First Year
In the First-year Writing Seminars, Rice students start developing the skills they need to communicate effectively throughout their time at the university. In addition, students can attend workshops through the Center for Academic and Professional Communication or make an appointment for one-on-one consultations to review an assignment.
Undergrad
Check out our workshops on topics like procrastination, oral presentations, and slide design, as well as our COMM 300 and COMM 415 course! We also maintain a list of online resources to assist undergraduate students in completing essays, presentations, and posters, and students can book one-on-one consultations to discuss an assignment.
Graduate Students
The PWC provides graduate students with workshops tailored to their academic goals and a curated list of online communication resources. Graduate students can also schedule one-on-one consultations in the Center for Academic and Professional Communication to help them succeed in written, oral, and visual assignments.
International Students
We provide resources to assist students whose first language is not English with communication assignments and courses. Students can make appointments for one-on-one consultations in the Center for Academic and Professional Communication or attend communication workshops and credit-bearing courses.
Faculty
We partner with instructors and departments to create communication instruction for their students, from classroom presentations to individual and group coaching. We also assist faculty in creating rigorous communication assignments and assessment tools tailored to their discipline.
Upcoming Workshops & Events
Writing Appropriate and Successful Emails
Students, especially graduate students, write many emails while in their program. They write to invite professors to serve on thesis/dissertation committees, to ask for extensions on papers, to research collaborators to ask a question about their project, or to introduce themselves to potential mentors or advisors. Designed for non-native English speaking graduate students, this workshop discusses the language necessary to craft a polite and yet effective email. It also covers basic email etiquette. Attendees are also encouraged to bring an electronic copy of one of their own emails that they have written in the past or that they need to compose soon.
Oral Presentation Skills
Giving a talk in person can be nerve-wracking, but it may feel equally stressful presenting remotely. In this workshop, students will learn techniques for giving effective oral presentations over Zoom. Students will discover tips and tricks for developing their presentations, managing their materials (such as a powerpoint), and communicating their work successfully to a remote audience. Along the way, we will discuss how to mitigate nervousness and build confidence in students’ ability to communicate and present information. This workshop is designed for both undergraduates and graduate students.
Slide Design
This workshop is designed for graduate students who want help with writing an abstract for conference presentations/papers as well as journal articles. We will look at samples of successful abstracts, discuss the anatomy of a scholarly abstract, and learn how to use specific and targeted language. Participants also will have the opportunity to write and get feedback on their own abstract. Limited to 15 participants.
Center for Academic & Professional Communication 
The CAPC is the home for student and faculty communication support at Rice.
First-Year Writing Intensive Seminar 
FWIS courses will give you the communication foundation you need for success at Rice and beyond.
English as a Second Language 
The PWC provides a host of services for Rice students whose first language isn't English.
Communication in the Disciplines 
The PWC helps students learn to communicate in ways appropriate for their majors and intended careers.