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Wittenberg is a major local employer with a total of more than 250 employees and has an estimated $70 million economic impact on the Springfield community. But it has struggled in recent years as it made millions in cuts and is now on its third full-time president in less than a decade.
“There are challenges here but there are challenges everywhere,” Frandsen said. “One of the things that attracted me to Wittenberg is there is a sense on campus of the recognition that there are some challenges but a desire to work together to address them. There is recognition that things may need to change, it’s not going to be just as it was.”
His goals include increasing enrollment, providing a strong liberal arts education, engaging students and making sure the school is financially stable, Frandsen said in an exclusive interview with the Springfield News-Sun
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Another top priority for the school moving forward is to build more relationships with Springfield officials, Wittenberg Chairman of the Board Jonathan Eilert said.
“As Springfield flourishes, Wittenberg will flourish beside that,” Eilert said. “Our futures are connected. Building bridges and finding opportunity that will be beneficial for both. We think there are continued opportunities.”
‘Good fit’ for Witt
Frandsen was an assistant professor of management for five years at Albion, director of the school’s institute for business and management for three years and served four years as vice president of finance and administration before his time as interim president at Albion. Before that he worked 10 years in corporate finance mainly dealing with manufacturers.
He believes his past in finances will help him lead Wittenberg, but said his other experiences will be utilized more.
“I don’t think it’s the most important part by far,” Frandsen said of his finance background. “On a college university campus, having been a faultily member is invaluable — understanding the heart of what we do. And I am very fortunate to bring a wide variety of experience to this role.”
Frandsen stood out to the Wittenberg presidential search committee from the rest of the candidates.
“Just his credentials were outstanding and a good fit for Wittenberg,” Eilert said.
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Wittenberg relied on Interim President Dick Helton for more than a year after previous President Laurie Joyner abruptly resigned in late 2015. The presidential search lasted about six months and attracted 90 qualified candidates, Eilert said.
“It was a great search process,” he said.
The committee liked a lot of what Frandsen brought to the table, Eilert said.
“His experience at Albion, he served as the interim president, and we liked that idea that he had some presidential experience,” Eilert said.
He also said Frandsen’s communication skills and his willingness to work with those on the campuses where he previously served played a large role in him getting the job.
“Our people couldn’t find anyone who wanted to say anything bad about him,” he said.
Candid communicator
People who have worked with Frandsen said he is a strong communicator.
“Among his many strengths, the one I admire the most is his ability to take complex subjects, difficult topics and to communicate them in a very clear, understandable sort of no nonsense fashion,” Oberlin Vice President of Student Affairs Bill Barlow said. “People respond very well to who he is as a person, his style, and I think people feel he is being candid with folks.”
Barlow said he believes Frandsen will be a strong president at Wittenberg.
Frandsen said that working with students and staff is essential for a leader and he hoped to meet as many “Wittenberg people” as possible to build relationships to help the university move forward.
“The president has many different jobs and it’s hard to be in many places at once, but I think being part of what students are doing on campus is first of all very rewarding and second of all it is very important,” Frandsen said. “Showing that the president, showing that the staff, showing that the faculty, showing that we care and are interested in being in their spaces and places and watching them is just so important.”
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Wittenberg is in good hands with Frandsen, said Sally Walker, Albion’s vice president of student affairs.
“Wittenberg is a very well respected and strong institution,” she said. “And with Mike Frandsen as president, Wittenberg will soar.”
Walker worked with Frandsen virtually the entire time he was at Albion. She said he was committed to making sure students had what they needed to succeed. Along with teaching and administrative duties at Albion, Walker said he played a role in recruiting students and making them want to stay.
“At a small private college, everyone recruits and retains students,” Walker said “And as an institute director, he was charged with recruiting students to that institute, but he was involved in college-wide recruiting.”
As interim president, Frandsen implemented an initiative called “Just One More” that was successful, Walker said.
“It was this fun way to encourage people to try to do an activity or student event they would not normally go to,” Walker said. “If you were a fan of the athletic program, he would encourage someone to go to a concert or a play. If you only went to plays to then try something new.”
Attracting students
One of the top goals constantly on the minds of Wittenberg leaders is getting enrollment back to 2,000 students.
Fall numbers indicated the school had 1,832 students enrolled on campus, Frandsen said, which was lifted due to the largest freshman class in school history. More than 600 new students were welcomed on campus in 2016.
The current student enrollment is 1,871 for the spring semester.
He said he plans to focus on meeting the 2,000 mark as president but down the road that number may be increased.
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“We need to think about what we can do well,” Frandsen said. “We got to make sure we do it well. If growing to 2,400 or 3,000 students means we can’t do it well then that wouldn’t be a good idea. Certainly, I think 2,000 students we can do well and that’s the next step and we will think of next steps beyond that later. Let’s get a goal met and then set the next one.”
Recruiting students is important, Eilert said, as the university transitions into a growth mindset.
“In a way we are trying to shift gears,” he said. “The last number of years we had such a large structural deficit. We are in a much better position and we are at a place now we are trying to focus on revenue generation instead of cutting. We want to seek out those opportunities when and if it possible.”
Frandsen said he expects changes will be made on campus to make sure the university can best serve students now and in the future.
Along with getting students to start school, Frandsen and Eilert said the school needs to make sure students have what they need to graduate.
“That’s part of our board vision that we laid out and the strategic plan,” Eilert said. “In the long term we want to focus on the 2,000. That’s going to take recruiting and that’s also going to take retaining our students.”
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Another priority for Frandsen is improving relationships off campus. He believes that Springfield and Wittenberg can grow together and that each can benefit.
Building those relationships with the Springfield community can lead to more opportunity for students, he said, and for Springfield residents.
“It’s the right size to have a great sense of community,” Frandsen said.
The cost of college
Students who attended the announcement Feb. 10 of Frandsen as the new president said they liked that he had financial experience.
“It’s important for the college to have someone that is experienced in finance because obviously college is very expensive and we need someone to look out for us students,” freshman Christina Reisinger said.
When asked about tuition, Frandsen said the cost of college is something he takes seriously. The cost of attending Wittenberg is about $38,000 a year, though grants and scholarships are available to students.
“That’s a challenge because the education we are trying to deliver is hands on,” Frandsen said. “It’s intensive, it’s best done one-on-one or in a seminar room and that’s not a cheap way to go. We have to make sure we are doing that well. We have to make sure the support services we are offering is delivered effectively first, but efficiently also and do our best to manage the growing cost of education.”
By the numbers
618: Freshman enrolled at Wittenberg in the fall of 2016
1,832: Total students enrolled at Wittenberg in the fall of 2016
$70 million: Economic impact of Wittenberg University on the Springfield community
252: Total part- and full-time employees at Wittenberg
Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun provides unmatched coverage of Wittenberg University and how it affects Springfield, including stories digging into its financial woes and efforts to grow enrollment.
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