President Reginald DesRoches sent the following message to members of the Rice community Sept. 18:
Dear Rice community,
We are excited to announce significant news regarding our residential college system. Lovett College, one of our foundational colleges named after the university’s first president, Edgar Odell Lovett, is set to undergo a transformative change. This decision comes after a thoughtful and deliberate process by university leadership, including the board of trustees, and years of student leader advocacy and reflection on our commitment to maintaining our goals and priorities related to undergraduate housing.
As Rice has developed the residential college system over time, we have tried to strike a balance between building new spaces and renovating existing ones. As you may recall, we previously announced the construction of two new residential colleges to open in fall 2026 located on and around the site of the old Sid Richardson College.
Today, I am announcing that we have decided to allocate one part of this new space for Lovett College. Once the design and building process is complete, Lovett College will permanently relocate to this new location.
This means that in fall 2026, Lovett College will be adjacent to college No. 12 (not yet named). These two colleges will be connected by a shared servery. The Dean of Undergraduates Office will work closely with college leadership on planning Lovett College’s move and populating college No. 12. We are in the process of developing a 10-year capital plan that will include the addition of college No. 13 at a later date and after additional evaluations have been completed.
As we move forward, we are committed to maintaining the tradition and spirit of Lovett, even as the building changes. We have recently and successfully done a similar transition with Sid Richardson and will use lessons learned through that process to assist the Lovett community.
This move will preserve and enhance the legacy of Lovett College while writing an exciting new chapter. We look forward to working with our students to ensure a smooth transition and to continue fostering the vibrant community that Lovett is known for at Rice.
Sincerely,
President Reginald DesRoches