At Rice, we are fortunate to belong to a community that cares a lot about its grad students and their success and wellbeing! Rice has a myriad of resources aimed to help its grad students achieve academic success, develop professionally, and enjoy life in Houston. Here is a sampling of some of the Rice resources that will make you a better grad student!
Doerr Institute for New Leaders
The Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice is committed to developing leadership skills amongst all Rice students. The Doerr Institute is a “large-scale leader development enterprise at Rice University.” Doerr has various programs, from group excursions to one-on-one coaching, that will develop leadership qualities amongst students with evidence-based programming. Even better, all programs at the Doerr Institute are offered at no cost to all full-time Rice students! The Doerr Institute is committed to providing programs that are tailored to your needs as well, taking the institute’s programs far beyond any kind of generic leadership training.
You can check out an event calendar here for other events put on by the Doerr Institute throughout the year. Reach out to the team at Doerr here to learn more!
Center for Teaching Excellence
Planning on going into academia or an education-focused career? The Center for Teaching Excellence is committed to training Rice graduate students to be effective educators. The Center, often referred to as the CTE around campus, offers a wide range of training programs. You can earn a Certificate in Teaching and Learning by completing the four-course program during your time here at Rice, which will show future employers that you have been trained to teach and not just conduct research! The CTE also offers short one-time interactive workshops, TA training, various presentations and educational events about new advances in teaching and learning, and a CTE Reading Group that meets throughout the year. The CTE also puts on an annual Symposium on Teaching and Learning each January for the entire Rice Community.
Outside of training programs, the CTE also offers services and support, such as teaching consultations and classroom observations, for any member of the Rice community. You can read about the many services offered here. These services can help graduate students strengthen the classes they currently teach as well as help prepare graduate students’ teaching portfolios for the job market. The CTE also has a blog, Reflections on Teaching and Learning, filled with helpful resources.
If you are interested in any of the many wonderful resources that the CTE offers, you can contact the center here.
Center for Academic and Professional Communication
The Center for Academic and Professional Communication (or CAPC) offers consultations, writing groups, writing intensive seminars, and workshops aimed at making your papers and presentations highly polished, professional, and effective. For example, if you have a term paper or conference presentation that you’re working on, you can schedule a one-on-one consultation at the CAPC to receive guidance and feedback on your work. You can read more about graduate student support at the CAPC here. The CAPC also specializes in resources for international students who are English Second Language students.
Contact information for the CAPC can be found here.
Center for Career Development
The Center for Career Development offers programs, services, and resources aimed at guiding you in the pursuit of your career goals. You can set up a Career Counseling Appointment, take career and personality assessments, have your resume reviewed, schedule a mock interview, and attend various professional developments courses, seminars, and panels. You can also connect with Rice Alumni in your field, and you have the opportunity to connect with potential employers. You can learn more about CCD’s services here, and you can check out upcoming events here.
Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Professional Development Resource Portal
The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has lots of resources to help Rice’s grad community. One especially useful part of the office’s site is a portal of professional development resources for grad students. This serves as a one-stop-shop for Rice grad students searching for more professional development during their studies.
Students Organizations and Affinity Groups
Rice has a very vibrant graduate student community! Grad students are active in student organizations, clubs, and affinity groups across campus. The grad community is also well-represented across campus by the Graduate Student Association. To check out the student clubs that Rice has to offer, you can look through OwlNest. For a summary of Rice’s student organizations and more information on affinity groups, check out this piece from the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website!
Rice Deals for Houston Attractions
Rice’s resources are not all work-based! Play is important, too! Your Student ID gets you some great discounts around Houston. For example, all Rice students get into the Houston Zoo for free! You can read more here. Other Houston attractions offer deals for Rice students through Rice’s Passport to Houston program, which has a list of Houston attractions that Rice students gain special access to. Rice students are also eligible for a majorly discounted public transport deal! Rice graduate students (excluding Jones School) are eligible to purchase Metro Cards with a value of $500 for only $55 at the Cashier’s Office in the Allen Center
Other Helpful Resources
- Check out this database of fellowships, grants, and internships for Rice students.
- Learn more about Fellowship Coaching for Rice students here.
- If you need a safe space to discuss any concerns about grad life, you can get in touch with Pia Byrd, the Graduate Student Support Specialist.
- The Wellbeing and Counseling Center is always available to meet with students in order to offer advice and support in all aspects of life.
Further Reading:
Grad School 101: Learning from (and through) COVID-19
Grad School 101: What to expect during year one
Grad School 101: New challenges in the time of COVID
About the author: Originally from Massachusetts, Emily Elia is a third-year Ph.D. student in political science. She graduated from the University of Alabama in 2018 and currently studies comparative politics with a focus on Latin America.