Rice University will use a $50 million gift -- the largest in its history -- to create a new institute aimed at developing the leadership skills of every student at the university. On Wednesday, David Leebron, Rice’s president, described the institute as “a reconceptualization” of what an undergraduate education is meant to provide. The institute will assess the strengths of each student as a freshman and then develop those strengths over four years through a custom plan that includes classroom instruction, personal coaches and real-world experience. Rice is one of a growing number of colleges and universities that have in recent years devoted significant resources to real-world, or experiential, learning. It's also one of the most selective universities to try this approach. The institute will help continue and broaden those efforts, Leebron said.

May 14, 2015 ・ From Inside Higher Ed