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But the college has been on the right track this year, Interim President Dick Helton said.
The freshman class — 615 students — is the largest since 2002 and the school raised more than $9.1 million in fund-raising efforts in fiscal year 2016, the Springfield News-Sun previously reported.
Employees were also given wage increases in October, he said, for the first time in several years.
“All those are signs that Wittenberg University is growing, not only in student population but we’re growing as an institution,” he said.
All the recent changes have taken a toll on students.
“It kind of was a little bit rough because just it felt like, each year something different was happening,” senior Angelique Gabrielle said.
The university hopes to have a new leader start in July, Helton said.
Goals for the new president include improving the community on campus, building better relationships with the city of Springfield and other local organizations, growing enrollment and fundraising, and stabilizing the university’s finances, according to a presidential search profile posted on the university’s website.
“The person will need to have a passion for what he or she is doing,” Helton said, “and wanting the institution to grow.”
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Wittenberg operates with a $53 million annual budget and an endowment of $96 million, according to the presidential search documents.
“No other single agenda item for new leadership is as critical for Wittenberg’s overall success as the need to achieve financial stability,” according to a presidential search profile posted on its website.
Part of stabilizing the finances, Helton said, will include an increase in enrollment. The university depends on tuition, room and board for 83 percent of its net revenue.
It currently has about 1,800 traditional undergraduate students and the board has set a goal to grow that to 2,000 students, according to the search profile. Traditional student enrollment fell from more than 1,900 students to about 1,700 over the past decade.
The next president also must have good communication skills, a commitment to a diverse campus, be an advocate for liberal arts education and knowledge about the changes facing colleges.
Applications will be accepted until a candidate is selected. But the search committee will begin to narrow the list of candidates this month, so it recommends applying by Nov. 26.
Helton has also focused on developing a new strategic plan for the university. A group of students, board members, faculty and other community members came together to create a focused vision for the university’s future, he said.
“It’s important for an institution to have a focus,” he said. “I think there needs to be some direction.”
Helton stayed out of that planning process, he said, but believes the board of directors will approve it at their February meeting.
Students wants a president who will unite the campus.
“It’s all about strong leadership,” senior Jessica Hamm said.
Professors and other staff members have been great at helping students cope with recent changes, she said, but she’s hopeful fundraising success will stabilize the school.
The new president will have to build trust with students, sophomore Nicholas Wanamaker said.
“We need somebody who can pull the campus together,” he said, “getting everything back in a flow.”
By the numbers
$70 million: Estimated economic impact of Wittenberg University on Springfield
$53 million: Annual budget at Wittenberg
615: Freshmen students at Wittenberg, the largest class since 2002
1,800: Approximate number of traditional undergraduate students at Wittenberg currently
Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun has closely tracked Wittenberg’s financial struggles, including stories digging into multimillion-dollar cuts and presidential turnover, as well as recent increases in enrollment.
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