to close the gap between textbook science and new developments in research. This program trains HISD middle school science teachers in an innovative, hands-on style of science curriculum. Contact: Dr. Elnora Harcombe, 285-5139, nonie@pop.rice.edu.
4. Teachers' Network for Early Literacy. This program assists preschool and primary school teachers in the use of the Classroom Storytelling Project, which empowers children to tell stories about their lives and helps them recognize the centrality of literacy in daily life. Contacts: Bernie Mathes and Patsy Cooper, 285-5333, mathes@pop.rice.edu.
5. Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP), a project of the Rice University Center for Education, offers summer training programs for greater Houston area teachers to strengthen their backgrounds in mathematics and mathematics pedagogy. During the academic year, RUSMP hosts workshops for participants from the various summers. RUSMP also offers assistance to schools and school districts desiring to implement reforms in their mathematics program. Contacts: Anne Papakonstantinou, 527-6076, apapa@rice.edu and Dr. Raymond Wells, 527-4053, wells@rice.edu.
6. Latino Family-School Connection. This research program at Austin High School examines and documents the relationships among school, family, and the Latino community as they affect the academic achievement of Latino students. Contact: Dr. Angela Valenzuela, 527-8750 (x2761), valenz@rice.edu.
7. Asia Outreach Program and Global Education. This program encourages high school teachers to teach and develop innovative curricula in Asian history and culture. Contact: Dr. Richard Smith, 527-8750 (x2552), smithrj@ricevm1.rice.edu.
8. The Coalition of Essential Schools. The Coalition is a national school reform organization. Coalition member schools are committed to rethinking and redesigning their pedagogies, curricula, and structures. All Essential Schools hold a set of nine principles in common that give focus to diverse efforts. The Greater Houston Coalition of Essential Schools has a cadre of Houston-based practitioners who assist schools with their restructuring efforts. Contact: Doris Robins, 527-4713, drobins@ruf.rice.edu.
OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
1. Rice/HISD Model School. A collaboration among Rice's Center for Education, HISD, and parents and community organizers, this public laboratory school for 1,200 primary and middle school students serves as a model for teachers throughout HISD. Contact: Dr. G. Anthony Gorry, 527-6054, tony@rice.edu.
2. Gulf Coast Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (GCAME). This program encourages minority students in the 8th grade to pursue college degrees and careers in engineering. Contact: Scott Granlund, 527-8750 (x3653), granlund@rice.edu.
3. Mathematical and Computational Sciences Awareness Workshop. Honored as a model program by the National Science Foundation, this workshop educates teachers from Houston area elementary and high schools about mathematical and computational science and encourages them to promote careers in these fields to their minority students. Contact: Theresa Chatman, 285-5180, tlc@cs.rice.edu.
4. Rice Summer School. Student teachers from Rice's education department and master teachers from the Houston area teach enrichment and regular credit courses to children in grades 6 through 12. Contact: Dr. Lissa Heckelman, 527-4967, heckel@rice.edu.
5. South Texas Science Academy. A joint program with the Science Academy of South Texas to provide a summer intern program and curriculum development support. Contact: Dr. Fred Rudolph, 527-4017, fbr@rice.edu.
6. Spend a Summer with a Scientist Program. Undergraduate students from historically underrepresented ethnic groups work on research projects with Rice faculty. Contact: Theresa Chatman, 285-5180, tlc@caam.rice.edu.
7. SOAR (Students Organized Against Rape). Concerned men and women work to decrease the incidence of acquaintance rape and other forms of sexual assault by promoting awareness through education at Rice and in the community. Contact: Cynthia Lanier, 285-5194, clanier@rice.edu.
8. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Biological Science Initiative. This program includes a summer science camp for middle school girls and a teacher training program. Both are conducted at the Rice/HISD School. Contact: Dr. Fred Rudolph, 527-4017, fbr@rice.edu.