Wittenberg University

Wittenberg University
Motto	Having Light, We Pass It On To Others
Established	1845
Type	Private
Religious affiliation	Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Endowment	$83 million (03/28/09)[1],[2]
President	Mark H. Erickson
Provost	Kenneth W. Bladh
Faculty	196 full-time[3]
Students	2,200
Undergraduates	2,066
Postgraduates	20
Location	Springfield, Ohio, USA
Campus	Small city, 114 acres (0.46 km2)
Colors	Red and White
Mascot	Tiger
Athletics	23 varsity teams, NCAA Division III, Member North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
Website	http://www.wittenberg.edu/

Wittenberg University, located in Springfield, Ohio, United States is a private, four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college serves 2,100 full-time students (45% male, 55% female), representing 40 states and approximately 36 foreign countries.^[4] The university represents a racial mix of 78.5% White, non-Hispanic, 5% African-American and 1% Hispanic; the remainder are unclassified. The University is best known for its business and biology departments and its athletic endeavors. Wittenberg is also distinguished by its strong interdisciplinary programs such as East Asian Studies and Russian Area Studies.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Founding 1.2 Hamma Divinity School 1.3 School for Community Education 1.4 Presidents of Wittenberg 2 About Wittenberg 2.1 Academics 2.1.1 Departments and programs 2.2 Academic buildings 2.2.1 Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center 2.2.2 Blair Hall 2.2.3 Synod Hall 2.2.4 Hollenbeck Hall 2.2.5 Koch Hall 2.2.6 Krieg Hall 2.2.7 Weaver Chapel 2.2.8 Weaver Observatory 2.3 Ranking 2.4 Athletics 2.5 Student body 2.5.1 Center for Civic and Urban Engagement 2.5.2 The East Asian Institute for International Studies 2.5.3 GLBT & Ally Center For Diversity 2.5.4 Springfield Peace Center 2.5.5 Wittenberg radio station 2.5.6 Wittenberg University Womyn's Center 2.6 Residence life 2.7 Greek life 3 Recent Commencement speakers 4 Notable alumni 5 References 6 External links

History

Founding

Wittenberg college was founded in 1845 by a group of pastors in the English Synod of the Lutheran Church. Its main focus was to train clergy. Reverend Ezra Keller was the principal founder and first president. One of its mission was to "Americanize" Lutherans by teaching courses in English instead of German, unlike Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. The first class originally consisted of eight students at the beginning of the academic year, but grew to seventy-one by the end. With a faculty of one professor and two tutors, classes were held in Springfield, Ohio in a church on land that was donated. This area was selected due to being located on the National Road, which made Springfield an agricultural and industrial center. In 1874, women were admitted, and, the following year, blacks were also admitted. The name came from Wittenberg University, located in Wittenberg, Germany, the town where Martin Luther posted his 95 theses.^[5]

Hamma Divinity School

In 1978, Wittenberg’s Theological Seminary, successively known as Hamma Divinity School and Hamma School of Theology, merged with the Joint Synod controlled Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. This represented a one hundred and eighty degree reversal from the original founders’ desire to separate from the German synod and to emphasize use of the English language in teaching. The reunited schools became Trinity Lutheran Seminary as it is known today. It is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It became independent, administratively but not geographically, from Capital University in 1959. The seminary cooperates with the Methodist Seminary in Delaware and the Pontifical Josephinum in Columbus by sharing faculty and student courses.

Rev. Luther Alexander Gotwald, D.D. (1833 - 1900), Professor of Theology in the Hamma Divinity School was famously tried for and unanimously acquitted of heresy by the Board of Directors at Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio on April 4 and April 5, 1893, which put on trial many key issues that Lutherans still debate today. Wittenberg attained a national perspective and found a place in the mainstream of American higher education.^[6]

School for Community Education

The school is a connection to Wittenberg for adults and other non-traditional students engaging in both credited and non-credited learning activities. Although Wittenberg began to offer evening courses for adults in the 1920s, it was not until 1951 that the institution established a formal administrative entity, SCE (not formally a School until 1957), to meet the specific needs of adults and other non-traditional students. Since that time, Wittenberg has undergone an evolution from an institution of local and regional character to that of a selective liberal arts institution attracting students from over 40 states plus overseas. Not surprisingly, during these years of evolution, questions arose concerning the type of commitment to community and continuing education activities appropriate to such an institution. A result has been the approval in 1986 of a formal Mission Statement for SCE, the first in its history. The School for Community Education has programs in Professional Studies for Adults: credit studies, including the Evening/Weekend program and the facilitation of adult enrollment in Day courses. The Center for Musical Development (CMD), Non-Credit activities for adults and children, including summer residential academic programs and conferences, Summer Session (the schedule of Summer credit courses for the entire University) and High School Scholars—Wittenberg’s program for Ohio Post-Secondary Enrollment Options students.^[7]

Presidents of Wittenberg

• Ezra Keller (1844-1848)
• Samuel Sprecher (1849-1874)
• John B. Helwig (1874-1882)
• Samuel Alfred Ort (1882-1900)
• John M. Ruthrauff (1900-1902)
• Charles G. Heckert (1903-1920)
• Rees Edgar Tulloss (1920-1949)
• Charence Charles Stoughton (1949-1963)
• John Nissley Stauffer (1963-1968)
• G. Kenneth Andeen (1969-1974)
• William A. Kinnison (1974-1995)
• Baird Tipson (1995-2004)
• William H. Steinbrink (Interim President)
• Mark H. Erickson (2005-Present)

About Wittenberg

Academics

Wittenberg University was one of the first schools in the nation to offer a computation science minor, and has recently opened a Geek House — a high-tech building designed to allow students to improve the virtual features of Wittenberg's Web site, improve existing Web-enhanced classroom offerings and gives students high-tech equipment to create virtual environments to better communicate the complex science concepts they learn in the classroom.^[8]

Wittenberg offers more than 70 majors and special programs. Eight pre-professional programs are offered to students, 70 percent of whom eventually pursue graduate studies. The University made renovations to its science facilities with the opening of the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center in 2003. Krieg Hall is the home of the music department.^[9] Wittenberg's art department is housed in Koch Hall.^[10] The Thomas Library contains 367,000 volumes and provides access to OhioLINK,^[11] a consortium of Ohio college and university libraries as well as the State Library of Ohio. The Library has an AV section to check out movies, VHS tapes, dvd's and other electronic items. The library also houses the Kemper Special Collection Area. This is the area that contains the Luther-Reformation Collection with more than 400 items written by Martin Luther and his contemporaries between 1517 and 1580.^[12]

Departments and programs

Academic buildings

Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center

Kuss Science Center houses the departments of biology, chemistry, geology, physics, mathematics and computer science as well as cooperative programs in engineering, environmental studies, marine biology, nursing and occupational therapy with leading research universities. Within the center is the David L. Hobson Atrium. This connects the original 1966 building with its new 45,000-square-foot addition.

Located in the original 1966 building is the Geological Research and Teaching Center. The museum has a collection of more than 30,000 specimens. This museum enables students to do research on a variety of fossils, minerals, and other geological materials. The Center continues to grow from donations from alumni and friends. ^[13]

Located in Zimmerman Hall is where the Psychology classes and department is housed. Experiments are also conducted in this building.

Blair Hall

Blair hall is where the education department is housed for the university. Undergraduates and Graduate students take classes in this building if they are planning to pursue to become a teacher. The Springfield-Wittenberg Teacher Institute and Upward Bound are both housed in Blair. The hall has its own theater that is used by students for student theater productions. Currently the building is under renovations, and the education department will spend the year in the former Springfield City School administration office at 49 E. College Ave, which is now owned by Wittenberg University. ^[14] The theater building is called Chakers Theater. This theater is for the campus plays. The theater can seat up to 200 people. Chakers is also where students that are planning to major theater or dance take classes.

Synod Hall

This building is home to the Economics department, Upward Bound, and The Solution Center. As the renovations continue on Blair, the Upward Bound school offices have been re-located to Synod. The Upward Bound is a high school program for students in low-income areas of the city to receive a high level education from college professors while in high school.

Hollenbeck Hall

Hollenbeck Hall is Wittenberg's humanities building and houses the departments of Communication, English, religion, languages, East Asian studies, history, Journalism, philosophy, political science and women's studies as well as the international education/study abroad departments. It is also home to the Math Workshop, the Writing Center, and the Foreign Language Center.^[15]

Koch Hall

Koch hall is home to Wittenberg's Art department. The department offers courses in art history and studio art including ceramics, computer graphics and imaging, drawing, neon art, painting, photography, printmaking and silver jewelry. Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The Ann Miller Gallery and Thompson Galleries are housed in Koch Hall. This is where professionals, faculty and students display their artwork.^[16]

Krieg Hall

Kreig hall is where the Music Department is housed along with the Center for Musical Development and the John M. Chowning Laboratory for Music and Technology. The laboratory for music and technology offers six MIDI stations, each with a computer containing up-to-date software and a keyboard music synthesizer. Krieg hosts musical events each year and has had student and faculty recitals, and performances by local community members. Students can also participate in other musical activities from the Wittenberg Choir and the Handbell Choir to the Symphonic Band and Jazz Band and many others.^[17]

Weaver Chapel

Weaver Chapel, Wittenberg's and one of Ohio's historical buildings, has stained glass windows that have been featured in National Geographic. The chapel stands at 212 feet and have statues that represent Gottfried Leibnitz, John Milton, Johann Sebastian Bach, St. Augustine, Martin Luther and St. Paul of Tarsus. There is also a statue symbolizing Wittenberg being a Lutheran university. ^[18] Recitation Hall is where the admissions, financial aid, the president's office, provost's, academic services, registrar, student accounts, student employment, university communications (Wittenberg's Media office for Wittenberg Magazine, Press office, New Media, Sports Media, and Publications office), human resources, business office and other administrative offices for the university are housed. Recitation hall also has its own chapel. This was the second building constructed on campus. In 1883 this building was where classes were held. There is a second building behind Recitation hall which has the university police/security headquarters, the campus switchboard and the transportation office. ^[19]

Weaver Observatory

Waaver Observatory houses Wittenberg's historic 10-inch refracting telescope as well as modern astronomical instrumentation. The telescope is regularly used by students in the astronomy classes and provides students an opportunity to see spectacular views of the moon, the planets, and stars. More than 2,000 people came to the Observatory to see the planet mars close proximity to Earth in 2003. ^[20]

Ranking

In 2009, US News & World Report ranked Wittenberg the 118th best Liberal Arts college in the US. This lower rank from previous years was addressed in the student run newspaper, "The Torch," on 11/9/06. ^[21] The University continues to rank in the top 150 liberal art colleges in the US. According to Princeton Review, Wittenberg University is ranked 7th in most to do on a college campus. Princeton Review went on to rank Wittenberg as the 17th most beautiful college campus. In addition it hit the top 20 list of "Professors Get High Marks" and "Everybody Plays Intramural Sports."^[22]

Athletics

Wittenberg offers 23 varsity programs to its students, 11 for men and 12 for women, and numerous club and intramural opportunities. In the fall, varsity teams are fielded in men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. Winter sports are men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's basketball and men's and women's indoor track and field. The spring season features men's and women's golf, men's and women's outdoor track and field, men's and women's tennis, softball, baseball and men's and women's lacrosse.

Annually, Wittenberg places among the top four in the North Coast Athletic Conference All-Sports standings, powered by the volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, field hockey and football programs, all of which have the most championships in conference history. In addition, dozens of student-athletes are named to All-NCAC teams each year and Wittenberg coaches regularly garner with various Coach of the Year honors.

In 2008-09, Wittenberg placed first in the North Coast Athletic Conference All-Sports standings as teams won one championship and claimed five additional top-five finishes in the seven fall sports to take the lead.^[23]

Wittenberg has finished in the top 25 percent in the NACDA Directors' Cup standings in 11 of its 12 years of existence, with a high of 20th out of more than 430 NCAA Division III schools in 2002-03. At least three Tiger teams have earned national finishes in each of the those 12 years.

The Wittenberg Rugby team has played very well in recent years. ^[24]

The Health Physical Education and Recreation Center houses athletic facilities for students that include a 25-yard by 25-meter swimming pool, six racquetball courts, three full-length basketball courts and volleyball courts. The Bob Rosencrans Fitness Center is also located in the Health Physical Education and Recreation Center. Classes for Wittenberg's Sports and Medicine department is located in The Old Field House. On the west side, contains the Gymnasium, classrooms, offices and visiting team locker rooms. Also located in The Old Field House is the he Heizman Strength Center. Edwards-Maurer Field and the Earl F. Morris Track is the football stadium. The University has Bill Edwards Field which is located two blocks west of campus on the corner of McCreight Avenue and Plum Street. The rugby team plays there. The Betty Dillahunt Field, where the softball team plays is also located there. The Bill Edwards Field also used for practice fields for the lacrosse and soccer teams. The Excel Sports Medicine Center located in the Heath Physical Education and Recreation Center.^[25]

Student body

The campus body is made up of 2,100 undergraduate students, 20 master's students and 195 full-time faculty members. Students come from more than 37 states and over 23 foreign countries. Wittenberg boosts over 150 student organizations, some of which are:

Anime Club, Body Beautiful Club, Chemistry Club, Chinese Dragon Dance Team, Cigar Club, Colleges Against Cancer/Relay for Life, College Democrats, College Republicans, Comic Book Club, East Asian Studies Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, New York Times Discussion Group, Outdoor Club, Pep Band, POWER (Parliament of the Wittenberg Environmental Revolution), Pre-Health Club, Society of Physics Students, Student Global AIDS Campaign, Student Senate, Swing Dance Club, Union Board, University Communications, Wittenberg Art League, Wittenberg Rugby, Wittenberg Student Dance Company (WSDC), WUSO radio station, Student newspaper The Torch, and Younglife.^[26]

Center for Civic and Urban Engagement

On September 24, 2008, Wittenberg opened the Center for Civic and Urban Engagement. Its purpose is to help coordinate community service projects. Warren Copeland, Springfield mayor and the university's professor of religion and director of the urban studies, is the faculty director.^[27]

The East Asian Institute for International Studies

The East Asian Institute for International Studies at Wittenberg University manages an internship program, provides export development services, and organizes programs and events focusing on international business and East Asia. The Institute supports and cooperates with Ohio’s export development network.^[28]

GLBT & Ally Center For Diversity

This is the center on the north side of the campus which helps promote diversity and acceptance to the community of gay, lesbian, transgenders, or other groups. The group tries to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for the GLBT students, as well as all students on campus and to promote an understanding and education about the many issues that relate to GLBT students at Wittenberg University. The center has its own library which features books, movies and magazines. The center is also a place to hang out or use the space as a quiet space. They are located at 641 Faculty Court, W. Ward St. Springfield, OH 45503.

Springfield Peace Center

This center is located on Wittenberg University's campus and is a non-profit organization. Its goal is educating for peace and teaching alternatives to violence. They hold classes for adults and youth students and hold camps throughout the year. They do ask for donations to help fund the programs.^[29]

Wittenberg radio station

The University has its own student run 24 hour radio station on 89.1FM.^[30] 89.1 WUSO, has started simulcasting the Dayton classical station WDPR Monday through Friday mornings from 6am until 10am. The station broadcasts news, politics, sports, food, music shows. The Tiger Sports Network broadcasts the sports programming. ^[31] Their studios are located in the basement of Firestine Hall on Woodlawn Ave. The radio station broadcasts throughout the Springfield area. The radio station went through an upgrade on their website to allow audio streaming.

Wittenberg University Womyn's Center

The Womyn's Center is an integral part of the university's liberal arts mission and functions to ensure moral responsibility and value development by focusing on the issues, needs and concerns affecting women students, faculty and staff.

Residence life

Wittenberg has 7 residence halls on campus. The Residence Halls are, Tower Hall, Myers Hall, Firestine Hall, Ferncliff Hall, Woodlawn Hall, New Residence Hall and Polis House. The oldest residence hall is Myers Hall. This was the first campus building when the university opened. Myers Hall is now a National Historic Site for its history. The newest residence hall is called New Residence Hall, which opened in 2006. The Polis House is the international residence hall on campus. International students, International Studies students, or language majors may choose to live in this residence. Students who are at junior or senior standing have the option to live in the university-provided on-campus apartments or off campus in apartments or rental houses. ^[32] In 2005 Wittenberg University opened Post 95, which contains four different food stations which are 155 grill, Pete's Arena, Rappz and Jazzman's cafe. In Fall 2009, the university opened up a new restaurant called "Founder's" ^[33] The Residence Life office is responsible for the Central Dining Room (CDR), located on the second floor of the Student Center. The Student Center has the University's Barnes and Noble. The Shovlin Center has a student and wellness clinic. The clinic staff consists of one physician, four registered nurses, and one office assistant. During the beginning of the spring semester in 2009, the Games Room called Döppelgangers, located on the lower level of the Student Center, was renovated containing skee-ball, photo-hunt, pool tables, air hockey, video games, and 4 huge tv's to watch movies or the big game.^[34] Located in the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center is Cafe al la Carte. This is a small cafe and students may do a meal swap.

Greek life

Wittenberg also has an active Greek Life on campus.

Fraternities include:

• Alpha Phi Alpha,
• Beta Theta Pi,
• Delta Tau Delta,
• Lambda Chi Alpha,
• Phi Gamma Delta,
• Phi Kappa Psi.

Sororities include:

• Alpha Delta Pi,
• Delta Sigma Theta
• Delta Gamma,
• Gamma Phi Beta,
• Kappa Delta,
• Sigma Kappa.

Wittenberg is also known for its secret societies. One of the most famous secret societies is The Shifters. They are easily identified by the paper clips worn on their clothing, usually around the collar of their shirts.^[35][36]

Recent Commencement speakers

• Helen Thomas - 154th Commencement speaker (1999)
• Fred Mitchell '69 - 155th Commencement speaker (2000)
• John E. McLaughlin '64 - 156th Commencement speaker (2001)
• Bill Press - 157th Commencement speaker (2002)
• Judith Viorst - 158th Commencement speaker (2003)
• Caroll Spinney - 159th Commencement speaker (2004)
• Lois Raimondo '81 - 160th Commencement speaker (2005)
• Mark Mathabane - 161th Year Commencement speaker (2006)
• Juan Williams - 162th Year Commencement speaker (2007)
• Dave Hobson - 163rd Year Commencement speaker (2008)
• Richard Stengel - 164th Year Commencement speaker (2009)

Notable alumni

• Steve Abbott, actor
• Sherwood Anderson, writer
• Jennette Bradley, former Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and Ohio State Treasurer
• John Chowning, American musician, inventor and professor
• Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders NFL franchise
• Lloyd C. Douglas, minister and author.
• Sandy Dukat, an American athlete
• Isaac Kaufmann Funk, editor, lexicographer, publisher; founder of Funk & Wagnalls Company publishing firm
• Benjamin Thurman Hacker (1935-2003), U.S. Navy Officer, first Naval Flight Officer to achieve flag rank
• Chris Hackett, CEO of OneSource Staffing Solutions Inc. Candidate for the Republican nomination in the 10th Congressional District.^[37]
• Elwood V. Jensen, scientist
• David Ward King, inventor of the King Road Drag
• Ron Lancaster, Famed CFL quarterback
• Douglas E. Lumpkin, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
• Robert J. Marshall, President of the Lutheran Church of America.^[38]
• William C. Martin, University of Michigan Athletic Director, 2000-present; founder of First Martin Corp.
• John E. McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, senior fellow at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and Brookings Institution,
• Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune sportswriter (Fred Mitchell Outstanding Kicker Award www.fredmitchellaward.com)
• John Pelander, Justice on the Arizona Supreme Court, 2009-present.
• Jere Ratcliffe, Chief Scout Executive of Boy Scouts of America, from 1993 to 2000.
• Hugh M. Raup, American botanist and ecologist
• Robert Bruce Raup, philosopher and writer
• James Rebhorn, actor
• B. V. Subbamma, Theologian from India
• Harry Aubrey Toulmin, Sr., American lawyer who wrote the "flying machine" patent application that resulted in the patent granted to the Wright Brothers in 1906
• Adam Willis Wagnalls, Funk & Wagnalls Company co-founder
• Walter L. Weaver, U.S. Representative from Ohio

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wittenberg University

• Official website
• Official Athletics website

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