About Us - The Director's Welcome Letter

Dear International Students,
I am delighted to welcome all of our new students to the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I am happy to report that this year over 1,100 new international students have joined the international student community at UW-Madison. All of the International Student Services staff is glad that you have chosen to study at this university. We wish you much success as you fulfill your academic goals and as you learn more about yourself and your place in the world.

UW-Madison graduates become extraordinary citizens, community members and national and global leaders. More leaders of major corporations have graduated from UW-Madison than any other university in the country. We are among the top producers of faculty members who teach at research intensive institutions around the world. Something about the UW-Madison experience prepares our students to become outstanding leaders who are engaged locally, nationally and globally. That "something"is the Wisconsin Experience. Grounded in the 100-year old Wisconsin Idea and our progressive history, our historical mission has evolved to create an expectation for all of us - faculty, staff, and students -to apply in and out of classroom learning in ways that have significant and positive impacts on the world.

You are now part of an internationally rich and diverse student body of approximately 4040 international students representing 114 countries. International Student Services (ISS) offers a wide variety of services to international students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The ISS staff provides information and programs to international students and work to foster international understanding on campus and in our community. In addition, ISS offers support and assistance regarding visas and other related immigration issues.

ISS staff will stay in contact with you throughout your studies via email to keep you informed information relating to your visa status or other matters that apply to you as international students. We will send you a bi-weekly electronic newsletter called Access ISS that will keep you informed about activities, jobs, immigration regulation updates, contests and much more. In addition to Access ISS, each Monday we will send you an email reminder about the programs that ISS sponsors that will take place during that week. We encourage you to read these announcements carefully since they contain important and useful information for you and your families.

In addition to your interactions in the classroom and laboratory, we encourage you to get involved in any of the numerous activities and organizations on campus. UW-Madison is home to the more than 750 student organizations that populate the campus. You can join clubs and organizations, participate in community service programs, and attend educational and cultural events. It's up to each of you to discover all that the campus has to offer. We are sure you'll like what you find and have a great time in the process!

We are so pleased that you are here, and on behalf of UW-Madison, my staff and I wish you the very best throughout the year. We look forward to meeting you in person and getting to know you better in the months ahead.

Best wishes and welcome to Madison!

Laurie Cox, Ed.D.
Director, International Student Services