Student grant program started

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by Lindsey Schechter

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The program, which will award $12,000 next semester in grants, is a culmination of the efforts of the Student Association and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Envision is largely the brainchild of SA President Maryana Iskander. She said she conceived the program idea after seeing how difficult it has been for students to get funding for individual projects. Previously, a student with a project idea had to go to the SA, the Rice Program Council and each of the eight residential colleges to ask for money.

Iskander said that this process is not only laborious for the student but also troublesome for the group to whom they appeal.

"It is difficult for these organizations to fund a single student, particularly if the student's project is not intended for all members of the Rice student body," Iskander said.

In October, Iskander submitted a proposal to President Malcolm Gillis, requesting $20,000 to establish a student grant program. Gillis agreed to initially commit $12,000 of unrestricted university funds.

Zenaido Camacho, vice president for Student Affairs, will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing the distribution of these funds. Iskander and Camacho both think that there will be more resources available in the future.

Camacho said he had "no doubt [that] this is going to be expanded."

To apply for a grant from the Envision program, students will have to submit a proposal detailing their ideas, a budget and a timeline along with two letters of recommendation. Although a transcript is not required, the student must be in good academic standing.

"The application finds the happy medium between being too cumbersome that it discourages students from participating and not challenging enough to make students recognize the importance of a high-quality application," Iskander said.

The proposals will be reviewed by a nine-person committee comprised of three students, two staff members and four faculty members. The two staff members on the committee are Mark Scheid, director of Academic Advising, and Connie Burke, director of Leadership Rice. The rest of the committee is yet to be named.

The committee will not award the money for any single event or to a registered student organization. There are no other restrictions on the projects. Camacho said he would like to see "projects that will give you more insight into yourself and more insight into others."

Camacho and Iskander both acknowledged the reputation Rice students have for apathy, and they hope that Envision will give students the opportunity to prove that this is false.

"I envision that great things can really come of this," Iskander said.

To apply for a grant from the Envision program, students will be required to submit a proposal detailing their ideas, a budget and a timeline along with two letters of recommen-dation. Although a transcript is not required, the student must be in good academic standing.

There will be two separate application rounds next semester. During each round the committee can award up to $6,000. Each individual project will usually not be given more than $1,000.

This year the first round of applications will be available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs beginning Dec. 4 and will be due Jan. 30. The selection committee will evaluate applications and conduct interviews from Jan. 31 to Feb. 15.

The committee will announce its decision on Feb. 20. Applications for the second round will be available on Jan. 31.

This item appeared in the News section of the December 1, 1995 issue.

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