About OISS
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 in accordance with Rice's Immigration and Visa Policy.