The OF&S Student Intern Program began as a pilot program in 2024. The goal was simple—connect Rice students with meaningful project work in support of the University’s mission. This year, the program is expanding to the campus community, creating new opportunities for departments to advance strategic priorities while giving students hands-on experience.
Funded by Operational Excellence, the program has supported 11 student interns who have contributed to high-impact projects across the university while building practical, career-ready skills.
Recent projects have included:
- Architectural Design Standards: Assisted in developing university-wide architectural design standards to support campus consistency and Rice’s evolving campus identity.
- Campus Digital Accessibility: Helped improve the accessibility of online learning materials and digital resources to create a more inclusive experience for students, faculty, and staff.
- Employer Branding & Onboarding Enhancement: Supported efforts to strengthen Rice’s employer brand and enhance the onboarding experience for new employees through research, content development, and process improvements.
What to Expect
The program is designed to create a meaningful and supportive experience for both students and departments. Here’s what to expect:
- Internship Program Team: Coordinates recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and orientation while providing ongoing support to interns and supervisors throughout the experience
- Units and Intern Supervisors: Identify strategic project work suitable for a student intern, coordinate the intern’s day-to-day experience, host regular in-person 1:1 meetings, provide mentorship and feedback, and approve student timecards
- Student Interns: Contribute to defined project work, communicate regularly with their supervisor, manage responsibilities alongside academic commitments, and present their work and impact at the end of the internship experience
Internships are designed to complement students’ academic commitments while building real-world experience. Interns work an average of 10 hours per week, gaining hands-on experience in project management, cross-campus collaboration, and presentation skills through end-of-year presentations, where students share their work and impact with university leaders.
What We’re Looking For
Departments are invited to submit project proposals for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Projects should:
- Advance strategic priorities or initiatives aligned with Rice’s mission
- Provide meaningful, project-based work that helps students build professional skills and experience
- Be structured to support a student working no more than 10 hours per week during the academic semester
- Extend across both the fall and spring semesters to create continuity and a deeper student experience
Proposal submission period: May 29 – July 31, 2026
Want to learn more? Attend the info session on June 10 from 12-1 pm. For any additional questions, email opex@rice.edu.