Campus Location
Wittenberg is located in Springfield, Ohio, the county seat of Clark County, which has 150,000 inhabitants. Columbus is 45 miles to the east, Dayton is 25 miles to the southwest, and Cincinnati is 72 miles to the southwest. The university is easily reached by Interstate 70, U.S. Highways 40 and 68, and Ohio Highways 4, 72 and 41. Students and visitors also have access to the Dayton International Airport in nearby Vandalia, as well as to Springfield’s transcontinental bus line.
Springfield is both a “living laboratory ” and a “college town.” Students have access to a wide range of real learning opportunities that include the advantages, challenges and realities of small-city life. Wittenberg’s campus is located in a residential setting, yet the downtown area, shops, restaurants and parks are all within walking distance. Public transportation is available to the mall, to the airport, and to other major cities.
Academic Advantages of Wittenberg’s Location
Social Advantages of Wittenberg’s Location
Campus Facilities
Wittenberg’s campus is located on 70 acres of wooded and rolling hills. It consists of 26 major buildings, including nine academic buildings; a modern, automated library; an outstanding Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Center; and seven residence halls. Myers Hall, constructed between 1846 and 1851 and located in the center of campus, is Wittenberg’s oldest building and one of its most popular student residences. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and, in 1994, in honor of Wittenberg’s sesquicentennial, was commemorated on a postcard issued by the United States Postal Service.
The Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center provides modern and accessible laboratory and computing facilities for study in biology, chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, computer science, environmental studies, geology, physics and mathematics. Almost all classrooms in the Kuss Science Center have Internet access and are equipped with multimedia projection systems. In addition to standard laboratory equipment, the building is equipped with both transmission and scanning electron microscopes with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analyzer, a genetic analysis system, a physiograph, a 400,000-volt particle accelerator, narrow bandwidth tunable diode lasers, an ultrahigh vacuum system, gas chromatograph / mass spectrometer, vapor phase and liquid chromatographs, a High Performance / Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography System, Raman Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometers, an electrochemistry workstation, X-ray diffraction equipment, a pulsed dye laser system and fast flow reactor, radiographic equipment, and nuclear magnetic resonance, atomic absorption, fluorescence, and uv-vis diode-array spectrometers. The building also contains microcomputer laboratory/classrooms serving biology, physics, mathematics, computer science, geology and chemistry. A state-of-the-art computer lab and classroom, including a large-format scanner, printer, and digitizer, supports Geographic Information System (GIS) instruction in biology, geography, and geology, and its applications in other disciplines across campus. The Geology Learning Center, cooperatively designed and built by faculty and students, contains exhibits about regional fossils, rocks and minerals. Weaver Observatory, with its newly refurbished 10-inch refractor telescope with digitally controlled drive system and solid state photometer, is adjacent to the Kuss Science Center.
The new 64-bit WARP (Wittenberg Advanced Research Processors) cluster is located in the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center. This parallel processing cluster is used by faculty members and advanced students to solve computational science problems. Software includes C/C++ and Fortran compilers along with mathematical and statistical libraries. WARP's front end consists of four hard-wired Linux workstations; the computer nodes consist of 12 dual processor AMD Opteron nodes and 1 quad processor node (28 computer processors in all). Each utilizes 1.6 GHz processors. The dual processor nodes have 2 GB of RAM and the quad processor has 8 GB of RAM. Each node also has access to 64 GB of local disk space. The front-end node and computer nodes have a Gigabit Ethernet interface and an Infiniband system area network interface.
The department of education is located in Blair Hall, the original laboratory experimental school on Wittenberg’s campus used to prepare teachers through classroom practice. This historical remnant of Wittenberg’s early curriculum has been renovated to house the current faculty of education as well as six classrooms, a 30-seat Macintosh computer lab, a student theatre production auditorium with seating for more than 90, and a student-faculty lounge for informal or seminar presentations, social events and group project workspace.
The department of music is located in Krieg Hall, a facility designed with ample space for teaching, practice, study and performance. Available are five pipe organs, in addition to the large organ in Weaver Chapel, and 55 pianos. An electronic piano laboratory has become a popular means of learning fundamentals of piano technique and theory. A computer laboratory, with a full range of computers, synthesizers and software, is used not only for composition but also for courses in orchestration, counterpoint and ear training. A full collection of early instruments includes two harpsichords, and various wind and string instruments. There are many modern instruments available to students participating in the music programs. A library of musical scores, books and periodicals, and a computer-assisted reference resource center are located in Thomas Library, along with audiovisual facilities, which include more than 15,000 audio recordings. The facilities and programs of the department of music meet the expectations for fully accredited membership in the National Association of Schools of Music, which it has consistently maintained for more than seventy years.
Koch Hall, renovated for the Art Department in 1980, is a 36-room building containing studios for the major areas of the visual arts, a computer imaging laboratory, art history lecture rooms and seminar rooms. The Ann Miller Gallery, which hosts rotating exhibits of professional and student art, is also located in Koch Hall.
The Chakeres Memorial Theatre complex houses a 200-seat black box theatre. The facility accommodates productions in proscenium, thrust, or arena and utilizes a computerized lighting system. A scene shop, costume shop, makeup room, lecture room, dance studio and a computer lab for design, along with faculty offices and a student lounge, complete the complex. In addition to the Chakeres Theatre complex, students present productions in Blair Hall Theatre, a 100-seat thrust-stage facility.
The departments of communication, English, foreign languages, history, philosophy, political science and religion, Wittenberg’s programs in East Asian studies, africana studies, and urban studies, the International Education Office, the Math Workshop and the Wittenberg Writing Center are located in Hollenbeck Hall, Wittenberg’s state-of-the-art classroom building, which opened in January 2000. Hollenbeck’s classrooms are equipped with an impressive array of computer and audiovisual technology. The building contains three computer classrooms, including a 24-hour, open-use student computer lab.
Zimmerman Hall, which houses the psychology department, contains lecture and seminar rooms, two computer laboratories for student use, a state-of-the-art animal conditioning laboratory, and a suite of experimental chambers equipped with one-way mirrors and videotaping equipment. The Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory is located in nearby Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center.
Carnegie Hall, which houses the departments of Geography, Management and Sociology, contains lecture and seminar rooms, the Wittenberg Center for Applied Management, an open-use student computer lab, and a modern, computer lab/classroom used to support instruction in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The Economics Department is located in Synod Hall.
Library Facilities and Services
Library facilities and services are important resources for Wittenberg students, faculty members, and staff, and include a full range of traditional and nontraditional learning materials and information. Thomas Library, built in 1982, provides space for multimedia materials and equipment and houses more than 413,000 volumes, including over 63,000 bound periodicals, 819 current periodicals in print with another 11,573 periodicals in electronic form, 1,831 videotapes, over 2,700 compact discs, 16,000 LP record albums, 919 audiocassettes, and 383 DVDs. A branch library in the science building provides specialized resources for the natural sciences. The main library includes the Research Help Center, where students using online resources can get assistance from the Library staff. In addition, in Audio Visual Services, facilities include an instructional media and equipment distribution center, a multipurpose AV theater/classroom, a media viewing area, a multimedia production lab and an equipment repair area. Audio Visual Services further supports the teaching-learning process by providing: circulating audio visual material and equipment, media production services, consultation in the selection and use of instructional media equipment, and equipment and instructional facility maintenance services. Audio Visual Services also operates the Thomas Library computer lab. Library facilities are open more than 100 hours per week, with extended hours during exam periods.
A computerized library system facilitates use of the library collections. Terminals are located on all three floors of the library building. A network connection allows access from around campus and around the world. Besides showing the library’s holdings by author, title and subject, the system provides other access points allowing users to "browse" shelves electronically and see whether an item is checked out or available. Users can call up a list of items checked out to themselves, find out what material is on reserve for a particular class, and have items held for later use. In addition, full text of much of the reserve material can be viewed online through the Electronic Reserves system.
Library use is no longer limited to locally owned items, however. From Wittenberg’s library catalog one can easily access the OhioLINK Central Catalog, a consolidated listing of the library materials of more than 80 colleges and universities in the state. Wittenberg library users can make online requests for any of 40 million volumes and expect delivery in three days. Wittenberg students and faculty may also visit any OhioLINK member library and directly check out or return books; this is especially convenient during breaks and weekend visits home. If OhioLINK’s holdings do not suffice, individuals may use the services of interlibrary loan, which operates through the Online Computer Library Center, an international network of more than 20 thousand libraries. Using OCLC, Wittenberg interlibrary loan staff will find the item that is needed and request it for use on this campus. Internet access to numerous individual library catalogs further links the student to the world of information, as do connections to various databases and Web resources on the Thomas Library home page.
To help the student develop the knowledge and skills needed to make use of this wealth of material, librarians and other library staff provide instruction directly related to specific classes and assist students individually in the library at the reference and circulation desks, and in the audiovisual department and microcomputer laboratory.
Computer Facilities
Wittenberg's commitment to quality and technology reaches nearly every aspect of campus life. State-of-the-art equipment is in place, in process, or in the planning stage to ensure that Wittenberg students receive the best of new and traditional means of education. In support of that goal, networked classrooms with a Windows workstation, overhead projection system, DVD players, and external video ports are available for both instruction and student presentation. Video projects and presentations alike enable students in any discipline to present ideas creatively.
More than 1,500 networked Windows workstations and servers support instructional needs across campus. This network extends to all academic buildings with numerous computer lab locations and the residence halls. Standard software including Microsoft Office Professional Suite, programming, data analysis, geographic information systems, and specialized programs for individual classes are available in computer lab locations around campus.
Students tap into Wittenberg's extensive network, library, and Web services directly from any residence hall room with a personal computer, using wired and wireless access in selected common areas across campus, and available computer lab locations. The Solution Center staff provides answers to questions concerning connection to the network and other campus computing issues.
Wittenberg’s Web site contains updates on current happenings, visiting artists, speakers, athletic contests, and other campus events. Students use the WittLink Portal (accessible from the Web site) to plan class schedules, register for courses, update account information, view grades, change passwords, read or send e-mail, and build a portfolio for use after graduation. Many professors offer additional online academic support via the Web. These and other services are globally accessible from any standard Internet Service Provider via username and password. Students receive an e-mail address and message storage, space on the Windows network for data file storage, and an area to publish personal web pages.
Athletic, Recreation, and Fitness Facilities
A leader in NCAA Division III athletics, Wittenberg features some of the finest facilities in the nation. The $7.1 million Health, Physical Education and Recreation Center, completed in 1982, is the centerpiece of athletic activity. The main unit can be used as three full-sized basketball courts, three volleyball courts or three tennis courts. The air-conditioned facility seats 3,000 spectators for intercollegiate basketball and volleyball events or 4,300 for concerts, convocations, and other public events. A second unit houses six racquetball/handball courts with an upper balcony for instruction and a 25-meter by 25-yard swimming pool with a separate diving well and one- and three-meter diving boards. In addition, the athletic training room, equipment room and six locker rooms are housed in this facility.
The athletic and health, fitness, and sport department's renovated offices are located in the Wittenberg fieldhouse, home for the Tigers since 1929. The new (2005) Bob Rosencrans Hall of Honor Fitness Center will continue the nationally ranked university's long-standing commitment to health and well-being by providing top-of-the-line aerobic exercise equipment, including treadmills, bikes and rowing machines. A modern training and sports medicine facility is also located in the fitness center, and advanced strength-training and cardiovascular equipment fill the newly renovated weight room located nearby. Edwards-Maurer Field, an artificial turf playing field, and Earl Morris Track, a 400-meter world-class facility, were completed in 1993 and completely resurfaced in 2005. Edwards-Maurer Field is the home to Tiger field hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, as well as football. It is one of only a score of such artificial surfaces in NCAA Division III. The state-of-the-art David and Georgiana Albright tennis courts, featuring 12 courts, including six with lights, were completed in 1997.
Situated just two blocks from campus, Bill Edwards intramural and soccer fields, and the newly completed Betty Dillahunt softball field (1997) provide practice and playing facilities for these activities. Springfield's Carleton Davidson Stadium, which opened in 2004, is the home of Tiger baseball.