The Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University

Rice University

William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...

offers the Houston community the opportunity to study personal and professional areas of interest. It is named in honor of an endowment gift from Houstonians Susanne and Melbern Glasscock.

History

Established as the Office of Continuing Studies in December 1967, the school provides a bridge between Rice University and its Houston neighbors. Initially, classes were developed to teach area professionals about advances in their fields. From 1968 to 1972, between 150 and 200 students per year attended technical and business courses. In 1973, courses began to include humanities and subjects of general interest. In spring 1975, language courses began to be offered. In the 1970s and 1980s, Continuing Studies offered several notable courses including “Interpreting America,” a series of classes designed to complement the NBC historical series, America and “Living Texas,” which was featured in the New York Times and Newsweek. By 1992, annual enrollment reached 10,000 with approximately 200 classes plus foreign language classes.

“Continuing Studies was indirectly responsible for launching a hit movie. When an Esquire Magazine editor spoke in the continuing studies publishing program in 1978, he was taken to Gilley’s nightclub, and he later assigned an article for the magazine on the ‘urban cowboy’ phenomenon. The article was the basis for the 1980 hit movie of the same name, starring John Travolta and Debra Winger.”

In the 1990s, Continuing Studies developed more specialized technical courses. For example, “Advances in Tissue Engineering,” an annual event cosponsored by Rice’s Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering was first presented in 1993. The Rice University Advanced Placement Institute began in 1995 to provide training for middle and high school teachers. In 1997, the Rice Technology Education Center, which provides advanced computer training and certification, was added (the RTEC program was suspended in 2008). In fall 2005, the school began offering its first degree-granting program, the Master of Liberal Studies program.

In January 2006, the school was renamed the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies in honor of an endowment gift from Houstonians Susanne and Melbern Glasscock. It was believed to be the largest endowment gift ever made to a university continuing education program in the United States.

The Continuing Studies building is located on the Rice University campus at Entrance 8, at the corner of University Boulevard and Stockton Street. View the campus map http://www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html and choose "Continuing Studies" from the list of buildings to find the exact location.

Personal Development Courses

Non-credit personal development course topics include arts and humanities, lifestyle, writing and visual arts, personal finance, and science. Courses are held in two major sessions, beginning in August and January and often are taught by Rice University faculty. Typically, classes meet once a week, and classes are offered all days of the week except Sunday. Most classes are in the evening, but some daytime classes also are offered.

Professional Development Courses

Non-credit professional development programs include human resources, teaching, accounting and finance, paralegal, nonprofit and fundraising, volunteer management, and communication skills. They run in sessions throughout the year and are taught by Rice faculty and specialists within each field. Some courses offer professional credit or prepare students for certification exams. Rice is the only university offering K-12 teachers professional development in both of the major college preparatory programs—Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB). The Advanced Placement Summer Institute, with 2,300 attendees in 2007, is the largest program of its kind in the country.

Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership

The Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership was established in 2010 with the assistance of a monetary gift provided by Rice alumni C.M. "Hank" and Demaris Hudspeth. The CPNL is an expansion of the Glasscock School's 20+ year history of offering nonprofit and fundraising courses, and its goal is to provide extensive educational resources for Houston's nonprofit and philanthropic leaders.

Master of Liberal Studies

In addition to non-credit courses, the School offers a Master of Liberal Studies. The course of study is 33 credit hours of non-career-oriented, interdisciplinary classes. Sessions are offered in fall, winter and spring. New students may begin the program only in fall or winter. Typically, courses meet one evening per week for 10–11 weeks with two or three Saturday morning sessions. Classes have an average of 6-12 students. Students begin the MLS Program by taking three core courses—one in humanities, one in social sciences and one in natural sciences. The next seven courses are electives, and the final course is a capstone course designed to integrate all previous studies.

Foreign Language Courses

Non-credit foreign language courses are offered in Spanish, Italian, Russian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic. Classes average ten students per class with a focus on developing conversational skills. All languages and proficiency levels are offered in weekday evening classes. Spanish and French classes also are offered during weekday afternoons throughout the year and during a summer daytime intensive program. The Foreign Language Program also offers on-site corporate trainings in any of the available languages.

English as a Second Language

The non-credit English as Second Language (ESL) Program offers two options for English learners. The Intensive English Program is offered six times a year, in seven-week sessions, with classes that meet four hours daily, five days a week. Classes have an average of ten students enrolled, and in one year, students should be able to progress through the six-level core program. For more advanced students, the ESL Program offers the Evening ESL Communication Skills Program. These courses meet two evenings a week for eight weeks.

Undergraduate Program

The Glasscock School is a graduate school, but offers opportunities for other students:

Rice Summer School

The Rice Summer School program is administered by the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. Classes usually range in size from six to twenty students. Both Rice students and visiting students attend Summer School at Rice. Through the Rice for High School Students program, rising high school juniors and seniors can apply to take one summer school course.