Dear colleagues,
President DesRoches recently shared a heartfelt message with the campus, focusing on mental health and well-being. His message encouraged us to nurture our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Taking care of our mental health is like following the airplane oxygen mask rule: help yourself first to help others effectively. Rice provides resources for assistance, such as the Employee Assistance Program And Teladoc. Seeking support is a testament to our strength and awareness, remembering that we are not alone.
I sincerely appreciate the dedication and hard work that F&A employees bring to the university, enabling our community to deliver on its mission. With this in mind, I'm excited to announce the F&A Employee Awards and Recognition program. This new program will recognize individuals and teams within our division through the following four awards: Excellence in Customer Service, Operational Excellence, Student/Faculty Hero, and Above and Beyond. More information about the program is available here.
Join President DesRoches, Provost Amy Dittmar, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, and me for a Welcome Back Breakfast on Thursday, September 28, at 8:00 a.m. at the Anderson-Clarke Center. The event, moderated by Rice’s new Vice President for Public Affairs, Melinda Spaulding-Chevalier, will feature a panel discussion where leadership will outline goals for the year and address audience questions. To register for the event, follow this link. Special campus shuttles will be available to take participants to the event.
Finally, save the date for F&A Day, Saturday, October 7, at Rice Football. This event is an excellent opportunity for us to come together, enjoy our Rice Owls football team, and our colleagues. A personal invitation will be coming soon.
All my best to you,
Kelly Fox, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration