Wittenberg Community,
As we enter November, much has happened in our strategic planning efforts. Pastor Nathan's arrival allowed us to launch an Office of Campus Ministries, which fulfills Objective 2, Goal 5, and its emphasis on the development of an exemplar program for supporting student discernment at Wittenberg. Additionally, Objective 2, which speaks to developing our students into confident, ethical leaders, who are empowered for a lifetime of meaning and purpose, includes another initiative (Goal 3) focused on the coordination of mentoring, internships, and discernment programming within our career services operation. One strategy supporting that goal has since become the Center for Personal and Professional Development for which we recently hired Eric McLaughlin as its first director. Eric will join us in mid-November.
I share both of these outcomes to affirm that our strategic plan is continuing to move our University forward, as will the plan's implementation teams (IT). We have sought to accommodate everyone’s preference for an IT, and Chief of Staff Brandee Kern has made those assignments. Once all members have confirmed their participation, a comprehensive list will be posted on the strategic planning website and shared with our campus community.
My expectation is to have the first meetings of the respective ITs prior to Thanksgiving. Calendar invites with more information will be forthcoming. During these initial meetings, I will present the respective charge to each IT. For most groups, the first task will be surveying current offerings and resources at Wittenberg and then bringing forward strategies that will leverage our strengths and move us toward supporting and accomplishing the goals of our strategic plan.
I fully recognize that this will be a heavy lift with the limited resources at Wittenberg, which is why I have prioritized 10 of the 20 goals at this time. Most of these 10 goals will include a check-in or next-steps deadline of February 15 or March 15, 2027, which means significant action will be occurring midway through the spring semester. This work is deeply worthwhile, and that means it will take deliberative thought and time.
Thank you to everyone for your input, questions, insight, and support as the teams begin their important work, all of which will move us closer to fulfilling our vision to be the model of a liberal arts university in the 21st century, creating sparks that will light the world.
Yours,
Christian M. M. Brady, DPhil (Oxon.)
President