Below is a brief description, provided by the institution, describing their efforts toward Sustainability in Higher Education (SHE).

Rice University has several programs designed to provide a strong interdisciplinary background in environmental studies preparing students to pursue jobs as environmental professionals and/or to increase their own understanding of important environmental issues of today. Rice currently offers three environmental undergraduate majors: Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Policy. This is in addition to majors offered in the natural sciences: Biology, Chemistry and Earth Science. The Center for the Study of Environment and Society coordinates an Environmental Studies program, through which interdisciplinary environmental courses are offered. Rice also has a partnership with Columbia University's Biosphere 2 program for undergraduates. Graduate environmental programs include Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Earth Science, and a Professional Master of Science in Environmental Analysis and Decision Making.

There are several environmental centers, institutes and organizations at Rice. The Center for the Study of the Environment and Society coordinates courses and curricula on environmental topics. The Environmental & Energy Systems Institute supports and coordinates programs of education, research and community service. The Shell Center for Sustainability provides an interdisciplinary program of education, research, and outreach to address the role of the private sector in implementing a sustainable future. Student organizations include the Environmental Club, College Environmental Committees, the Rice Organic Community Garden, the Rice Student Volunteer Program's Environmental Committee, the Student Recycling Council, and the Student Association Committee on Environment and Facilities. The Student Association recently passed a resolution encouraging the university to not only adopt an environmental policy, but to install a standing committee on sustainability to oversee environmental initiatives at Rice.

Rice University has made many efforts to make its operations more sustainable. These include a Recycling Program, which recycles paper, glass, aluminum, metal, cardboard, toner cartridges, and makes special efforts to increase recycling in the residential colleges; a composting project, which oversees the Rice Earth Tub; the Green Lights Program, which involves using compact fluorescent lightbulbs in university buildings; and a Cogeneration Plant, which uses fuel more efficiently and reduces Rice's need for off-campus electricity.

Below is a list of Websites/Web pages dedicated to sustainable efforts at the institution.

Enviro-Web
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/

Center for the Study of Environment and Society (CSES)
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/cses.html

Environmental and Energy Systems Institute (EESI)
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/%7Eeesi/

Shell Center for Sustainability
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~eesi/scs/index.html

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/%7Eceedept/

Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN)
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/%7Ecben/

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department (EEB)
http://eeb.rice.edu/

Earth Science Department
http://terra.rice.edu/department/ccg/environment.html

Environmental Club
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/%7Eenviclub/

Recycling Program
http://facilities.rice.edu/recycle/home.cfm

Green Student Guide
http://facilities.rice.edu/recycle/iwms.cfm?ID=37

Environmental Reading Group (EREAD)
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/eread.html

CSES Colloquia
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/colloquia.html

Environmental Events
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/seminars.htm

Environmentally Friendly Vendors
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~enst302/envivendors.html

Rice into the Future: Environmental Issues Course
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~enst302/

Lynn Lowrey Arboretum
http://cohesiondev.rice.edu/committees/arboretum/

The Sustainable Environment Course
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/enst101/UNIV111.html

Janus Report: Building a Sustainable Future Here and Now
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/documents/Janus%20Report.pdf

ENVI 490 Course: Environmental Audit of Rice Campus
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~enviclub/envi490/envi490index.html

Assessment of Rice University as an Environmental System
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~bake302/

Understanding Environmental Issues and Systems
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~leeman/lovebake.html

Sustainability Initiatives at Rice
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/sustainability.html

Rice Organic Community Garden
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rsvp/environment/Garden/