Jack Hardcastle

Always exciting to hear bad news at the end of your day.

Jack, Lisa, and Stephanie,

I was out of the office Friday but had a message from Joe Davidson in the General Counsel’s Office regarding the use of the academic seal on your grad announcements. I sent him your website and explained your situation. Unfortunately, there is a contractual agreement with the Bookstore regarding graduation announcements and in fact, Joe said you would need to cease the selling of the announcements (since ‘Rice University’ is also trademarked) you have created.

Sorry, I know this was not the response you were hoping for.

Jeff

Jeff is a great guy. He’s helped us out, did a bit of digging for us, and offered advice. I don’t mean this as a diatribe against him, but my favorite part is his signature.

Rice University is consistently ranked one of America’s best teaching and research universities.

It is distinguished by its size, selectivity, resources, residential college system, and collaborative culture.

Collaborative my tukus. It’s highly compartmentalized, segmented, and adversarial. Student organizations fight with each other and with the Administration. The Administration fights with the Faculty. The Faculty fight amongst themselves. Nobody likes the Thresher, and the Thresher bashes everyone.

I have enjoyed my time here and I cannot imagine having gone to any other university, but I will not be recommending to anyone that they attend Rice for at least another 10 years. See me in a decade, folks.