Family Info – Milwaukee Campus

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 you, their family, to participate in their 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.

New Family Orientation Checklist
Follow these steps to support your student and stay in the loop about UWM and the Panther Family Association:

  1. Attend orientation with your student
  2. Get connected with other UWM families during Panther Family Association Coffee Chats. Make sure to join the Panther Family Community on Facebook
  3. Learn about the Federal Education Privacy Rights Act (FERPA) and what that means for access to your student’s records.
  4. Sign-up for Panther Family News
  5. Visit the Panther Families Website
  6. View the Family Guide for answers to many UWM related questions
  7. Save the date for Family Weekend 2022! Saturday, October 8
Panther Family Association Coffee Talks
The mission of the Panther Family Association is to build collaborative partnerships between parents, families, and UWM for the common goal of student learning, personal growth and development, student success, and engagement with the institution.

Join the Panther Family Association to chat with parents of current UWM students and knowledgeable UWM staff. Parents will share their experience and answer your questions during this virtual coffee hour.

We encourage you to join the Panther Family Facebook group and sign-up for the Panther Family News list prior to attending a session access the most updated schedule. The schedule is subject to change and sessions may be added or adjusted.

Health & Well-being Resources
UWM & Norris Health Center understand that health and wellbeing are building blocks of student success, and families play an important role in supporting your students. To equip you with all the information you need, please review these resources:

Course Registration Advising and FERPA

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.