Student Responsibility

The university expects all Rice students to exercise personal responsibility over their actions. Their behavior should reflect a respect for the law and for their contractual obligations, a consideration for the rights of others, and shared standards of considerate and ethical behavior.

Students are responsible for knowing and following all information, policies, and procedures listed in this General Announcements. Questions should be directed to the appropriate office or administrator.

Rice utilizes email as an official form of communication and sends correspondence to a student’s Rice email address. Students should frequently check and maintain their Rice email inbox. Failure to do so does not relieve students of the responsibility to act or respond in a timely manner to official notices sent via email.

Rice encourages self-discipline, recognizing that effective student government, including judicial processes, and the integrity of the honor system depend on the willingness of all students to meet community standards of conduct.

The university, however, reserves the right to insist on the withdrawal of any student whose conduct it judges to be clearly detrimental to the best interests of either the student or the university. The appropriate authorities take such action only after careful consideration.

No individual or group may use the name of the university or one of its colleges without prior approval of the university or the college.

Teaching Assistant (TA) Responsibility

Individuals appointed as teaching assistants must abide by the policies stated below.

Teaching Assistant (TA) Policy

Teaching assistants are graduate students who help faculty with the delivery of courses. Services provided by teaching assistants include, but are not limited to, grading, monitoring, leading labs and/or discussion sessions, offering office hour assistance to students, and performing clerical tasks associated with course instruction.

Teaching assistants are supervised by the course instructor of record and are subject to established departmental policy.

Although they are not members of the faculty, teaching assistants are expected to conform to the same standards of conduct in the performance of their academic duties as are members of the faculty and shall respect the rights and opinions of students and uphold the academic standards of the University.

Teaching assistants are subject to the guidelines stated in the Consensual Sexual or Romantic Relationships in the Educational or Workplace Environment Policy as well as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

When serving in the role of a teaching assistant, graduate students are considered responsible employees under the University Title IX Policy. As a responsible employee of Rice University, once a teaching assistant knows about any incident of sexual assault, harassment, relationship violence, stalking, or another non-consensual interpersonal behavior, Rice Title IX personnel need to know so they can act to support the student and keep our community safe. You can gain access to the Title IX Resource Navigator, Student Wellbeing, and the Rice Counseling Center by calling 713-348-3311. If a student wants to make a report through the university, wants Title IX accommodations without making a report, or isn't sure what to do, also call 713-348-3311 or extension 3311 on campus.

If the student wants to make a report through the legal system or is considering making a report, or needs immediate assistance, call the Rice University Police Department (RUPD) 713-348-6000 or extension 6000 on campus.