Rice University

The University responded to the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling stating, "We are greatly disappointed that American universities will no longer be allowed to consider an applicant’s race as one of countless important factors in an admissions application." The University continued that it is "more resolute than ever that every day at Rice, [it] will pursue and celebrate the excellence that a richly diverse student body, filled with its manifold experiences, brings to [the] community of scholars." Concluding that "The law may change, but Rice’s commitment to diversity will not."

On March 20, 2023, Rice Architecture will host an anti-racism collective panel on "architecture and reproductive justice" as part of its annual lecture series, Engaging Pluralism. This lecture series "explores how architects and designers can work with friction, contradiction, and multiplicity to effect broader social, cultural, and environmental change."

The University offers a "Recognizing Unconscious Bias in the Workforce and Beyond" webinar session, which answers what "implicit bias/unconscious bias" is and "how [it] impacts us all and most importantly what can be done to combat it."

During Orientation Week, new students are required to attend a "Diversity at Rice" event where they hear from the "Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion," and "a student affairs professional and Director of Rice's Office of Multicultural Affairs."

Rice announced in June 2020 the implementation of mandatory diversity training for students, faculty, and staff.

Rice offers a minor in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities.

As of October 2021, “all Rice new students are now required to take a new workshop, Critical Dialogues on Diversity.”

As part of the graduation requirements for all Bachelor’s degrees, “beginning Fall 2022, all matriculated students must complete and pass one course of three or more credit hours in the area of Analyzing Diversity.”

The Department of Psychological Studies integrates "DEI in Teaching." The department stated, "We are working to integrate voices of scholars of color and antiracist discussions into our classes, as well as a significant representation of Black, Latinx, and Native American scholars in RIG talks and department colloquia."

Students minoring in "African and African American Studies" study "the origins of humankind; histories of race, slavery and empire; studies of African and African American culture, religion and philosophy; and race, anti-blackness and socialization." Those in the minor are required to choose from classes such as "Critical Race Theory," "Intersectionality," and "Identities in a Diverse World," among others.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs encourages students to "Report Bias" through its forms in order to "help us create and maintain an inclusive campus environment that is safe for everyone."

Job applicants seeking a position in the faculty are required to submit a "diversity statement" as one of the necessary application materials.

Rice360 faculty and staff are required to take "anti-racism training that addresses systemic racism in historical and present contexts" and "Ally Training for Students of Color." New employees are "required to complete anti-racism training during onboarding," and "annual refreshers" are mandatory for current staff.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs offers Anti-Racist Resources, including the books White Fragility and A People's History of the United States.

In addition to mandatory diversity training, Rice announced "a student fund under the Center for Civic Leadership in the office of the Dean of Undergraduates to support nonpartisan student engagement in the city of Houston on issues of racial equity and justice, particularly in the fields of criminal justice, voting, education and health care."

Chandler and Ian Davidson Social Justice Internship Award. Objective: Provide financial support to students who wish to complete unpaid, full-time internships over the summer in social justice organizations, broadly defined.

Following complaints and the call from the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice, the statue of the founder, William Marsh Rice will be relocated to a new location due to hsi entanglement with the institution of slavery.

On June 4, 2020, Rice's Office of Public Affairs reported that student group Rice for Black Life raised $93,362 within 24 hours of launching their fundraiser to support four local organizations: Black Lives Matter Houston, Texas Organizing Project, Indivisible Houston and Pure Justice. Founder Summar McGee '20 said their work will "help provide direct support to black folks, financially aid protestors, pay off bails and promote advocacy to dismantle the carceral state, including legislation to end debtors’ prison, hold police accountable, and reform the bail system." Following this, students from five other universities, including Cornell University, contacted Rice for Black Life about setting up similar models at their own schools.

Rice has formed the Center for Critical and Cultural Theory to promote research into social justice.

The new Race and Anti-Racism Research Fund at Rice University has awarded grants to eight professors to gain a better understanding of how race, racism and racial injustice affect society.

The Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund at Rice Architecture serves to “recruit diverse students and faculty, support student groups, faculty research, school programming, and institute meaningful pedagogical changes to advance this cause.”

Incoming humanities and social sciences freshmen are invited to a "10-day residential seminar to acquaint [them] with Rice, Houston, race and urban life." The week is dedicated "to important topics of race, inclusion, bias, allyship and much more."

Each Spring, a $500 prize is awarded to an "undergraduate who has demonstrated exemplary dedication and leadership in building bridges across racial and cultural boundaries on campus and in the community."

The Office of Undergraduate Research & Inquiry "provides multiple funding opportunities available for underrepresented populations in undergraduate research including the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), Sustaining Excellence in Research (SER) Scholars, and conference funding."

The University's Center for African and African American Studies "provides a unique hub for conversations on crucial topics: critical approaches to race and racism, the nature of diasporic histories and identities, and the complexity of Africa’s past, present and future, to name a few." The Center regularly hosts seminars and speakers on Black issues and racism.

The Racial Geography Project is a research collective that was started following the protests of 2020. As part of Rice University Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Justice, the “collective studies the material impacts of slavery and segregation that have been codiefied into out built environment.”

Rice's Office of Multicultural Affairs houses Diversity Facilitators, students whose goal is to "[promote] campus unity and respect for diversity." Facilitators do so in part via the “Dialogues on Diversity” series, which are open, campus-wide discussions held weekly on Fridays that cover a variety of cultural and social issues. Additionally, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has a student advisory board, Diversity Council (DC), that "provides the means for communication between cultural and advocacy student organizations and the [office]."

Rice hosts a free retreat for Black students called "In Living Color". It occurs in the fall and is open to incoming new students. During the retreat, students will be "introduced to the unifying aspects of the Black community at Rice at large, and identify essential resources and networks that exist to help [them] reach [their] maximum potential." The retreat is partly funded by the Shell Foundation.

In partnership with the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice (HACER), Rice hosts a free interactive retreat in the fall called Nuestras Raíces that "seeks to create a unifying event for recently admitted Latinx students." The retreat program introduces entering first-year students to the "unifying aspects of the Latinx community at Rice," and "identifies essential resources and networks to help students reach their maximum potential."

In July, 2022, incoming freshmen interested in delving into issues around racial justice, equity and urban life were invited to the Rice campus a month before orientation week to take part in the RISE program (Responsibility, Inclusion and Student Empowerment). The program was coordinated by RISE assistant director Chelsea Drake and Alex Byrd, professor of history and vice provost for diversity, equity and inclusion.

The University provides "Anti-racist Resources" through the Multicultural Center.

Weekly “Dialogues on Diversity” discussions are held on "a variety of cultural and social issues" and are run by student "Diversity Facilitators" who promote "campus unity and respect for diversity throughout the year."

The Multicultural Center hosts the "In Living Color" retreat for new Black students. During the retreat, students are "introduced to the unifying aspects of the Black community at Rice" and provided "essential resources and networks that exist to help [them] reach [their] maximum potential."

In the University's "Commitment to Cultural Inclusiveness," it states that "Rice is prioritizing initiatives and programs that promote equity."

The University is hosting "Black Love: Its Diversities and Difficulties" which is an event "dedicated to National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day" on February 7, 2024. The lecture is "about understanding black culture surrounding the idea of love and sexual health," and will have a "training component... looking at the stigmas surrounding Black romance and HIV/AIDS and learning how to best support those diagnosed with HIV."

Anti-racist solidarity inspires action plan speaking to current and future demands

The Rice University Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance released an anti-racism statement in response to the murder of George Floyd, and compiled a list of resources for racial justice.

The University assembled a "Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice" in 2019 to research the history of the issues at Rice. The Task Force released its final report in September 2023, providing numerous suggestions for the University which include "[expanding] investments in recruitment and retention of Black staff," "[committing] significant resources to the further growth of the Center for African and African American Studies," "investing in more outreach with historically Black schools and community-based organizations," "[investing] in further efforts to uncover and share the university’s full history... with respect to racial injustice," and "[making] significant financial and institutional investments in engaging, supporting, and connecting Black alumni."