Wittenberg University Wittenberg University is a private four - year liberal arts college in Springfield , Ohio , US serving 2 , 000 full - time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries . History . Wittenberg was founded in 1845 by a group of pastors in the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio . German American Reverend Ezra Keller was the principal founder and first president of the college . Its initial focus was to train clergy . One of its main missions 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 . The city was selected for its location on the new National Road , was easily accessible by travelers once a chain of rocks to the west was successfully bridged , and had become a center for the railroads , with hundreds of trains each day . All of which was making Springfield an agricultural and industrial hub . 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 . Hamma Divinity School . 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 on April 4 and April 5 , 1893 , which put on trial many key issues that Lutherans still debate today . Presidents of Wittenberg . On May 27 , 2011 , in an official University press - release , it was announced that President Mark H . Erickson would be stepping down at the end of the 2011 - 2012 academic year , allowing " the university ’ s Board of Directors the appropriate amount of time to conduct a national search for Wittenberg ' s next president " . Dr . Laurie M . Joyner was named as the university ' s 14th president effective July 1 , 2012 . She will become its first female president . About Wittenberg . 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 ' s science facilities are housed in the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center . Krieg Hall is the home of the music department . Wittenberg ' s art department is housed in Koch Hall . Thomas Library contains 400 , 000 volumes and provides access to OhioLINK , a consortium of Ohio college and university libraries as well as the State Library of Ohio . The library houses the Kemper Special Collection Area which contains the Luther - Reformation Collection with more than 400 items written by Martin Luther and his contemporaries between 1517 and 1580 . The library was built 1956 to the designs of Thomas Norman Mansell of Mansell , Lewis & Fugate of Wynnewood , Pennsylvania . Academic buildings . 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 education department has another building which used to be the former Springfield City School administration office at 49 E . College Ave , which is now owned by Wittenberg University . Hollenbeck Hall . Hollenbeck Hall is home to multiple departments , including the History , English , Foreign Languages , Political Science , International Studies , and Philosophy departments . The building is sectioned off into six wings , two per floor , which are separated by the Ness Family Auditorium in the center of the building . It is also where the Writing Center and Foreign Language Learning Center , two of the most often used and predominately student - run organizations are held . Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center . The Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center , likely the most modern building on campus , is home to all of the different Science and Mathematics departments . It also serves as a popular lunch location for students , as it includes a vendor on the first floor that can be used with the Wittenberg meal plans . Recitation Hall . Recitation Hall is where many of the administrative offices for the university are housed . These offices include , admissions , financial aid , the president ' s office , provost ' s , student employment , university communications ( Wittenberg ' s Media office for Wittenberg Magazine , Press office , New Media , Sports Media , and Publications office ) , and human resources . Recitation hall also has its own chapel . This was the second building constructed on campus . In 1883 classes were held in Recitation Hall . There is a second building behind Recitation hall which serves as the university ' s police and security headquarters , the campus switchboard and the transportation office . Synod Hall . This building is home to the Economics department , Upward Bound , and The Solution Center . 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 . Ranking . The U . S . News & World Report for 2012 have Wittenberg ranked as the 121st best Liberal Arts college in the US , and Forbes Magazine ranked the schools as the 176th best university in the country . In 2010 , Princeton Review ranked Wittenberg 11th in the nation for " Best Classroom Experience " , and 15th in the nation for " Professors Get High Marks " . In addition , Princeton Review ranked the college ' s campus the 18th most beautiful in the nation in 2009 . The university also has top programs in Communication . The communication program was named by the National Communication Association as Nation ' s Best program . Along with that Wittenberg University has been named one of only 23 institutions in the nation by the Fiske Guide to Colleges for " Small Colleges and Universities Strong in Drama . " The elite ranking places Wittenberg alongside such schools as Juilliard , Vassar , Oberlin , Otterbein and Princeton . In the last 10 years , Wittenberg faculty members have won 16 Fulbright awards , more than any other liberal arts college in the state of Ohio . Chronicle of Higher Education says the university is one of 11 bachelor ’ s programs with more than two professors doing research under Fulbright auspices . Athletics . Wittenberg University teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ' s Division III . The Tigers are a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference ( NCAC ) . Men ' s sports include baseball , basketball , cross country , football , golf , lacrosse , soccer , swimming & diving , tennis and track & field ; while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , field hockey , golf , lacrosse , soccer , softball , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field and volleyball . Wittenberg ended the 2009 fall sports season ranked 16th among more than 430 NCAA Division III schools in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup standings , administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics ( NACDA ) Student organizations . Anime Club , Chemistry Club , Chinese Dragon Dance Team , 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 , Mock Trial , New York Times Discussion Group , Outdoors Club , Pep Band , Pocket Lint Improvisational Comedy , POWER ( Parliament of the Wittenberg Environmental Revolution ) , Pre - Health Club , Sailing Club , Crew , Society of Physics Students , Student Global AIDS Campaign , Student Senate , Swing Dance Club , Union Board , University Communications , Wittenberg Art League , Wittenberg Role - Playing Guild , Wittenberg Rugby , Wittenberg Student Dance Company ( WSDC ) , WUSO radio station , WittMen Crew A Capella , Student newspaper The Torch , Wittenberg Film Club , Diversity Club , Planned Parenthood , and WUSS ( Wittenberg University Speleological Society — The Caving Club ) , Younglife . 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 . Their mission is to also be the partnership between the university and the city , state and federal governments . Warren Copeland , Springfield mayor and the university ' s professor of religion and director of the urban studies , is the faculty director . 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 . 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 . 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 . Wittenberg radio station . The University has its own student run 24 hour radio station on 89 . 1FM . 89 . 1 WUSO , has started simulcasting the Dayton classical station WDPR Monday through Friday mornings from 6 am until 10 am . The station broadcasts news , politics , sports , food , music shows . The Tiger Sports Network broadcasts the sports programming . Its 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 . The launch of a new media program called the Integrated Media Corps has recently developed . A team of ten University students creates and produces news videos , sports highlight videos for WDTN - TV ( Dayton NBC ) , WHIO - TV ( Dayton CBS ) , WKEF - TV ( Dayton ABC ) and the university web , record news stories for WUSO , the student run radio station , and write press releases for the university website . The program also has began broadcasting sports programs on WIZE - AM in Springfield . Wittenberg online radio . Wittenberg University has recently launched a new radio station for athletics broadcasting . The radio station currently is only internet only . To listen to Wittenberg ' s athletic radio programming visit the Tiger Sports Network website . The Wittenberg Torch . The Torch is Wittenberg University ' s student run newspaper which comes out on campus every Wednesday . The newspaper has a staff of news reporters , editors , viewpoint writers and sports writers . Wittenberg medical facilities . The Wittenberg Health and Counseling services office is located in the lower level of Shovlin Hall . Athletic - related services are also available at the Excel Medicine Sports ' office located in the Health , Physical , Education and Recreation building located on Bill Edwards Drive . Residence life . Wittenberg has seven residence halls on campus , including : 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 . The Benham - Pence Student Center houses most of the university ' s dining services . The main floor of the student center houses Post 95 which offers four different options , including Grill 95 , Sandilla ' s sandwich and cafe , Jazzman ' s cafe , and Ariba Mexican . " Founders " , the university pub , is located in the basement of the student center and was opened in during the 2009 / 2010 school year . The Center Dining Room ( also known as the " CDR " by students ) is located on the second floor of the Student Center along with the faculty dining room . Breakfast and lunch are also served in the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center ' s " Simply To Go " a la carte cafe . Greek life . Wittenberg also has an active Greek Life on campus . Fraternities include : Sororities include : Secret societies . 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 .