Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is returning to Stanford University to teach political science and write books as a member of the Hoover Institution, according to an interview published in the campus newsletter Stanford Report.

“Stanford is my home,” said Rice, who served as provost at the university prior to serving two terms in the Bush administration. “It really seemed like the logical choice for me.”

She’ll relax in February by playing the piano, some golf and watching Stanford basketball. “I want to have a little time to exhale,” she said.

Rather than jumping into formal coursework, she hopes to connect with students through private speaking engagements. Free from security constraints, she said she looks forward to visiting dormitories to host student-faculty dinners — what she fondly called “a however-long-it-goes engagement. I used to love those,” she said.

She said she’d welcome debate over the ideas she promoted while serving in the Bush Administration.

“We did some things very well,” she said. “There are certainly a lot of things I would’ve done differently…I’m sure there will be dissertations written on that subject, and many of them I’ll oversee at Stanford University.”

As a Hoover senior fellow, she aims to teach courses on international politics, focusing on how to make tough choices under severe time pressures, she said. She also aspires to write a book on foreign policy, and another, more personal book about her parents.

Contact Lisa M. Krieger at lkrieger@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5565.