Faculty

OASUS works closely with faculty to support undergraduates through course-specific peer tutoring programs and skill-based workshops.

Support for your students

OASUS collaborates closely with faculty and schools of study to offer various forms of academic support for undergraduate students. If you would like to partner with us to provide the following services to your students, please complete the OASUS Course Support Request Form or write to us at oasus@rice.edu.

Drop-in Study

Drop-in Study offers just-in-time group tutoring on evenings and weekends, provided by peer educators who are trained in effective, inclusive tutoring practices and work closely with faculty to align their guidance with course learning outcomes.

PAL Study Groups

Students enrolled in historically-challenging courses meet weekly in small groups to engage in collaborative learning activities facilitated by a peer educator. Peer-Assisted Learning is designed to target higher-order engagement with course material and cultivate deep learning consistently throughout the semester.

TA Training

Our Peer Educator Program offers foundational and ongoing professional development for all Rice students engaged in peer education work. A description of our program is available here: Foundational Peer Educator Training Program. Please note that this is a paid training program. While OASUS compensates our hired peer educators, we ask that non-OASUS participants be compensated by their employing program/department at their regular rate of pay.

Workshops and Learning modules

In collaboration with faculty, OASUS staff are available to develop embedded workshops and online learning modules targeting threshold concepts or discipline-specific skills that are important to student success in a given course.

Accommodated Testing

Faculty may request that students in their course with accommodated testing needs schedule their exams at our testing center. Due to capacity limitations, this option is available on a course-by-course basis; priority will be given to students who are registered with the Disability Resource Center.

Individual Learning Consultations

Beginning in Fall 2025, students may be referred by faculty and designated advisors in our partner student support offices for Individual Learning Consultations with our STEM Learning Specialist. Designed to connect course content and skills to larger themes in STEM, these specialized consultations provide an opportunity to identify areas of growth, develop STEM-specific learning strategies, and set goals unique to each student.

Faculty Commitment for Drop-in Study and PAL

OASUS works in close collaboration with faculty to provide quality academic support to their students. Faculty whose courses to we support in the Drop-In Study and Peer-Assisted Learning programs make the following commitments:

  • For first-time collaborations, meet with OASUS staff in the semester preceding their course offering in order to learn more about the OASUS programs, identify the appropriate form of academic support, and set mutually beneficial expectations;
  • Support recruitment of Peer Educators by providing recommendations where applicable and advertising the position to potential candidates;
  • Provide Peer Educators with access to relevant course materials (Canvas site, homework keys, practice problems, etc.);
  • Meet with their Peer Educator team within the first two weeks of class and communicate with them biweekly throughout the semester; and
  • Provide feedback for the OASUS assessment efforts.

We welcome recommendations to our Peer Educator program. Each semester, OASUS takes applications for Peer Educators who facilitate Drop-In Study and Peer Assisted Learning. We are seeking students with strong interpersonal skills who are not only knowledgeable about subject matter but committed to supporting their peers in an inclusive environment.

Syllabus Language

We invite you to include the following language on your Syllabus or Canvas site:

"If you’re seeking help with a course or academic challenge, or if you’re looking for a supportive learning community, check out the Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students (OASUS). They offer Drop-In Study for this course and others. You can find the schedule of support for this course on the Drop-In Study website. Stay up to date by adding the Drop-in Study & PAL Google calendar and joining the Drop-in & PAL GroupMe. Feel free to reach out to oasus@rice.edu with any questions."

Student Referrals

While normally we expect students to seek resources on their own, we recognize that there are circumstances that may require outreach from the OASUS staff. If you would like to refer a student who would benefit from the OASUS resources, please contact Elizabeth Cummins Munoz at ecmunoz@rice.edu.

Questions?

Please contact us at oasus@rice.edu, or write directly to the Director at ecmunoz@rice.edu.