University Committees

Below are some rough descriptions of each of the University Committees. Please keep in mind that these descriptions are neither official nor comprehensive.

Athletics Committee

The Athletics Committee meets once a month. At the meetings, you discuss support of athletes on campus and their experience at Rice. The structure of this committee is still being worked out. Each representative serves on a sub-committee and makes a report at one meeting per year and there is always lunch at the meeting. To view the official charges of the Athletics Committee, please visit this page.

Brochstein Pavillion Advisory Committee

If you have an idea of how to make the Brochstein Pavilion better, this is the place to start. The BPAC is a committee that has been used to develop policies for the Pavilion space. Topics discussed include procedures for space reservations, furnishings and TV layouts. The coffee shop is not advised through this committee, but housing & dining administrators on the committee act as liaisons.

Commencement Speaker Selection Committee

The committee consists of representatives from the SA, GSA, lead by a Rice faculty member along with Rice Staff who will actually be making contacts to the recommended nominees. At least two Grad Reps on the committee, potentially one graduating that year, and one graduating the following year. The committee meets as needed starting as early as February (~1.5 years before the commencement) to compile a list of prospective commencement speakers that the university will then contact. Time commitment is minimal and requires some general research into prospective nominations which then are shared/defended among the rest of the committee. Once a top ten list has been established then the staff starts the long arduous process of going through the list. If, in the event that no suitable speaker can be obtained in the top 5 or so, then the committee will meet again (potentially 4 months later) to reevaluate the options.

Graduate Council

Advisory committee to the faculty senate on academic affairs related to graduate curriculum, and deals with issues ranging from the academic policy on kicking out a student, approving new departmental majors, to deciding who receives the coveted graduate student endowed fellowships each year. I believe 4-6 meetings a year, times vary, and no food. To view the official charges of the Graduate Council, please visit this page

Health Committee

(Please note that this will likely change as we're restructuring a bit this summer) Up to 4 graduate representatives are chosen by the GSA to represent graduate concerns to the informal committee headed by Dr. Winters, the director of student health services. The task of the committee(on which administrators generally outnumber students) is mainly to choose a student health insurance plan. While the students have no vote on the final plan, which is chosen and signed solely by the director, they are invited to give opinions and advice on the plan and provider.  They are also expected to help produce an annual report on how the health plan is performing and serving rice students, which is to be given to the president and published publicly. Other duties may include improving informational materials (websites, brochures) and helping to answer questions during orientation. The committee has, in the past, met as few as 3 times per year (for about an hour), but the anticipated meeting rate in the future will probably average once every 2 months, for 1 - 2 hours.  One or two meetings per year will have a lunch provided.  It is preferable for this position to be considered a multi-year commitment, as it takes some time to become familiar with the subject.

Honor Council

Honor Council deals with reported violations of the academic honor code. Participation is based on availability. Meetings are scheduled at various times and only a subset of all representatives (9 reps for hearings and 3 reps for investigations) need to be present. For each panel the secretary announces by email the date/time, and those who can be present reply with their availability. The panel is formed from those who are available. Usually there is no food. A typical representative sits on about 10-20 panels per academic year, usually clustered around exam periods. An investigation meeting is usually an hour, a hearing is usually 2-3 hours. Officially:

The Honor Council is an all student group, elected to administer and interpret the Honor System. This administration consists of three main areas: enforcement, orientation, and improvement.

When called upon to do so, the Council must enforce the system through investigations and hearings.

The Council must acquaint all new students and faculty with the Honor System and keep them aware of the system as long as they remain under it.

In addition, the Council always seeks improvement in the currently functioning system. It welcomes comments, questions, and complaints from students and faculty. It obtains and studies information on honor systems at other schools that may be applicable to the framework of the Rice System.

To aid in communicating with the faculty, the Council traditionally selects a member of the Rice faculty to serve as an advisor and liaison. Selected for a two-year term, this liaison has no official duties or powers and cannot attend hearings, but his or her aid has been a valuable asset to the Council.

The Honor Council periodically hosts open forums at which students and faculty may express their concerns and ask questions of the Council. In addition, abstracts of each case are stored in Fondren library, posted electronically to the Honor Council website, and posted to various bulletin boards in the colleges and around campus. The names of the members of the Council are also posted on bulletin boards around campus and on the Honor Council website.

The Honor Council cannot, however, force the system to work; only the combined efforts of all the members of the Rice community can make the System successful. The Council can only assist each student and faculty member in accepting his or her responsibility.

Information Technology

All issues regarding Information Technology and the Rice campus. Lunch provided usually. Meeting a few times per semester.

Library Committee

Library Committee meets once or twice a semester to determine library procedures and evaluate the needs of students and staff for acquisitions, storage, and electronic resources.  You will represent graduate student interests for ALL the disciplines and departments as the graduate representative on this committee. To view the official charges of the Library Committee, please visit this page

President's Council on GLBT Campus Climate

The President's Council on GLBT Campus Climate works to improve the campus climate for sexual minorities and deal constructively with homophobia and heterosexism. The Council was established shortly after a controversial incident at Rice which raised doubts for many about the level of awareness, acceptance, and support of GLBT concerns and issues.

Recreation Center Advisory Committee

Now that the new rec center is almost built, the committee has turned into a general forum for rec center issues: Autry court renovations, staffing, fitness programs, club sports etc. It would be good to have someone there to communicate info about the new rec center opening. This is an easy, minimal time commitment position. The meetings were only 1-2 times per semester and always had a lunch provided.

Teaching Committee

Teaching Committee meets 2-3 times per semester. In the fall, we are responsible for reviewing teaching evaluations for faculty up for promotion and tenure, and summarizing their performance in a few paragraphs. (This is done on your own time in Fondren Library in November or early December).  In the spring, we are responsible for reviewing applications for teaching grants offered by the university. Alas, there is no food. To view the official charges for the Committee on Teaching, please see this page.

Texas Medical Center Student Advisory Committee

Meeting once per month during the academic year across the street in the UT medical center library conference room (no food).  Chaired by Cher Harrison (check name and title) director of student affairs for the whole TMC.  Basically you plan parties/social networking events for all the students in the med center. Last year's involvement culminated in the TMC social being at Valhalla. Officially...

This council consists of representatives of staff and faculty of the various educational institutions in the Texas Medical Center along with student representatives from each class of the academic institutions. The council addresses issues of concern to students and plans recreational activities as a group.
Meets: Monthly
Location: Houston Academy of Medicine Texas Medical Center Library
1133 John Freeman Boulevard, Street Level Conference Room
Attendees: Representatives of member educational institutions’ faculty and students
Contact: Cher Harrison, 713-791-6198
Minutes: Cher Harrison, 713-791-6198

University Council:

The University Council hears general climate issues that are going on in the University, engage with the President on various issue both general and specific. Sodas, water, coffee provided, meetings (4-6 during academic year only) usually in Allen Center Conference Room late afternoon.

University Court

Deals with reported violations of the student code of conduct. Meets almost every week during the semester, but only if there are cases to consider. After big parties like NOD or individual college parties there are quite a few cases, otherwise it is mostly quiet. Most of the cases are about minor in possession/consumption of alcohol. The graduate student represenatives, along with the undergraduate representatives, are expected to know the code of student conduct, and conduct hearings and trials of students suspected of violation.  As the penalty structure is fairly routine, this is not as difficult as it sounds. There is free food at every meeting. Each meeting lasts about an hour.  Officially:

The University Court is a judicial body of students, composed of two justices from each class, three at-large representatives, and four graduate student representatives.

• (a)Membership: The justices are elected through campus-wide undergraduate or graduate student elections, as appropriate. In addition to election of justices in the spring, freshman justices may be appointed or elected. If vacancies occur or an insufficient number of students run for election, the Assistant Dean may appoint members to fill vacancies on the court.
• (b)Jurisdiction: The University Court shall hear matters referred to it by the Assistant Dean involving Class I disciplinary matters (discussed below) and any other matters referred to it.
  The University Court may defer assuming authority over a matter, in which case the matter is returned to the Assistant Dean.
  Violations of college rules (College Infractions) are handled by the colleges as specified below. However, the College Courts or Masters may (with the consent of the Assistant Dean) refer matters to the University Court.
  Violations of academic regulations are handled by the Honor Council, although appropriate matters may be referred to the Assistant Dean and enforcement of all University disciplinary sanctions is handled by the Assistant Dean.
  Appeals from the University Court shall go to the Assistant Dean and then, if necessary, to the Dean of Undergraduates or Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (depending on whether the student charged is an undergraduate or graduate student).
• (c)Student Ombuds: Each year ombuds are chosen to serve the University Court in advisory capacities. The ombuds monitors the meeting and process in a judicial matter before the University Court. The ombuds duties include informing the student charged of what to expect at the meetings and to answer any questions the student may have. However, the ombuds does not act as an advocate at the meeting. The ombuds is responsible for pointing out any procedural errors and advising the student charged if grounds for appeal should arise. Otherwise, the ombuds should be an impartial observer of the University Court.