About the SA

The Student Association (SA) exists to:

  • provide channels of communication and cooperation among all parts of the Rice community
  • provide a form of government for the coordination of student activities
  • provide a forum for the expression of student views and interests
  • maintain academic freedom and academic responsibility
  • enhance the value of the undergraduate experience
  • help promote national and international understanding and fellowship at the student level
  • foster the recognition of the rights and responsibilities of students to humanity, the community, and the school

Get Involved!

As the biggest student organization at Rice, the SA is a great venue for change. We are also the liaison between students and the Dean of Undergraduates Office, the President's Office, and the Faculty Senate, which make the biggest decisions about student life and undergraduate curriculum.

Stay 'in the know'

Why should you tell us what you think? Because it can make a difference! As the Student Association Senate, we are here to represent you. We have access to the administration and can relay and voice your concerns for you. To do that, we need to know your concerns. Please let us know what we can do to make your undergraduate experience better.

Keeping up to date with what is going on enables you to easily contribute in a big way! Read the SA Website and the Thresher. Have an opinion and express it! Attending SA Senate Meetings is the best way to stay in the know. If you can't find the time for that, discuss campus issues via the online forums or contact the SA President at any time with questions, comments, and suggestions. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE TO THE SA LISTSERV for important announcements.

Senate Meetings

You don't have to hold an official position within the SA to make a difference. You can simply show up and speak up! SA Senate Meetings are held every Monday at 9pm in the Farnsworth Pavilion in the RMC. Meetings usually last between a half hour and an hour and feature discussion of campus issues. New club applications are reviewed and approved at the first meeting of every month. Read more about clubs and their formation or visit the Student Activities website.

If you cannot attend an SA meeting, but want your voice to be heard, contact the SA President.

New Student Representatives (NSRs)

An excellent way to start getting involved is at the beginning of your time at Rice by serving as one of your residential college's New Student Representatives to the SA. Each college, in addition to having a President and SA Senator, has three New Student Representatives. The NSR position exists to bring more diversified views to the student government. At the start of each school year, college Senators accept applications for new students interested in becoming an NSR. Senators are ultimately responsible for soliciting applications and selecting three applicants. Freshmen and transfer students are eligible and strongly encouraged to become NSRs if they want to get involved in campus-wide student government.

Once selected, NSRs work closely with their college Senator, bringing campus announcements to college government meetings and discussing campus issues within their colleges. NSRs are expected to attend the SA's weekly Senate meetings. Three or more unexcused absences can result in impeachment. NSRs serve on one or more SA committees. They are also expected to participate in a year long project with the aim of making a sustainable change on campus. Past NSR projects have included seeking additional lighting on campus, trying to further beautify and protect the campus environment, and facilitating the role of student art around campus. Additionally, NSRs are involved in the formation of their class council, which starts within each of the nine residential colleges.

Please contact the SA Internal Vice President for more information about New Student Representatives.

Student Association Senate

The SA Senate is comprised of thee main groups: the Executive Committee, the college Presidents, and the college Senators. The Executive Committee consists of both elected and appointed positions. Elected positions include: President, Internal Vice President, External Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Appointed positions include: Parliamentarian, Director of Elections, Director of Communications, and Director of Technology. In addition to the elected SA positions, the college President and Senator from each college each have one vote at Senate meetings. It is the Presidents and Senators that are ultimately responsible for maintaining the links between the colleges and the Student Association. The Senate publishes information about important issues on campus through this website, via the SA Listserv, and on college information sheets, highlights from each week's Senate meetings that are distributed to each college's commons.

Student Association Committees

Any student can serve on one of the four SA Committees: Sports and Health, Student Life, Environmental, and Academics. Each committee consists of a chairperson, executive committee members, Senators, New Student Representatives, and any other interested students.

The Sports and Health Committee, which deals with IM and Club sports and health efforts on campus, hosted the All-Star Powderpuff game in Fall 2006. The Academics Committee has been working on the development of minors at Rice. The Environmental Committee works to improve recycling and energy conservation. The Student Life Committee is looking into various late-night food options on campus.

If you have ideas for one of the committees, please contact the Internal Vice President, who is in charge of SA committees, or contact the chair of the committee in question.

University Committees

There are a number of University Committees compromised of students, faculty, and staff. Each committee tackles issues that affect the whole university. The University Committees include: Admission and Student Financial Aid, Affirmative Action, Athletics, Environmental Health and Safety, Examination and Standing, Library, Minority Affairs, Parking, President's Programming Fund, Public Lectures, ROTC, Security, Senior Chairs for Senior Committee, Student Activities Fund, Teaching, and Undergraduate Curriculum.

Please contact the External Vice President for more information on University Standing Committees.

Ad-Hoc Committees

Have an idea or an area that you want to focus on with the support of the SA? Ask your SA President about starting an ad-hoc committee. They aren't started frequently, but they can be very effective. Usually ad-hoc committees are created to address a specific pressing issue on campus.

If you are interested in starting an ad-hoc committee, please contact the SA President.

Other Ways to Get Involved and Keep Informed!

  • Events: The Student Association hosts several events throughout the year aimed at facilitating communication among all members of the Rice community. There are internal business related events, such as the SA Fall Retreat.
  • Colleges: You can start change within your college by getting involved with your college's government. College governments meet at different times and in different places, so ask your college coordinator or college President about the timing and location of these meetings. Senators announce information from the SA Senate meetings at college government meetings.
  • Clubs: There are over 200 clubs through which you can explore new things or find a like-minded group of people. If you don't find what you are looking for, you can start your own. Please consult the Student Activities website for more information about clubs on-campus. Please contact the SA Parliamentarian for information about club constitutions.