As thousands of new Badgers made their way down East Campus Mall after the New Student Convocation on September 3, the Office of the Registrar (RO) team was ready to greet them with smiles and tools to set them up for future success.
Each year, the RO and other student-facing offices in the 333 East Campus Mall building hold a mini resource fair to introduce students to the wide range of available support services. This brief introduction, intentionally timed to catch students’ attention as they pass from the Kohl Center to the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s ice cream welcome at Alumni Park, serves as a “living directory” and a visual depiction of the variety of resources aimed at supporting their campus experiences.
This year, the RO refocused its approach to Wisconsin Welcome, putting a priority on directly connecting students with resources that will help them throughout their academic careers.
“Whether they know it or not, every student will interact with a system or process supported by the Office of the Registrar at numerous points during their time on campus,” Interim University Registrar Beth Warner explains. “We have a variety of resources available to help students with common tasks like enrolling in classes, but those tools don’t provide the maximum benefit if students don’t know they exist.”
In addition to the usual promotional goodies, the RO team handed out hundreds of magnets containing links to common enrollment-related tasks that each student will likely do multiple times. The magnets point to step-by-step instructions on:
- What to do before enrolling in classes;
- How to enroll in classes;
- How to run a degree audit report (DARS) – and an overview of what a DARS report is;
- How to print an enrollment verification letter; and
- How to view grades.
Making information and support more accessible is one way the Office of the Registrar is supporting students’ academic success as well as the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s teaching and learning mission.
Joining the RO on East Campus Mall this year were:
- Center for Leadership & Involvement (CfLI);
- Associated Students of Madison (ASM);
- The Open Seat food pantry;
- WSUM student radio;
- University Health Services (UHS);
- University Veteran Services; and
- Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA).
Wisconsin Welcome 2024 continues through October 5. Visit the Office of Student Transition and Family Engagement’s website for information about upcoming events.