Rice University
PAE-2: Strategic Plan

The Vision for Rice University's Second Century (V2C) stresses the importance of urban studies, energy, and environmental quality research as a way of both furthering the university's relationship with the surrounding community and bringing attention to critical issues. In its commitment to engaging the City of Houston, the V2C states, "Our ambition is to bring the city’s nonprofit and governmental organizations together with our talented undergraduates to work collectively on the range of pressing environmental, economic, social, and technological challenges in our community." The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) was a direct outgrowth of this commitment, providing an opportunity for students to address sustainability challenges. Students working as CCE Fellows have partnered with the neighboring Texas Medical Center to help organize recycling efforts in a number of participating institutions, for instance, as well as establish a system of donation of excess/unusable materials. CCE students have also partnered with the City of Houston to study the ability of green roofs to reduce the quantity and rate of stormwater runoff. Further, through the CCE, a class of students is working with the City of Houston and the Environmental Defense Fund to measure the effectiveness of the City of Houston's weatherization program for households in low-income neighborhoods.

In its pledge to engage and strengthen the local community, Rice will "integrate Houston into the educational experience of our students, by emphasizing selective areas of research especially important to the city (notably energy and urban studies), by making tangible contributions to improve our city (particularly K–12 education and environmental quality), and by continuing to provide innovative educational and cultural resources to the broader Houston population." Collaborative relationships with other institutions through the Center for Civic Engagement have resulted in numerous partnerships with the surrounding community, including the Texas Medical Center, Medical Bridges, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Fire Department, Houston READ Commission, Houston Endowment, and the Center for Houston's Future, among many others.