<PAGE>

     AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MARCH 14, 2000
                         REGISTRATION NO. 333-_________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  NORSTAN, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                                    MINNESOTA
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

                                   41-0835746
                        (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                               5101 SHADY OAK ROAD
                              MINNETONKA, MN 55343
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

               2000 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN OF NORSTAN, INC.
                              (Full title of Plan)

                                  RICHARD COHEN
                                  NORSTAN, INC.
                               5101 SHADY OAK ROAD
                              MINNETONKA, MN 55343
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (612) 352-4000
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service

                                   Copies to:

                                PHILIP J. TILTON
                       MASLON EDELMAN BORMAN & BRAND, LLP
                               3300 NORWEST CENTER
                           MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-4140
                                 (612) 672-8200

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
===============================================================================================================================
  TITLE OF SECURITIES TO BE     PROPOSED MAXIMUM AMOUNT       PROPOSED MAXIMUM      AMOUNT OF AGGREGATE     REGISTRATION FEE
         REGISTERED              TO BE REGISTERED (1)        OFFERING PRICE PER      OFFERING PRICE(1)
                                                                  SHARE(1)
------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
<S>                               <C>                         <C>                    <C>                     <C>
common stock ($0.10 per             400,000 shares                 $7.25                  $2,900,000              $765.60
value per share)
============================== ========================== ========================= ===================== =====================
(1)  Estimated solely for purposes of computing the registration fee in
     accordance with Rule 457(h) and based upon the average of the high and low
     prices of the Common Stock on NASDAQ on March 10, 2000
</TABLE>


<PAGE>



                                     PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

     The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC") are incorporated herein by reference and made a part
hereof:

(1)   the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30,
      1999 filed with the SEC on July 28, 1999;

(2)   the Registrant's Schedule 14A, Notice of the 1999 Annual Meeting of
      Shareholders and Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on August 19, 1999;

(3)   the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended
      July 31, 1999 filed with the SEC on September 14, 1999;

(4)   the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended
      October 30, 1999 filed with the SEC on December 14, 1999; and

(5)   the description of the Registrant's common stock contained in its
      Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of the
      Exchange Act (and all amendments thereto and reports filed for the purpose
      of updating such description).

      All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to
be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.

     The Company is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 302A. Minnesota
Statutes Section 302A.521 provides that a corporation shall indemnify any person
made or threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the former
or present official capacity of such person against judgments, penalties, fines,
including, without limitation, excise taxes assessed against such person with
respect to an employee benefit plan, settlements, and reasonable expenses,
including attorneys' fees and disbursements, incurred by such person in
connection with the proceedings, if, with respect to the acts or omissions of
such person complained of in the proceeding, such person has not been
indemnified by another organization or employee benefit plan for the same
expenses with respect to the same acts or omissions; acted in good faith;
received no improper personal benefit and Section 302A.255, if applicable, has
been satisfied; in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe the conduct was unlawful; and in the case of acts or omissions by
persons in their official capacity for the corporation, reasonably believed that
the conduct was in the best interests of


                                       2

<PAGE>

the corporation, or in the case of acts or omissions by persons in their
capacity for other organizations, reasonably believed that the conduct was not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

      4(a). Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company as Amended
            (incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit 3(a) to the
            Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30,
            1996);

      4(b). Bylaws of the Company (incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit
            3(b) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
            ended April 30, 1998);

      5.    Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP;

      23(a). Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP;

      23(b). Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP (contained in Exhibit
            5); and

      24(a). Power of Attorney (included on signature page).

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

      The undersigned Registrant Hereby undertakes:

      (1)   To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
            a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

            (i)   To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
                  Securities Act of 1933;

            (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
                  the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
                  recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
                  or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                  information set forth in the registration statement.
                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in
                  volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of
                  securities offered would not exceed that which was registered)
                  and any deviation from the low or high and of the estimated
                  maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of
                  prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
                  if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price
                  represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum
                  aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
                  Registration Fee" table in the effective registration
                  statement;


                                       3

<PAGE>

            (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan
                  of distribution no previously disclosed in the registration
                  statement or any material change to such information in the
                  registration statement;

      (2)   That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
            Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
            deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
            offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
            shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

      (3)   To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
            any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
            termination of the offering.

      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Security
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

      Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


                                       4
<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, as of March 9, 2000.

                                           NORSTAN, INC.



                                           By: /s/ Richard Cohen
                                               ---------------------------
                                               Richard Cohen
                                               Chief Financial Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      We, the undersigned officers and directors of Norstan, Inc. hereby
severally constitute Paul Baszucki and Richard Cohen and each of them singly,
our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them, and each of them singly,
to sign for us and in our names, in the capacities indicated below the
registration statement filed herewith and any amendments to said registration
statement, and generally to do all such things in our name and behalf in our
capacities as officers and directors to enable Norstan, Inc. to comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, and all requirements of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said
registration statement and any and all amendments thereto.

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below as of March 9, 2000 by the
following persons in the capacities and as of the date indicated.

NAME                               TITLE

/s/ Paul Baszucki                  Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of
-----------------------            the Board of Directors (Principal Executive
Paul Baszucki                      Officer)

/s/ Richard Cohen                  Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial
-----------------------            Officer)
Richard Cohen

/s/ Gerald D. Pint                 Director
-----------------------
Gerald D. Pint


                                       5
<PAGE>

/s/ Jagdish N. Sheth               Director
-----------------------
Jagdish N. Sheth

                                   Director
-----------------------
Constance M. Levi

                                   Director
-----------------------
Herbert F. Trader


                                       6
<PAGE>


                                    EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT NUMBER                    DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT

      5.                          Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP

      23(a).                      Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

      23(b).                      Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand,
                                  LLP (contained in Exhibit 5)

      24.                         Power of Attorney (included on signature page)


                                       7
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 14405}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "NORSTAN INC", "cik": "0000072418", "assigned-sic": "7385", "irs-number": "410835746", "state-of-incorporation": "MN", "fiscal-year-end": "0430"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-32394", "film-number": "568758"}, "business-address": {"street1": "605 N HIGHWAY 169", "street2": "12TH FL", "city": "PLYMOUTH", "state": "MN", "zip": "55441", "phone": "6124201100"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "NORSTAN INC", "street2": "6900 WEDGEWOOD ROAD", "city": "MAPLE GROVE", "state": "MN", "zip": "55311"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "NORSTAN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CO", "date-changed": "19770926"}, {"former-conformed-name": "NORSTAN MANUFACTURING CO INC", "date-changed": "19750918"}]}
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MARCH 14, 2000
                         REGISTRATION NO. 333-_________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  NORSTAN, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                                    MINNESOTA
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

                                   41-0835746
                        (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                               5101 SHADY OAK ROAD
                              MINNETONKA, MN 55343
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

               2000 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN OF NORSTAN, INC.
                              (Full title of Plan)

                                  RICHARD COHEN
                                  NORSTAN, INC.
                               5101 SHADY OAK ROAD
                              MINNETONKA, MN 55343
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (612) 352-4000
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service

                                   Copies to:

                                PHILIP J. TILTON
                       MASLON EDELMAN BORMAN & BRAND, LLP
                               3300 NORWEST CENTER
                           MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-4140
                                 (612) 672-8200

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
===============================================================================================================================
  TITLE OF SECURITIES TO BE     PROPOSED MAXIMUM AMOUNT       PROPOSED MAXIMUM      AMOUNT OF AGGREGATE     REGISTRATION FEE
         REGISTERED              TO BE REGISTERED (1)        OFFERING PRICE PER      OFFERING PRICE(1)
                                                                  SHARE(1)
------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
common stock ($0.10 per             400,000 shares                 $7.25                  $2,900,000              $765.60
value per share)
============================== ========================== ========================= ===================== =====================
(1)  Estimated solely for purposes of computing the registration fee in
     accordance with Rule 457(h) and based upon the average of the high and low
     prices of the Common Stock on NASDAQ on March 10, 2000
PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

     The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC") are incorporated herein by reference and made a part
hereof:

(1)   the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30,
      1999 filed with the SEC on July 28, 1999;

(2)   the Registrant's Schedule 14A, Notice of the 1999 Annual Meeting of
      Shareholders and Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on August 19, 1999;

(3)   the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended
      July 31, 1999 filed with the SEC on September 14, 1999;

(4)   the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended
      October 30, 1999 filed with the SEC on December 14, 1999; and

(5)   the description of the Registrant's common stock contained in its
      Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of the
      Exchange Act (and all amendments thereto and reports filed for the purpose
      of updating such description).

      All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to
be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.

     The Company is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 302A. Minnesota
Statutes Section 302A.521 provides that a corporation shall indemnify any person
made or threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the former
or present official capacity of such person against judgments, penalties, fines,
including, without limitation, excise taxes assessed against such person with
respect to an employee benefit plan, settlements, and reasonable expenses,
including attorneys' fees and disbursements, incurred by such person in
connection with the proceedings, if, with respect to the acts or omissions of
such person complained of in the proceeding, such person has not been
indemnified by another organization or employee benefit plan for the same
expenses with respect to the same acts or omissions; acted in good faith;
received no improper personal benefit and Section 302A.255, if applicable, has
been satisfied; in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe the conduct was unlawful; and in the case of acts or omissions by
persons in their official capacity for the corporation, reasonably believed that
the conduct was in the best interests of

                                       2
the corporation, or in the case of acts or omissions by persons in their
capacity for other organizations, reasonably believed that the conduct was not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

      4(a). Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company as Amended
            (incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit 3(a) to the
            Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30,
            1996);

      4(b). Bylaws of the Company (incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit
            3(b) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
            ended April 30, 1998);

      5.    Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP;

      23(a). Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP;

      23(b). Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP (contained in Exhibit
            5); and

      24(a). Power of Attorney (included on signature page).

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

      The undersigned Registrant Hereby undertakes:

      (1)   To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
            a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

            (i)   To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
                  Securities Act of 1933;

            (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
                  the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
                  recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
                  or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                  information set forth in the registration statement.
                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in
                  volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of
                  securities offered would not exceed that which was registered)
                  and any deviation from the low or high and of the estimated
                  maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of
                  prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
                  if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price
                  represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum
                  aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
                  Registration Fee" table in the effective registration
                  statement;

                                       3
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan
                  of distribution no previously disclosed in the registration
                  statement or any material change to such information in the
                  registration statement;

      (2)   That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
            Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
            deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
            offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
            shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

      (3)   To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
            any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
            termination of the offering.

      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Security
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

      Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       4
SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, as of March 9, 2000.

                                           NORSTAN, INC.

                                           By: /s/ Richard Cohen
                                               ---------------------------
                                               Richard Cohen
                                               Chief Financial Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      We, the undersigned officers and directors of Norstan, Inc. hereby
severally constitute Paul Baszucki and Richard Cohen and each of them singly,
our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them, and each of them singly,
to sign for us and in our names, in the capacities indicated below the
registration statement filed herewith and any amendments to said registration
statement, and generally to do all such things in our name and behalf in our
capacities as officers and directors to enable Norstan, Inc. to comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, and all requirements of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said
registration statement and any and all amendments thereto.

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below as of March 9, 2000 by the
following persons in the capacities and as of the date indicated.

NAME                               TITLE

/s/ Paul Baszucki                  Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of
-----------------------            the Board of Directors (Principal Executive
Paul Baszucki                      Officer)

/s/ Richard Cohen                  Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial
-----------------------            Officer)
Richard Cohen

/s/ Gerald D. Pint                 Director
-----------------------
Gerald D. Pint

                                       5
/s/ Jagdish N. Sheth               Director
-----------------------
Jagdish N. Sheth

                                   Director
-----------------------
Constance M. Levi

                                   Director
-----------------------
Herbert F. Trader

                                       6
EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT NUMBER                    DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT

      5.                          Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP

      23(a).                      Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

      23(b).                      Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand,
                                  LLP (contained in Exhibit 5)

      24.                         Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

                                       7