Two people sit in lawn chairs on a frozen lake. They make W's with their hands and put them in the air as the sun sets.

Our New Name

The Center for the First-Year Experience (CFYE) is now the Office of Student Transition and Family Engagement (STFE). 

This change will better reflect a full range of student transitions, as well as programs designed for the families of UW-Madison students throughout their first year and beyond. Our office will continue to host SOAR, Wisconsin Welcome, Transfer Transition Program, and Parent and Family Program.

For questions, please contact Carren Martin, Director of OSTFE, at carren.martin@wisc.edu.

Focus Areas

Orientation

Your first step to becoming a Badger is attending Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR). Once you move in, you'll start acclimating to campus through a suite of events known as Wisconsin Welcome.

A New Student Leader (NSL) leads a group of incoming students in a small-group discussion during SOAR.

Academic Engagement

The Academic Engagement area coordinates and supports first-year seminars; tutoring & learning support resources; and teaching resources and support for faculty, staff, TAs, and peer leaders who work with first-year students.

student talking to academic support rep

Transfer Transition Program

The Transfer Transition Program aims to understand and improve the transfer student experience at UW–Madison. We offer pre-transfer academic advising for prospective students and host social and educational programs at the Transfer Engagement Center.

Students gather for a picnic during a trip to Devil's Lake, hosted by the Transfer Transition Program.

Parent and Family Program

We recognize the role parents & families have in a studentʼs success. The Parent and Family Program keeps these folks connected to campus while serving as an ongoing resource throughout their studentʼs college career.

Connect with Us

Office Hours: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Phone: 608-263-0367
Emailnewstudent@studentaffairs.wisc.edu