The University of Wisconsin– Milwaukee’s annual Open House on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28-29, in the UWM Union, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., showcases the academic majors available in UWM’s 14 schools and colleges, and the career choices associated with them.
Open House hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. No advance registration is required. Check-in and registration take place on the ground level of the Union throughout the two days of Open House.
Participants can take part in hands-on displays, meet faculty, speak with advisers from each school and college, take tours of campus and individual buildings, and ride a trolley bus through the UWM neighborhood and along Lake Michigan.
Getting ready for college can sometimes be challenging for students who are the first in their families to consider a university. So, the Open House offers students and their families a chance to learn more about UWM’s commitment to assuring access to success.
Prospective students and their families can learn about student life, housing opportunities, the enrollment process and all-important financial aid and scholarships. Current UWM students and advisers will be on hand throughout the Open House.
The support services and organizations that provide networking and advice for new UWM students include: the First Year Center, African American Student Academic Services, Roberto Hernandez Center, American Indian Student Services and Southeast Asian Student Services. These booths will offer displays featuring student activities and successful alumni, as well as other exhibits.
Students can visit a table staffed by teaching assistants and faculty of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, where they’ll find information about studying both languages. The Portuguese minor, only offered in Milwaukee at UWM, has been growing rapidly.
The CLACS (Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies) booth will focus on sights and sounds of the tropical rainforests of Central America. Visitors can take “travel” photos of themselves in the forest, which will be posted on Facebook. Faculty will also be available to talk about the LACUSL (Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino Studies) major and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies certificate program.
Making a decision about college is complex, but the value of a college education makes it a wise investment. The typical student earning a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn about 66 percent more during a 40-year-working life than a high school graduate.
“The UWM Open House is our largest and most impressive outreach program of the year, and the only one of its kind in the State of Wisconsin,” says Janis L.P. Ford, executive director of the Department of Recruitment and Outreach. “It also is the recruitment program that has the most impact on a student’s decision to attend the university. There is no other program offered that allows college-bound students and their families the opportunity to explore UWM in such a comprehensive, interactive and fun way.”
“In any given year, more than half of all the students who attend the Open House and are eligible to enroll, ultimately make UWM their destination campus.”
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to www.openhouse.uwm.edu or call 414.229-2222.