Our mission:

The mission of Rice University’s Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) is to provide the best service and support possible for our international visitors (whose population includes degree-seeking students, visiting and exchange students, faculty, researchers, staff, and others). We seek to enhance our foreign visitors’ stay in the USA, and particularly at Rice, by providing quality cultural, academic, regulatory, and social programs.

We believe that international students and scholars at Rice serve as a vital “bridge” in cross-cultural understanding. Our goal is to promote positive international educational exchange through all of our programs and interactions. The multifunctional role of the OISS includes serving as the primary liaison for community contacts, governmental (federal, state, and local) agencies and university departments, which interface with international students and scholars.


Our purpose:

• To provide international students and scholars with advice and documentation necessary to maintain their legal status in the U.S.;
• To represent the university to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of State, and other governmental agencies dealing with international visitors;
• To guide international students and scholars in their adaptation to the American culture and campus life;
• To maintain university compliance regarding regulations concerning international students and scholars.

Services we provide:

• Initial orientation for all international students and scholars;
• U.S. immigration advisement and forms;
• Travel authorization and counseling regarding application for new visas;
• Authorize and advise on visa benefits such as practical training and extension of programs;
• Advise and assist dependents of international students and scholars with visa issues and benefits;
• Liaison with U.S. and foreign embassies/consulates;
• Assistance with matters of cultural adjustment;
• Liaison with the Institute of International Education (IIE) and its Host Family Program;
• Resource and referral to other offices and services within Rice University and in Houston, as needed;
• Reporting of Rice's international population to government agencies, IIE, and the Rice community;
• Informational workshops, programming and cultural activities;
• Distribution of free tickets to local cultural events;
• Alternative health insurance policy applications;
• Information on holiday hospitality programs;
• Provide networks for international students to assist one another;
• OISS listserves.

© Rice University 2005. All rights reserved.