In addition to completing the immigration check-in and orientation process with OISS, there are a lot of steps you may need to complete before you can start your program at Rice! You will receive a lot of information from your international orientation with OISS, as well as Rice's general orientation, but here are some additional resources to help you navigate the various onboarding steps.
- Campus Map
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Both interactive and printable campus maps are available at https://www.rice.edu/campus-maps!
- Academic Department (for Graduate students)
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Make sure to connect with the department coordinator or graduate administrator at your academic department/program! They are an amazing resource and here to help you!
- Human Resources (for students being paid by Rice)
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Human Resources (https://people.rice.edu) is located in the Cambridge Office Building. If you are being paid by Rice for on-campus employment, you will need to visit them in-person before or on your first day of employment to complete the Form I-9.
For more information about student employment, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/studentwork. - Payroll (for students being paid by Rice)
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The Payroll Office (https://controller.rice.edu/payroll-home is located in the Cambridge Office Building. If you are being paid by Rice for on-campus employment, you will need to visit them approximately 2 business days after completing the Form I-9 with Human Resources.
Payroll will set up a Foreign National Information System (FNIS) account for you, which will help determine any tax treaty benefits that may apply to you. You can also sign up for direct deposit, where your pay will automatically be deposited to your U.S. bank account. - Rice University Police Department (RUPD)
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RUPD (https://rupd.rice.edu) is located just inside Entrance #8 (University Blvd at Stockton Street). For emergencies on Rice campus, call 713-348-6000 (or dial 6000 from a Rice on-campus phone) to request for assistance from RUPD or the Rice Emergency Medical Services (REMS).
RUPD will issue your official Rice Student ID card (https://rupd.rice.edu/id-office/obtain-id-card) and they also offer bicycle and other personal property registration services. - Bursar's Office
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The Bursar's (Cashier's) Office (https://cashier.rice.edu) is located in the Allen Center.
Payments (debit card, cash, or check) of semester bills, fees, etc., can be made in-person at the Bursar's Office, or you can pay online through ESTHER with a U.S. bank account, debit/credit card. International payments can be made through Flywire.
The Bursar's Office can also assist you with getting a Metro QCard (https://cashier.rice.edu/metro-qcards), which can be requested online. - NetID & Rice Email
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You can manage your online account at https://mynetid.rice.edu. Rice OIT also has an online resource to help you navigate your NetID: Complete Guide to NetID.
For more information and resources, please also see https://oit.rice.edu. - ESTHER
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ESTHER (http://esther.rice.edu) is Rice's account system for students, and it is where you maintain your address information, complete your course registration, and much more. For helpful FAQs, please see https://registrar.rice.edu/students/esther_FAQs.
- Health Insurance
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All students at Rice are required to have health insurance for the full duration of their academic program. Most international students can select between two available insurance options: Aetna (Rice's Student Health Insurance Plan) or Wellfleet (Rice's Approved Alternate Health Insurance Plan for International Students on F or J visas).
For more information, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/studenthealth. - Living in Houston Support
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Our website has an entire section dedicated to resources that will help you navigate life in the United States! Click on Menu in the top right corner and select "Living in the U.S." (or visit https://oiss.rice.edu/usliving).
The pages in this section include information about banking, housing, getting a driver license, taxes, and more! - Additional Resources
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Here are some more helpful online resources!
Rice University Policies (including Standards of Ethical Conduct)
Student Code of Conduct
OIT & Helpdesk
Rice Parking
Rice Shuttle Bus
Student Health Services
Wellbeing & Rice Counseling Center
Recreation Center
Campus Post Office
Houston Metro Rail and Bus
Maintaining Immigration Status