First Year Experience

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)


Academics and Student Success

  • Find a club, sport, or other organization to participate in! You can view the many organizations we have on campus, their meeting times, contact information, and more on this website.
  • Students are also encouraged to attend the Involvement Fairs that are held once a semester. These fairs give students the opportunity to meet many clubs and organizations in person.
  • The University Center (UC) offers many free entertainment events throughout the year. You can view our many free events here.
  • Ensure that your student is in communication with their instructor to find out what they missed in class, and to ask for support where needed.
  • Students who are too ill to eat a meal in the dining halls can have a friend pick up a meal and bring it back to the residence hall.
  • Your student can request a Sick Meal Kit here. 
  • A student’s advisor depends on many factors including the number of units they've earned and if they've chosen a degree program.
  • Most first year students begin their advising career with the Academic Advising & Exploration Center (AAEC).
  • More information about the Academic Advising & Exploration Center and how students work with their advisor can be found here.
  • Students can see who their Advisor is in WINS.
  • UW-Whitewater acknowledges students for their academic, athletic, and extracurricular achievements through an online platform called Merit. Sign up to receive notifications of your student’s achievements here.

  • Student education records are considered confidential and cannot be released without the written consent of a student.
  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 - commonly known as FERPA, the Privacy Act, or the Buckley Amendment - is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings.

 

Student Employment and Career Development

  • All students are assigned a dedicated career advisor based on their major.
  • Undergraduate students can find their career advisor in Navigate under "Your Success Team" or on the Career Services website.
  • To set up an appointment, select “Schedule an Appointment” within Navigate and choose Career Services as the Care Unit.
  • We encourage students to meet with their career advisor as early as freshman year. Students should view Career Services as a resource throughout their college career and beyond.
  • Yes! Our career advisors can assist students in exploring the majors available to them at UW-Whitewater.
  • Students can also connect with their advisor either in the Academic Advising Exploration Center or their Academic College.
  • Our career advisors can assist students in developing strategies and utilizing resources like Handshake, UW-Whitewater’s online job board.
  • Students can check with their major’s professors for additional opportunities, as many departments work with businesses/organizations regarding internships.
  • Most on-campus job opportunities are posted on Handshake.
  • Students receive an email giving them access to Handshake within 1-2 business days of attending SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration).
  • Check out tips and tricks for using Handshake here.

Financial Support

  • Your student can find more information about how to fill out the FAFSA here.
  • The FAFSA is available October 1st every year at this website. If you wish to be considered for aid, you need to fill this out every year.

  • The HawkCard is the name of the UW-Whitewater identification card.
  • Checks can be mailed to the HawkCard Office (190 Hamilton Green Way, UC 250 Whitewater, Wisconsin 53190). Make checks payable to: UW-Whitewater and in the memo line put, "Purple Points, *student's 7-digit ID number*
  • You can use a Credit/Debit Card with the guest deposit feature.
  • Scholarships are available through UW-Whitewater starting December 1st of every year.
  • Current students can find scholarship information in their WINS account.
  • New freshmen admitted to UW-Whitewater by Jan. 1 of their senior year are automatically considered for academic scholarships based on merit.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form? The FAFSA is available October 1st of every year https://www.uww.edu/financialaid

  • The IRS Form 1098-T will be available at the end of January in WINS.
  • Students can set up their family members as authorized payers to receive e-bills and have access to make payments here.

Health, Wellness, and Counseling Services

  • All students currently enrolled in UW-Whitewater classes are eligible for services at UHCS.
  • Check out all of the services here.
  • Students can call (262) 472-1305 or stop on the second floor of the Ambrose Health Center between 8am and 4:30pm, Monday – Friday for counseling services.
  • For urgent concerns, a counselor is available without appointment for crisis intervention when the Ambrose Health Center is open.
  • Check out Emergency/Urgent Care resources  here.
  • The Office of Recreation Sports & Facilities provides facilities, programs, and services that address all physical, recreational, and leisure pursuits of the University communities.
  • Warhawk Fitness memberships include access to the Williams Center Weight Room, University Fitness (located in the basement of Wells Hall), and all Group Fitness and Cycling classes.
  • Warhawk Fitness memberships include access to the Williams Center Weight Room, University Fitness (located in the basement of Wells Hall), and all Group Fitness and Cycling classes. UW-Whitewater Students Fitness access is included in student fees, to have the membership added to your HawkCard, head over to the membership page to claim your membership. Memberships are available to purchase for UW-Whitewater faculty/staff, as well as community members.

Campus Life

  • Find a club, sport, or other organization to participate in! You can view the many organizations we have on campus, their meeting times, contact information, and more on UWW Connect.
  • Students are also encouraged to attend the Involvement Fairs that are held once a semester. These fairs give students the opportunity to meet many clubs and organizations in person.
  • The University Center (UC) offers many free entertainment events throughout the year. You can view our many free events here.
  • Encourage your student to visit Student Activities & Involvement in the UC!
  • Student organizations are great for making new friends, meeting people, and making connections on campus!  Many organizations are also great opportunities to further your professional development, try new interests, and learn outside of the classroom.
  • Make time to attend some free events at the University Center (UC)! We offer many fun opportunities for students to relax, have fun, and meet new people.  Our upcoming events can be found here
  • Encourage your student to view the many organizations we have on campus, their meeting times, contact information, and more on UWW Connect.
  • Reassure your student that it is okay to ask for help, ranging from their academic advisor, instructor, resident assistant, to a fellow classmate.

Transportation, Parking Services and Campus Safety

Aside from a personal vehicle, there are many options for transportation that are available to students.  Some options include: Uber, Lyft, Brown Cab Services, Whitewater Shared-Ride Taxi, Warhawk Shuttle, Wisconsin Coach Lines, or Van Galder.  Use this link to find out more information about all of these options.

To access the FAQ page for Parking Services, use this link.

  • Usually in August, students will be able to purchase a parking permit. Permits are sold on a first come, first serve basis and can be found on the parking portal
  • Common parking FAQ’s can be found here.
  • Download InformaCast to receive real-time updates.
  • Family members can get emergency information or sign up for text alerts here.

UW-Whitewater uses a system called InformaCast.  Informacast is a connection to real-time updates, instructions on where to go, what not to do, who to contact and other information.  Instructions for signing up for campus safety alerts can be found here

The UW-Whitewater campus police page can be found here for additional information and resources.

Dining and Housing Services

  • Start the search for all dining information here.
  • Menus and hours of operation can be found here.
  • Various helpful guides are provided by the Dining Services team.
  • Based on the Board of Regents' Residency Requirement, freshman and sophomores are required to reside in university-operated residence halls.
  • Exceptions are: Married students, veterans, students commuting from the home of a parent or legal guardian (40 miles), students age 21 by the first day of the fall semester, and those having applied for and received exemption through University Housing.
  • Housing contracts for new students become available in early October.
  • We recommend students submit their housing contract and deposit as soon as possible.
  • Check out common University Housing FAQ’s here.
  • Mutual requests for specific individuals are honored when possible.
  • Roommates are assigned on the basis of information supplied by the student in their profile on the contract.
  • Residence halls are locked 24 hours a day and students are issued a key to gain access.
  • There is always a staff member on duty to uphold policies and procedures. For a comprehensive list, please visit Policies & Procedures.
  • Campus is staffed 24 hours a day by a sworn and armed police force.
  • Generally, this will require a meeting with the Complex Director to discuss the reason(s) for the request and to discuss the options available to the student.
  • Each residence hall is a bit different, but here’s a look at what’s included with most on-campus housing:
  • Fully furnished rooms
  • Laundry included in housing fee
  • Cable TV with 100+ channels (including streaming service)
  • Internet 100% Wi-Fi coverage in the Residence Halls, wired connections available as well.
  • Lounges, common areas, study areas, and computer labs
  • Programming, events, and activities for students
  • TVs, pool tables, and other games
  • Different living options including substance-free, wellness and quiet floors, and gender-inclusive options.
  • Vending machines

There is always a staff member on duty to uphold policies and procedures. For a comprehensive list, please visit Policies & Procedures (uww.edu)

  • When you are sending a package or envelope via USPS to your campus address please use the following format:
    Student first & last name
    Room Number, Residence Hall
    Residence Hall Street Address
    Whitewater, WI 53190
  • All Amazon packages, and any other package that is not sent via USPS should be addressed as follows:
    Student first & last name
    Goodhue Hall
    790 W. Starin Rd
    Whitewater, WI 53190
  • In partnership with the PB Poorman Pride Center on campus, the rainbow floor provides an inclusive residential community for students within the LGBTQ+ community.
  • The rainbow floor celebrates people of diverse genders and sexualities and strives to create a community-driven learning experience for students living on this floor.
  • Check out the living options here.

Staying Connected

  • UWW has a robust wireless network, so an ethernet connection is not required.
  • Students living on-campus, need to activate your cable ports by following these steps.
  • Students can register their wireless games and media systems here.

For information on cable television and the internet can be found here.

Specific questions about devices and access to devices students can visit this site.

  • Students can learn more about connecting game systems here
  • Students can learn how to connect your roku stick click here
  • For students living in University Housing, please call ResNet for support at (262) 472-3233 or visit Goodhue Room 19.
  • Students not living in housing, can email, call, or visit the IT Services Help Desk or call (262) 472-4357.
  • Yes, the app is called Navigate. It has many functions and uses that will help your students get connected to services at UW-Whitewater.

Yes! Please visit this webpage for information on mobile apps.

  • Purchasing a computer isn't required since students can use computer labs, borrow laptops from the library, and have free access to software. For those making purchases, here is a list of recommendations from our Information Technology Services (ITS) team. 
  • Students can also purchase discounted hardware and software through the 4U program
  • Students can print university-related materials in dozens of computer labs across the campus, here is link to locations of printers and directions to set up printing.  All black and white printing is free.  

Location

First Year Experience Office
UC 245
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
800 W. Main Street
Whitewater, WI 53190

Contact Us

Phone: (262) 472-3205
Email: fye@uww.edu