In spring of 2003, then President Baird Tipson initiated the process to develop a replacement for the 1997 Strategic Plan. The newly convened Strategic Planning Commission was charged to "define the ideal future for Wittenberg University and identify the strategies and objectives required to achieve that future," aiming for a Wittenberg that is "highly attractive to our preferred students, highly effective in accomplishing its mission, financially strong and sustainable, important and attractive to donors," and possessing "an outstanding and unique reputation."

A total of eleven working groups were created to address specific topics of importance to the future of Wittenberg. The Commission received and discussed reports from these eleven groups in the opening months of 2004; the faculty spent its one-day February retreat discussing the ongoing work of these committees. By early spring, the plan began to take shape, with the major initiatives re-organized around six themes: academic programs, facilities, the Wittenberg community, stable enrollment, student success, and operations. Additional task groups were appointed and convened to begin developing action plans around these themes.

In fall of 2004, under the leadership of Interim President Bill Steinbrink, a committee was charged to streamline the university's mission statement and to affirm the core values of the university.

The arrival of a new president confirmed the importance of the strategic plan. In fall of 2005, President Mark Erickson convened and charged the Strategic Plan Advisory Committee to refine the strategic plan, taking into consideration the need to identify no more than 15 priorities and to address the realities of today.

The goals and objectives contained in this document represent the work of more than one hundred individuals who contributed to the plan over the past three years. The plan will guide the work of Wittenberg and will continue to evolve to meet our changing needs and to address the changes in the world around us.