Establishing a Memorandum of Understanding
An international Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a general nonbinding statement of intent to cooperate and explore joint academic activities with a partner institution not located within the United States.
Rice supports high-quality international collaborations, and thus encourages MOUs which enable faculty, departments, other academic units, and schools to explore possible long-term collaborations with peer universities.
The International Operations Committee has been created, in part, to support and oversee the creation of robust and effective MOUs. The following instructions are meant to facilitate and clarify MOU development. Committee Chair Caroline Levander (clevande@rice.edu) is available for consultation during any stage of the process. In addition, please e-mail Global office at global@rice.edu for help.
The university provides a general template that was developed by the Office of the Legal Counsel. Click here to download the template. All finalized international MOUs have to be forwarded to the International Operations team by e-mailing a signed copy to yun.zhang@rice.edu.
Instructions
1. Discuss the proposed MOU with your department chair and dean to confirm their support. (A letter of decanal support is required)
2. If possible utilize the approved MOU template. Complete areas in yellow and save as a draft.
Note: If the partner institution requests that its MOU template be used, in depth legal and operational review is required and approval will take longer.
If the standard Rice MOU template is used and the intent is a non-binding exploratory agreement.
- Email the MOU draft to global@rice.edu for review. Include the reason you are requesting the MOU and cc: your department chair and school dean (or other individual with decision-making authority for your unit). Please include a brief letter of support from your dean outlining the strategic value of the proposed collaboration. Include the name and rank of your contact at the partner institution.
- The International Operations Committee will review your proposal and contact you with any questions.
- International MOUs are signed by the President or designee. Upon receiving approval and Rice University signed copy of the MOU, send the draft to your contact at the partner institution. Ask them to review it and let you know if they have any questions or comments. Involve your assigned International Operations Committee contact in answering any questions.
- Email the final document to yun.zhang@rice.edu.
If the standard MOU template CANNOT be used or the intent goes beyond a non-binding agreement (student exchanges, academic programs or other binding terms).
- Email the reason for the proposed agreement, why the standard template cannot be used, proposed terms and a letter of support from your dean and chair to yun.zhang@rice.edu.
- The International Operations Committee will review your proposal and contact you with any questions.
- International MOUs are signed by the President or designee. All non-standard MOUs have to be reviewed by the Office of Legal Counsel and assessed by International Operations Committee. Upon receiving approval and Rice University signed copy of the MOU send the draft to your contact at the partner institution. Ask them to review it and let you know if they have any questions or comments. Involve your assigned International Operations Committee contact in answering any questions.
- Email final document to yun.zhang@rice.edu.