Call to Conversation: Rice president takes C2C to London, Paris

Call to Conversation: Rice president takes C2C to London, Paris

BY MARGOT DIMOND
Rice News staff

In November, Rice University events in London and Paris brought dozens of Rice alumni in Europe together with Rice President David Leebron in wide-ranging discussions about the president’s Call to Conversation (C2C) — a document outlining the fundamental questions the president wants the university to address to secure its future.

Discussions with alumni about the C2C began in July with President Leebron’s travels to Asia. “Conversations about Rice’s future have taken place literally across the globe, as I started this process with alumni in Hong Kong and ended it with alumni in London and Paris,” President Leebron said.

Throughout the fall semester, the president also hosted meetings in the U.S. with the university’s various constituencies — faculty, staff, graduate students, undergraduates and alumni in cities across the country — to obtain feedback on the C2C.

The London event was held Nov. 16 with 45 alumni in attendance, many staying until after 11 p.m., discussing the challenges and opportunities facing Rice.

Ann Zitterkopf ’93, a London entrepreneur, said she found the event very rewarding. “President Leebron gave a warm, personal glimpse into his life at Rice, from the flamingos with toupees on his lawn during orientation week to taking his children to the inaugural outdoor movie, ‘The Incredibles,’” she said. “His passion for the school and commitment to students, teaching excellence and research were impressive.”

Historically, Rice alumni in London haven’t been very active, she said, “except for alumni interviewing and an annual college fair,” but this event has generated plans for quarterly social events in 2006.

Two days later, 31 alumni attended an event in Paris, 10 of them staying until 2 a.m., sharing Rice stories and catching up.

Amber Garrison ’01, who operates the European division of a publishing company, called the event “a runaway success.”

“Due to the small size and intimate venue (the Saint James, a private club in Paris’ 16th arrondissement), all of us had a chance to meet each other and chat one-on-one with President Leebron,” she said. “The overwhelming response was one of ‘Wow, finally, I feel reconnected to Rice.’”

As in London, the Paris event prompted plans for future get-togethers. “We have a core group of excited alums who are looking forward to more regular alumni activity in France and in Europe in general, and in launching a France alumni listserv,” Garrison said.

Zitterkopf said that to European alumni “it sometimes seems like we’re a long way across the Atlantic.

“President Leebron brought the spirit of Rice with him — and it was wonderful to feel that enthusiasm and excitement again,” she said.

President Leebron will discuss the results of the Call to Conversation with the Rice Board of Trustees in December, and a plan will be available to the Rice community in the spring.