Dear Rice colleagues,
Welcome to the first week of October. It's so nice to finally have the feeling of fall around us. I am enjoying the cooler mornings and hope you are too. The month of October brings several national awareness campaigns that I encourage you to remember, from advocating for breast cancer research and celebrating survivors of breast cancer to celebrating our differences with dyslexia awareness. There is much that goes on in our everyday lives, and I encourage you to get to know your colleagues and find out what issues are important to them.
Our coffee and conversation sessions continue to be full and thought-provoking for me. Over the past two weeks, I had the opportunity to meet with several team members from Parking, Facilities, Engineering & Planning, Housing & Dining, Human Resources, the Controller's Office, and Environmental Health & Safety. Both meetings were informative and helpful. One common theme that has emerged is the appreciation people have for the Rice community and a desire to help move the institution forward. We have discussed hopes and concerns about the future, including workload, iO, and a desire for clear priorities.
Last week, the Housing and Dining leadership team honored the Facilities, Engineering, & Planning grounds crews for their hard work and dedication in preparing Rice for the upcoming inauguration. Additionally, Chief Rodriguez joined Chef Roger in serving the famous cinnamon rolls to 156 lucky students. These jumbo cinnamon rolls are legendary on campus and require at least two days to make - so the process begins on Monday. Every Wednesday evening, Chef Roger serves them up to students who sometimes wait in line for up to two hours! To learn more about this special tradition, click on this link to watch the cinnamon roll video; however, I must warn you that you will be hungry at the end! I appreciate it when we take the time to say thank you to our colleagues and lean into supporting our students.
Finally, I want to stress the importance of taking care of yourself. I would encourage you to unplug from work once you leave campus. Spending time with your loved ones and doing things that bring you joy should be on your to-do list. Finding a work-life balance can be challenging, but it is important that you take time to renew and recharge.
Take care,
Kelly Fox, Vice President for Finance and Administration