General Education Reform at Rice

In 2020, the Rice University Faculty Senate created a Working Group on General Education to evaluate the state of Rice’s general education and propose a path forward. The Working Group diagnosed a number of limitations with the current distribution system of general education and proposed a set of recommendations for reform.

In December 2021, those recommendations were passed by the Faculty Senate. They included:

1. Reaffirming a “one gen ed for all” approach for Rice’s gen ed curriculum
2. Creating an “owner” of general education at Rice who would lead the reform process
3. Developing an action plan and inclusive gen ed reform process

In 2022, Rice selected the Dean of Undergraduates as the “owner” of general education at Rice and appointed an Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education (ADUE) to lead the reform effort with the support of a General Education Reform Committee. One committee served from 2023 - 2025 and a second committee is in place now for the 2025 - 2027 term.

For materials related to the Fall 2026 campus input phase, please visit this page.

Additional Information:

• History of general education and reform efforts at Rice
• A Campus Conversation of General Education (Fall 2023/Spring 2024)
• On January 5, 2024, the Center for Teaching Excellence hosted is 11th Annual Symposium on Teaching and Learning: The Future of General Education at Rice
  • Keynote speakers:
    • Elizabeth Loizeaux, Special Advisor to the Provost, Boston University
    • Paul Hanstedt, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Innovation, University of Minnesota at Rochester
    • Ashley Finley, Vice President for Research and Senior Advisor to the President, American Association of Colleges and Universities

For more information, email gened@rice.edu