Just saw this favorable mention of the Rice college system in an AP article on universities trying to find solutions for the drinking and sexual assault problems on their campuses. Rice is mentioned in about the middle, and then again at the end, of the the article.

http://news.yahoo.com/sex-assault-drinki...00374.html

For about 20 years now I've felt that one of the most amazing things about the Rice college system is that so few schools have copied it. I know that President Leebron has expressed similar sentiments on occasion. Most universities, when they do adopt a college system, miss three of the most important attributes: all undergraduates rather than a subset; random assignment rather than self-selection; and all classes mixed together. Simple concepts, yet hard for some schools to grasp.

(03-22-2015 10:19 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  For about 20 years now I've felt that one of the most amazing things about the Rice college system is that so few schools have copied it. I know that President Leebron has expressed similar sentiments on occasion. Most universities, when they do adopt a college system, miss three of the most important attributes: all undergraduates rather than a subset; random assignment rather than self-selection; and all classes mixed together. Simple concepts, yet hard for some schools to grasp.

I agree. But it might be very expensive and disruptive for existing colleges that are much larger than Rice to try to make a changeover to the college system when an unsuitable infrastructure of existing dorms and cafeterias are already in place, not to mention campus traditions, the Greek system of fraternities/sororities etc. Most larger colleges guarantee on-campus housing only for Freshmen. After that you're on your own. They'd need big makeovers to install a worthwhile residential college system.

But I's also surprised that more newer or small/growing colleges haven't tried it.