GRADUATE STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
CAPC (Center for Academic and Professional Communication) Positions
Current Rice PhD candidates and M.Arch students are encouraged to apply as graduate communication consultants. See below for additional details.
FWIS (First-Year Writing Intensive Seminar) Program Positions
Current Rice PhD candidates may apply to be graduate instructors and writing coaches in the FWIS program for the 2026-2027 academic year in early 2026. To be eligible, writing coaches must be in or beyond their second year of study at the time of their appointment and graduate instructors must be in or beyond their fifth. Recent Rice PhDs may apply for roles as postdoctoral instructors in the FWIS program. These opportunities provide valuable pedagogical training and opportunities for professional development.
POSTDOCTORAL INSTRUCTORS POSITIONS
Responsibilities:
Design and teach two FWIS courses each semester and work on special projects for the CAPC and PWC.
Eligibility:
Open to individuals from any academic discipline who earned a PhD from Rice within the previous two years and have prior teaching experience at a four-year college or university. Experience teaching writing or communication-intensive courses is preferred. This position is designed to support recent Rice graduates while they search for a tenure-track position, so candidates should be active in their search.
Term:
Full-time, benefits-eligible employment limited to a two-year, nonrenewable contract
Application Materials & Selection Process:
Application must include cover letter, CV, scholarly writing sample, two letters of recommendation (at least of one of which should address the candidate’s teaching experience and ability). Recommenders should submit letters directly through Interfolio. In addition, submit Progress Toward Degree form, proposals for two FWIS courses and teaching evaluations (recommended but not required). Please apply for this position through Interfolio.
Select applicants are interviewed. We evaluate applicants on the quality of their interview and FWIS proposals, teaching record and experience, demonstrated promise for teaching writing, recommendations, and commitment to university- level teaching.
Training:
A required week-long training workshop is facilitated in May every year by the FWIS director with support from the CAPC. A modest stipend is provided.
Salary:
$45,000 plus benefits and opportunities to take on additional PWC - related responsibilities for additional pay.
Visa Considerations:
Please contact Rice's Office of International Students and Scholars to review your situation.
GRADUATE INSTRUCTORS POSITIONS
Responsibilities:
Design and teach one or (rare cases) two FWIS courses.
Eligibility:
Open to individuals from any academic discipline in their fifth year of graduate study or beyond in good academic standing and making progress toward their degree. They must have prior teaching experience at a college or university.
Term:
One semester
Application Materials & Selection Process:
Application must include cover letter, CV, scholarly writing sample, two letters of recommendation (at least of one of which should address the candidate’s teaching experience and ability). Ask recommenders to send letters directly to Florence Lim at fml1@rice.edu. In addition, submit the Progress Toward Degree form, proposals for two FWIS courses and teaching evaluations (recommended but not required).
We evaluate applicants on the quality of their FWIS proposals, teaching record and experience, demonstrated promise for teaching writing, and recommendations.
Training:
A required week-long training workshop is facilitated in May every year by the FWIS director with support from the CAPC. A modest stipend is provided.
Salary:
$7,500 per FWIS, plus a tuition award for those who are not eligible for a tuition waiver (for the semester in which the FWIS is taught)
Visa Considerations:
Please contact Rice's Office of International Students and Scholars to review your situation.
WRITING COACHES AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Please note: We encourage PhD. candidates to apply for both of the following positions if they are interested in doing so. Please submit separate applications for each position, and indicate in your cover letter that you are applying for both.
TA POSITIONS
We encourage PhD candidates in any year of study to apply to our TA Positions, which require a graduate student to support a FWIS class. The number of TAs depends on the number of faculty requests we receive, and usually varies between 2-5 per year. Some portion of those will be in the Fall and some in the Spring.
FWIS TAs work closely with faculty to support the communication instruction in FWIS courses. TAs should expect to lead roughly two weeks of classes, to grade half of the papers, and to attend most class meetings.
Application Materials & Selection Process:
Application must include cover letter addressing experience working with undergrads, CV, and scholarly writing sample. Send materials to FWIS Program Manager Florence Lim at fml1@rice.edu. Email FWIS Director Dave Messmer, dmessmer@rice.edu, with any questions. The application deadline is typically in February.
We evaluate applicants on the quality of their teaching experience and promise for teaching writing, as well as potential fit with faculty instructors.
Training:
TAs - A required week-long training workshop is facilitated in August every year by the FWIS director with support from the CAPC. A modest stipend is provided.
Salary:
$3000 per semester
Visa Considerations:
Please contact Rice's Office of International Students and Scholars to review your situation.
FWIS 100 WRITING COACHES POSITIONS
FWIS 100 is a program that serves first-year and transfer students who need an extra semester of academic writing and critical reading skills at Rice. Every section of FWIS 100 has a designated Writing Coach, a hybrid TA/writing consultant/mentor who attends 25-50% of classes, meets with students individually, and provides some ungraded feedback on student assignments. All Writing Coaches are Rice PhD candidates. The pay is $3k/semester, which includes 6-10 hours/week (it varies, but 10 is the strict limit to protect your time) and a pre-semester training. We typically hire 13-15 Writing Coaches to support sections of FWIS 100 in the Fall (we do not offer FWIS 100 in the Spring).
Eligibility: Open to Rice PhD students in good academic standing and making progress toward their degree.
Application Materials & Selection Process: Application must include cover letter addressing experience working with undergrads, CV, and scholarly writing sample. Send materials to FWIS Program Manager Florence Lim at fml1@rice.edu. Email Course Director Laura Richardson, Lkr1@rice.edu, with any questions. The application deadline is typically in February.
Salary:
$3000 per semester
Visa Considerations:
Please contact Rice's Office of International Students and Scholars to review your situation.
GRADUATE COMMUNICATION CONSULTANTS
Current Rice PhD students and M.Arch students may apply for roles as communication consultants.
Our graduate student consultants support a wide range of communication endeavors in all disciplines and at all levels of study (undergrad through post-doc). The CAPC provides consultations on oral, written, and visual communication projects. We are committed to having a consultant staff that is representative of the culturally and linguistically diverse student body at Rice. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and disciplines to apply, including STEM, Social Sciences, and the Humanities.
Responsibilities:
Consultants provide one-on-one academic support to both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as assist in various ongoing CAPC communication projects.
Eligibility:
All current Rice PhD students and M.Arch students are encouraged to apply.
Application Materials & Selection Process:
The online application consists of a brief hiring questionnaire, as well as submitting a cover letter and a CV via 12twenty. Applications are due March 14th.
Training:
All consultants attend a 2-day orientation prior to the start of the fall semester, as well as ongoing professional development and trainings throughout the semester. We are especially committed to the professional development of our graduate students and many of the projects that we ask them to support will also benefit them as they enter the job market.
Salary:
Starting at $18/hr for 3-hours per week (minimum)
For further information about CAPC consultant positions, please email Dr. Jacob Herrmann, Associate Director of the CAPC.