Rice University Athletics Committee (RUAC)
Charge:
- Formulate recommendations for internal and external policy necessary for the proper conduct of all university athletic activities. This includes continuing review of intercollegiate sports to ensure full compliance with laws and regulations of any regional or national governing bodies in which the university holds membership.
- Specifically the committee will include the following in its duties in regard to all intercollegiate activity:
A. Review the general intercollegiate sport budgets, transmitting its recommendations to the president annually.
B. When practical, make recommendations through its chair concerning the athletic director and all athletic head coaching appointments.
C. Provide recommendations and guidance in the formation of policies regarding the conduct of the athletics program. A partial list of current policies in which committee oversight is required includes:- Need-based financial aid
- Form and substance of communication with faculty council, in regard to such issues as graduation rates of student-athletes and academic admissions
- Responsibility for oversight audit of athletic eligibility
- Compliance with NCAA certification in regard to gender equity
- Exit interviews of student-athletes
- Oversight of any policy change by academic departments that may impact the athletic programs
- Review the recommendations of the athletic director on the award of all varsity letters.
- Make recommendations concerning the use of athletic facilities by on-campus or off-campus groups in conformity with university policy covering facility usage.
- Prepare a brief, written report on the year's activities of the Committee at the end of each academic year and submit copies of this report to the president of the university, the provost, and the Faculty Senate.
2024-2025 Membership
Name | Title | School/Dept |
---|---|---|
Mark Jones | Chair | Political Science |
Leo Costello | Faculty Representative to NCAA | Art History |
Pengcheng Dai | Physics & Astronomy | |
David Damanik | Mathematics | |
Rudy Guerra | Statistics | |
James McNew | BioSciences | |
Steven Rackley | Sport Management | |
Rebecca Richards-Kortum | BioEngineering | |
Fay Yarbrough | History | |
Claudia Zettner | Engineering Management & Leadership | |
Holli Ladhani | Board of Trustees representative | |
Joe Savery | Alumni representative | |
Melinda Spaulding Chevalier | Vice President of Public Affairs | |
Bryan McDevitt | R Association | |
Catherine Clark | non-voting ex officio member | Department of Multicultural Affairs |
Tommy McClelland | non-voting ex officio member | Director of Athletics |
Reginald DesRoches | non-voting ex officio member | President of Rice University |
Eric George | non-voting ex officio member | Athletics Department |
Amy Dittmar | non-voting ex officio member | Provost of Rice University |
Stacy Mosely | non-voting ex officio member | Athletics Department |
John Lawrence | non-voting ex officio member | Rice Management Company |
Favour Alino | Undergraduate Representative | |
Vacant | Undergraduate Representative | |
Xin Tan | Graduate Representative |
Note: per the committee charge, "Ex officio members do not vote on committee recommendations."
Updated August 1, 2024