Starting in April 2018, the student role communication process changed from a paper letter to an activity guide with associated email notifications through PAWS.

Who, When, and How

Students are assigned the Student Role Activity Guide after being assigned the student role in PAWS, which takes place after matriculation and term activation.  

The process is setup to assign the activity guide before the UWM email is created so the associated email notification goes to the student's personal email address (exception are reentry or returning students who already have a UWM email).

Staff who have access to view Communications can view the notifications sent to students in PAWS at Campus Community > Communications > Communication Summary.  Search for a student to see all of the PAWS Communications sent.  Click the View link for the Letter Code of R07.

Text of Notification Email (upon assignment of activity guide):

Thank you for choosing the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee to pursue your educational goals.  Soon it will be time for you to enroll in classes on PAWS at uwm.edu/paws.  

Please login to your PAWS account now to review important information related to your UWM enrollment, including accessing your UWM email account, identifying your enrollment appointment time, and where to go for important dates and deadlines.   Click on the "Important Enrollment Information" link in your PAWS To Do List.  

You will need to have an ePanther ID account to access PAWS.  If you need to activate your ePanther ID, go to uwm.edu/epantherid and follow the onscreen instructions.  You will need your birth date and Campus ID (nine digit number on your admission letter) to complete the activation process.  If you do not know your Campus ID, please contact the UWM Help Desk at 414-229-4040 (local) or 877-381-3459 (toll-free), or email helpdesk@it.uwm.edu.

Once in PAWS, click on the "Important Enrollment Information" link in your To Do List section to review and acknowledge the information.

UWM Registrar's Office

Accessing the Student Role Activity Guide in PAWS

Students can access the activity guide via the To Do List in PAWS. The item will read "Important Enrollment Information," which students click on to view and complete. There is no hold associated with the Student Role Activity Guide but it will remain on their account until completed. Once completed, students receive a confirmation email with the same information included on the activity guide to retain as a copy.

Text of Activity Guide and Confirmation Email (upon completion of activity guide):

Thank you for choosing the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.  Soon it will be time for you to enroll in classes on PAWS at uwm.edu/paws.  Below are some tips to help you with class enrollment and prepare for the upcoming semester.

• Check your UWM email through Microsoft 365 and check it often.  
• Official notifications from UWM are only sent to your UWM-assigned email at outlook.office365.com.  Please be aware it may take 1-2 business days to create your UWM email account after you are initially activated as a student.
• Use your UWM email address (i.e., (yourEpantherID)@uwm.edu) and password to access.  
• Visit uwm.edu/o365 if you have connectivity questions after 1-2 business days.  
• We do NOT recommend forwarding your UWM email to another email provider (like Gmail or Yahoo) because those services may sometimes block institutional emails and you could miss important information.
• Review and clear any enrollment holds on your record.  A hold on your record prevents you from enrolling in classes.  
• All new students must complete the Credit Agreement that appears in the Finances section of your PAWS Student Center.  
• You might also have a hold if you are in an undergraduate program with mandatory academic advising, or if you have obligations to the University (e.g., overdue fees, fines, missing final transcript).  
• Information about your holds can be found by clicking on the "Details" link in the Holds section in the top right corner of your PAWS Student Center.
• Know when you can enroll in classes. All new students except New Freshmen are assigned an enrollment appointment.  
• This is not a meeting with your advisor!  Instead, your enrollment appointment is the earliest time you are eligible to enroll in classes via PAWS.  
• View your appointment time in PAWS by checking the "Enrollment Dates" section in the right section of your PAWS Student Center.  
• Fall semester enrollment appointments typically appear in mid-April and Spring semester enrollment appointments typically appear in mid-November.  
• If you don't have an enrollment appointment and you are not a New Freshman, contact the Registrar's Office at uwm.edu/ro/contact.  
• Connect with your academic advisor. Plan to meet with your advisor at least once per semester.  
• Good times to meet with your advisor include: prior to enrolling in classes, around mid-terms, and/or when academic questions or concerns arise.  
• Your advisor is listed in the right column of your PAWS Student Center.
• Visit uwm.edu/onestop for important deadlines and other information. Our One Stop website is full of information for students - check it out early and often!
• Keep updated contact information in PAWS. Please make sure that UWM has your current mailing address, phone number, and home email.  These items can be updated through your PAWS Student Center.