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.

The Student Development mission at Wittenberg University is to strive to develop leaders who act morally, think critically, and serve others.  Student Development seeks to incorporate the in and out of classroom experiences by offering a variety of academic clubs, student organizations, fraternity and sorority experiences, honor and recognition societies, student government, media opportunities, and other groups.  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 135 different clubs that provide a base for student involvement, and new organizations spring up regularly to meet the changing interests of our students.  A student activities booklet, published annually, describes each club and organization.

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 most of these academic publications.

Departmental Organizations

Each 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

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.  Eight membes of the Student Senate have voting privileges on faculty issues.

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.  The RHA program also provides events, activities and programs within each hall.  The group works collaboratively with all the halls for specialty programming on issues of safety, college transition, resources, stress relief, holiday and social events, bowling nights, and movie nights.

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.  Union Board annually sponsors Little Sibs Weekend, Homecoming concerts, New Student Days events, and Witt Fest.

Benham-Pence Student Center

The Benham-Pence Student Center is the center of campus social life. Students meet in the lounge or lobby, check email in the Cyber Cafe, cash a check in the service center, buy books and supplies in the bookstore, pick up their mail, or attend a meeting.

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 is a place to visit with friends, discuss assignments, enjoy a Coke or a pizza, or just relax.

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.