Volunteer Group Structure

Volunteer Expectations

Attend Meetings

As a member of a Regional Alumni Leadership Group, you are expected to attend planning meetings and calls that set the agenda and plan the calendar of activities for the upcoming year.

Serve

To be considered an active volunteer, you can hold a leadership position, serve on a committee, attend an event or volunteer at an event. Other volunteer opportunities are listed on the Become a Volunteer page. Even the smallest volunteer roles make a big difference!

Participate

As a regional or affinity volunteer, it is important to actively participate in the programs and events sponsored in your geographic area or area of interest. Participation can take many forms, including helping with set-up/clean up, working the registration table, sharing events and programs via social media and/or personal outreach.

Become an Ambassador

Regional/affinity volunteers can serve as goodwill ambassadors in the community, create meaningful connections with other alumni and build audience and community participation. It is expected that volunteers respect, uphold and support the strategic mission and values of the Office of Alumni Relations and Rice University.

Update your biographical information

Be sure to log in to the Rice Portal to update your address, what you’re doing now, find your friends and create a profile to help streamline your event registration process.

Give what you can

Donations at any level are appreciated. Your contribution may be designated to a program sponsored by/held in your region, a specific academic department or program, student scholarships or just available to support the annual strategic initiatives of the university. Investing in Rice shows you are committed to the university's future and count your alma mater's priorities among your own.

Rules of Engagement

While interacting with Rice alumni, we ask that you keep the following actions in mind.

Be Kind and Courteous

We're all in this together to create a welcoming environment. Kindness is required and please respect each person.

No Hate Speech or Bullying

Make sure everyone feels safe. Bullying of any kind isn't allowed, and degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated.

No Promotions or Spam

Give more than you take from online platforms. Self-promotion, spam and irrelevant links aren't allowed.

Respect Everyone's Privacy

Being part of this environment requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make groups great, but may also be sensitive and private.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Rice University is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. Accordingly, Rice University does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected categories under the law, in its admissions policies, educational programs, or employment of faculty or staff.

Volunteer Leadership Roles

Each group is different — one size does not fit all!

Groups vary in structure based on size, interest and personality. For instance, Regional Groups sometimes vary in terms of structure compared to Affinity Groups and some larger groups have more structured leadership roles compared to smaller groups with less formal structures. For an example of an established Regional Group structure, click HERE.

Start a Regional Group

Partnering with the Office of Alumni Relations

Oftentimes, staff members are aware of individuals who are interested in volunteering their time and talents to help advance the work of the university. Staff members are happy to assist with identification of possible volunteers and creating a strategic outreach plan to increase involvement and engagement.

Partnering with Peers

*If you are interested in starting a Regional Group in your area, you will need two additional volunteers who are willing to actively participate.* The Office of Alumni Relations can send a recruitment call for interest to your full region to get involved in your alumni group after three alumni identify themselves available to start the group.

Utilizing the Alumni Directory

The online alumni directory at alumni.rice.edu allows you to search for alumni. This can be a valuable tool in making connections with those who might be interested in your group. View an example of a peer-to-peer outreach template.