Welcome Families and Guests!
Families are a critical source of support for our new Panthers, and Orientation marks their entrance into the UWM community. We invite families to participate in your student’s transition by joining us for Family Orientation and reviewing important information below!
Does your family primarily speak Spanish? Go here for information on how you and your family can engage in a Spanish-Language support, facilitated by UWM’s Roberto Hernández Center. —Ofrecemos la orientación para familias en Español—
Our philosophy is to put students in the “driver’s seat” of their educational experience, so we intentionally have portions of our programs that are students only, which includes course selection.
- Access the Panther Family Portal if you haven’t already to get important updates in support of your student
- Attend orientation with your student.
- Access Guest Housing information here.
- Learn about the Federal Education Privacy Rights Act (FERPA) and what that means for access to your student’s records.
- Visit campus, whether that’s for signature events like Panther Friends and Families Day in October, or another day!
- Norris Health Center Letter to New Families
- Overview of Norris Health Center Resources
- Norris Health Center Meet & Greet video
- UWM is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus
Parents and families are encouraged to join their student throughout their Orientation experience. At the time of course enrollment and advising, however, families will not be able to participate, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (more on this below). FERPA aside, advising appointments are beneficial to the establishment of trust and rapport between your student and their advisor, and these are important first steps on the road toward graduation.
It is important to understand the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) applies differently to college students than to elementary or high school students — your student now has sole and direct ownership of their educational records. While parents and families understandably have an interest in a student’s academic progress, they may only access the student’s records with written consent. We encourage families to honor and appreciate their student’s role in charting their academic path and choosing their courses, under the guidance of UWM’s professional advisors. See https://uwm.edu/registrar/ferpa-parents/ for more information about how FERPA applies to college students.
Select Materials from Family Orientation Sessions from previous orientation programs is available via the links below. Please feel free to review the slides and reach out to individual offices with questions. Please also note that to receive the most up to date information, please refer to the individual UWM office websites:
