No student is required to live on campus. However, those members of the colleges who live off campus are encouraged to eat in their colleges and to participate in college activities. The College Food Service provides la carte meals, with the exception of prepaid dinners. One of the colleges important activities is their sponsorship of courses and workshops open to all students. By expanding course offerings outside the traditional departments, college courses promote the academic involvement of the colleges while introducing students to interdisciplinary topics of particular interest.
Students propose college courses during the semester before they are offered.
Once approved by the masters and faculty associates of the college and by the vice president for student affairs, these college courses are offered for academic credit on the same basis as departmental courses. The registrar provides a list of college courses each semester during preliminary registration. College workshops, generally providing instruction in practical skills, carry no academic credit and do not appear on a student s permanent record. They may meet regularly throughout the semester or within a limited time as short courses. All undergraduates are members of the Rice Student Association, which is governed through the Student Senate.