Wittenberg is not a 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday through Friday school. Classes meet an average of only 15-20 hours a week. And even with eight hours of sleep every night, that still leaves 92 hours a week (or more than 13 hours a day) for eating, studying, doing laundry and getting involved in a lot of activities with your friends.
Of course each one of these organizations requires management and leadership. The number of organizations and the relatively small number of students in each result in virtually all students gaining leadership experience while at Wittenberg. These experiences translate into professional abilities such as the development of motivational, organizational, participatory and management skills.
And getting involved is what student life at Wittenberg is all about. Wittenberg is known nationwide for having one of the most active student bodies of any university in America.
Clubs
Wittenberg has more than 125 different clubs that provide a base for student involvement, and new organizations spring up regularly to meet the changing interests of our students.
Current groups include Voices, Caving Club, Hockey Club, WUSO radio station, East Asian Studies Club, Marketing Club, sports clubs, Pre-med and Pre-law associations, Weaver Chapel Association, Jewish Culture Club, Hispanic Culture Club, American International Association, History Club, Habitat for Humanity, Conservation Club, Primetime, Thinker’s Club and many others.
The Concerned Black Student (CBS) organization operates the Black Culture House, a center for students to relax and socialize. Originally, CBS was created for African-American students but now offers cultural awareness to all Wittenberg students.
Student Publications
Wittenberg students publish The Wittenberg Torch, a weekly newspaper; The Witt, the annual yearbook; The Wittenberg Review of Literature and Art, a literary magazine; Spectrum, a journal of crosscurricular essays; and the East Asian Studies Journal; the History Journal, a Political Science Journal; and Pholeos, a journal of student research published by the Wittenberg University Speleological Society. In addition, the Student Senate supports a number of academic publications.
Departmental Organizations
Nearly every academic department at the university has a club, honor society, or association to serve student interests. There also are forums for discussion, social activities and professional advising.
Honor Societies
Some of the honor societies at Wittenberg include Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta for first-year students; Ivy Ring and Pick and Pen for juniors; and Mortar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa for seniors. Wittenberg is also one of the only 242 colleges that has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the preeminent honor society for students in colleges of liberal arts and sciences.
Student Government
Students participate actively in all forms and levels of campus government. The Wittenberg Student Senate, with an annual budget of more than $250,000, serves as a liaison among students, administration and faculty. Under the authority of the university faculty, it can recommend policies pertaining to student social activities, organizations, residential and disciplinary regulations, and other aspects of campus life. In addition, it provides for the election and selection of student members to various policy and task committees of the faculty and the board of directors.
The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is the active governing body for students who live in campus residence halls. The elected officers and a representative from each of the eight halls assist in developing a residence hall environment that is both stimulating and beneficial to Wittenberg students.
Union Board
A large number of students are involved in Union Board, an organization that plans various cultural, social and recreational programs for the Wittenberg community. Each week it schedules programs and entertainment including lectures, concerts, dances, movies, coffeehouses and comedians.
Benham-Pence Student Center
The Benham-Pence Student Center truly is the center of campus social life. Students meet in the lounge or lobby, play billiards, check email in the Cyber Cafe, cash a check in the service center, buy books and supplies in the bookstore, pick up their mail, shop in the corner grocery store, attend a meeting, or perhaps enjoy just sitting around and talking in Wally’s.
Meals are served in the student center dining room and Post 95 (snack bar). Meal plan options allow students to select the programs that best suit their personal lifestyles. Post 95 and Wally’s are places to visit with friends, discuss assignments and enjoy a Coke or a pizza.
Intramurals
The intramural program offers year-round activities for men and women. Students may participate in 27 different sports, including badminton, basketball, billiards, flag football, floor hockey, Frisbee golf, racquetball, soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, walleyball and many others. Approximately 60 percent of our students participate in at least one intramural sport. In intramurals, enthusiasm and staying in shape are the crucial ingredients, not necessarily talent.
