<p>This is the first I had heard of this:</p>
<p>Baylor</a> Med School, Rice University discuss merger | Front page | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle</p>
<p>Me too. I walked from the bus stop into my building this morning, caught the headline of the Chron, and stopped in my tracks. Read the article online as soon as I got upstairs.</p>
<p>President Leebron doesn't understand that the undergraduate experience is what makes Rice truly unique, and I think he should treat the grad students he already <em>has</em> a little better before he goes and starts adding a whole lot more of them...</p>
<p>Though there's always that initial skepticism, I really don't think a move like this would affect the day-to-day life at Rice all that much. I imagine that Baylor would retain much of its own organizational structure rather than assimilating fully into Rice. It would probably operate with even more independence than the Jones School. While this move would affect the day-to-day operations of either school very little, both institutions would benefit from the recognition and collaborative opportunities such a merger would bring.</p>
<p>I agree with NYSkins1. And if Rice and Baylor Med do ultimately merge, Baylor Med would gradually have to phase out its "Baylor" name and be renamed to Rice Med School. It could be a mutually beneficial boost for both--Rice, one of the best universities in the country, and Baylor Med, one of the best medical schools in the country.</p>
<p>I'm not sure about the particular nuts and bolts of the situation, as Leebron is meeting with faculty to see their reactions and get their input and whatnot, but I think it'd be a good move for both institutions. </p>
<p>It'd be nice for Rice to have its own medical school, in my opinion. However, I do understand what you're saying about the undergraduate experience, aibarr. Hopefully if this deal does follow through the Baylor Med students won't really interfere with Rice's overall campus life and negatively affect it with its graduate student presence. I would imagine it would stay where it's at (downtown Houston) with all of its operations there as well, rather than take over a part of Rice's campus.</p>
<p>There's a lot of concern, and I think rightfully so, about the discrepancy in endowments, though. Rice's endowment is doing really pretty well, and Baylor has overextended itself in a highly saturated medical market. Insulating the Rice endowment so that the funding doesn't divert to Baylor is a potentially significant problem.</p>
<p>Leebron's always been intent upon making Rice the Ivy of the south, whether it wants to be or not. Since he arrived, there has been explosive, haphazard growth all over campus. I don't know. It doesn't sit well with me.</p>
<p>(And Baylor isn't downtown. It's a block over from Sid Rich, in the med center.)</p>
<p>hmmm. Sounds like buying into something shakey at near the top of the market. I would also be concerned that the med school board deflects Rice's core mission or even comes to dominate the University. </p>
<p>Baylor has a good reputation with high selectivity, no problem there. However, in addition to its major investment mistake, Baylor's tution income is also highly dependent on the whims of the State of Texas for tuition subsidy, where many voting taxpayers don't like the idea of paying tuition for "rich" schools. So Baylor might become doubly a sinkhole, distracting and draining Rice. Also the economic focus in medicine may be shifting to prevention and primary care rather than high tech. </p>
<p>"Insulating the endowment" has somewhat of an empty ring - when you share the brand name, you're committed. Unless something like Howard Hughes Medical Inst wants to "share", Rice perhaps should wait or remain an independent source of students and just collaborate. Splashing out big bucks to one step closer to just another one stop shop in the university game might be costly to Rice's identity and integrity as well as its purse.</p>
<p>"Leebron's always been intent upon making Rice the Ivy of the south, whether it wants to be or not." True and somewhat troubling. I prefer to think of Rice as "the Ivy antidote".</p>
<p>The discussions continue. Rice</a>, Baylor Medicine closer to merger deal | Front page | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle</p>