Dear Rice Alumni,

One thing that has always impressed me about Rice is the dedication and affection of our alumni for their university. It is welcome but unsurprising that so many of you have written in to express your concern over how we are faring on the campus in the wake of the current conditions in Houston. Please rest assured that despite the ravages of Hurricane (now tropical storm) Harvey, our campus remains in good shape, and our students are safe. Our experienced crisis management team meets daily to assess all issues and communicate with Rice students, faculty and staff. There has been a small amount of flooding on the campus, but the overall situation has remained manageable. We have been able to keep Fondren Library and the Gibbs Recreation Center open for limited hours each day.

As you no doubt have read, the situation across Houston is far more dire and is posing challenges to faculty, staff and some off-campus students. Our concerns and support extend beyond our own community to all who are suffering the impact of Harvey. I know that many of our alumni and friends across southern Texas are also being impacted by this terrible storm, and Ping and I continue to keep you in our thoughts during these challenging times.

A number of you have asked how you can help. Now is not yet the time to set up a mechanism for donations, but we will do so in response to requests as soon as the storm has passed. We may have off-campus students, both graduate and undergraduate, in need of housing until their residences are habitable. Once we gather information, we may want to know if any of our alumni who live nearby would be willing to offer temporary housing to any such students.

What you probably know about Rice is that our faculty and staff do not simply “do their jobs.” They serve with passion and commitment out of a belief in our mission, the nature of our community, and their affection for and belief in our extraordinary students. That is why we can continue to deliver core services to our students, even in this remarkably challenging environment. That is why our students remain safe and engaged.

We will provide you with a comprehensive update once the immediate danger of Harvey has passed. In the meantime, you can follow our progress at emergency.rice.edu, or follow me on Twitter.

Our challenge is far from over. We are expecting another two days of significant rainfall. We will need help and support in many dimensions once Harvey has receded. We know we can count on you. Please also continue to keep the entire Houston community in your thoughts over the days to come.

Sincerely,
David W. Leebron
President