About Us

The Office of Student Transition and Family Engagement (OSTFE) helps incoming students and their families adjust to life at UW–Madison, while educating faculty and staff on ways to connect with first-year students.

Our mission is to understand and improve a student’s first year at UW–Madison. We are the campus leader and primary resource on the subject of student transition to UW–Madison. OSTFE supports students in self-reflection and active learning inside and outside of the classroom as they create the foundation for their Wisconsin Experience. We facilitate this process through a long-term inclusive strategy of intentional programming, on-going services, communication, and collaboration with faculty and staff.

OSTFE is supported by the New Student Fee, which appears on the Tuition and Fees bill for undergraduates. In addition, we work closely with a number of departments, community groups, and businesses which provide sponsorship for aspects of our efforts.  If you would like to provide sponsorship, please contact us via email.