Rice University Athletics Committee (RUAC)

Charge:

  1. 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.
  2. Specifically the committee will include the following in its duties in regard to all intercollegiate activity:
    1. Review the general intercollegiate sport budgets, transmitting its recommendations to the president annually.
    2. When practical, make recommendations through its chair concerning the athletic director and all athletic head coaching appointments.
    3. 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:
      1. Need-based financial aid
      2. Form and substance of communication with faculty council, in regard to such issues as graduation rates of student-athletes and academic admissions
      3. Responsibility for oversight audit of athletic eligibility
      4. Compliance with NCAA certification in regard to gender equity
      5. Exit interviews of student-athletes
      6. Oversight of any policy change by academic departments that may impact the athletic programs
    4. Review the recommendations of the athletic director on the award of all varsity letters.
  3. Make recommendations concerning the use of athletic facilities by on-campus or off-campus groups in conformity with university policy covering facility usage.
  4. 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.

2022-2023 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
Peter Loos Material Science and NanoEngineering
James McNew BioSciences
Steven Rackley Sport Management
Fay Yarbrough History
Claudia Zettner Engineering Management & Leadership
TBA Board of Trustees representative
Everett Coleman Alumni representative
Linda Thrane Public Affairs representative
Nate McGill R Association
Wiiliam Edmond non-voting ex officio member Department of Multicultural Affairs
Joe Karlgaard non-voting ex officio member Athletics Department
Reginald DesRoches non-voting ex officio member President of Rice University
Rick Mello 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
Natalie Diaz Undergraduate Representative
TBA Undergraduate Representative
TBA Graduate Representative

Note: per the committee charge, "Ex officio members do not vote on committee recommendations."

To contact RUAC, please emal Laura Hanger: laura.a.hanger@rice.edu or senate@rice.edu.

Updated August 3, 2022