MISSION STATEMENT

The Center for Academic and Professional Communication serves as the communication support hub of the university for any written, oral, and visual communication projects within and across disciplines. To that end, our staff and peer consultants assist undergraduates, graduates, post-docs, faculty, and staff through one-on-one consultations, workshops, and other resources. We seek to empower the entire Rice community with the skills, tools, and confidence to become effective and successful in all communicative endeavors.

OUR SERVICES

Oral, visual, and written communication take many forms, and it's essential to adhere to best practices and guidelines for each. Our staff offer assistance with various modes of communication, including the following:

• Written Communication
  • Academic writing
  • Scientific writing
  • Graduate school applications
  • Fellowship applications.
• Oral Communication
  • In-class presentations
  • Conference presentations
  • Research or elevator pitches
• Visual Communication
  • Presentation Slides
  • Research posters
  • Graphs and charts
  • Data visualization

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

The CAPC is committed to providing an equitable learning environment and responding to the diverse communication needs of all Rice community members. The CAPC also values all backgrounds and voices in academic and professional communication; we respect all writers’ linguistic backgrounds/preferences, as well as differences in culture, race, ethnicity, economic status, disability, religion, gender, sexuality, and academic discipline. To this end, our staff receive ongoing diversity and social justice training, and we also strive toward building a staff that is representative of the larger Rice population that we serve.

Learn more about our diversity initiatives

AI POSITION STATEMENT

The Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC) supports the Rice community in developing strong written, oral, and visual communication grounded in critical thinking and rhetorical awareness. CAPC's work has long been grounded in a multimodal understanding of communication as an interative, human process shaped by purpose, audience, genre and feedback. As communication practices continue to evolve, CAPC also recognizes that AI-assisted tools have become part of how many communicators draft, revise, and shape written--and, increasingly, oral and visual--work. With this in mind, CAPC approaches Generative AI as a toll that may support parts of a communication process, but should never replace the communicator's own thinking and responsibility for meaning. Acknowledging the diversity of practical and ethical perspectives on AI use across disciplines and classrooms, the CAPC is committed to the following principles and practices:

1. Supporting academic integrity. CAPC consultants work primarily with students on drafts and works in progress, creating a safe space for students to raise questions and think through their use of tools, including AI-assisted tools, sources, and communication strategies before final submission. This formative approach supports academic integrity by helping students reflect on their choices and align their work with instructor expectations.
2. AI as one of many educational tools. CAPC understands AI-assisted tools as part of a continuum of writing technologies, from dictionaries and reference materials to word processing and automated language support, that have helped people compose and revise text. Like these tools, AI may assist with aspects of drafting and revision, but it does not replace the communicator's role in developing ideas, arguments, and meaning. Communicators remain responsible for their choices and for the integrity of their work.
3. A safe space for critical conversation about AI an data. The CAPC aspires to provide students with the opportunity for peers to talk about all communication-related concerns in a space free from judgement. As peer educators, CAPC consultants do not assess or grade student work. Rather, their role is to provide strategies, feedback, and resources that support communicators in developing and expressing their ideas in an authentic authorial voice, alongside classroom instruction.
4. Consultants as communication experts, not technical experts. CAPC consultants are trained as communication educators, not technical specialists. While consultants receive training related to university AI policies and discuss AI within communication contexts, they are not expected to provide guideance on specific software functionality or on data privacy and security concerns. When appropriate, consultants may refer student to other campus resources for technical or policy-related support.