Dr. Behrs’ Educational Philosophy

I believe that each student is a unique individual with different life experiences who will benefit from a caring and stimulating educational experience that will help that student meet their fullest potential as an individual and scholar.

I feel the role of the faculty member is to guide, providing access to information rather that acting as the primary source of information.  Undergraduate and graduate students need to tap-into their construct knowledge, and they need the opportunity to discover information as a scholar and practice, or simulate authentic ways of learning.

I believe teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth.  One of my goals as a teacher is to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them.

Statement of Leadership Philosophy
Dr. David G. Behrs


I am pleased to provide my leadership philosophy.  My leadership philosophy is based upon a set of beliefs, principles, and precepts that make up the foundation of my philosophy as a leader.

First, and foremost, I believe that leadership is a collaborative venture. 
While a single person can play a pivotal role in the transformation of an institution, no one person can enact change or maintain excellence without the shared leadership of other colleagues.  Collaborative, transparent, inclusive leadership is critical to success—particularly in enrollment management. I believe that leadership should be based on the premises of inclusion and facilitation.

As a university administrator, it is important to make sure you communicate to everyone on the “team” the importance of their particular role and voice.  Strong collaboration and outstanding communication by the leader is critical to the success of the enrollment management operation. Working with my colleagues to accomplish enrollment objectives, I remain determined, results oriented, and achievement driven. This drive however, is not about me, but instead directed towards achieving the university’s enrollment and revenue objectives. I believe we must work collaboratively to achieve our recruitment and retention goals. At the end of the day I get the most satisfaction from hearing what colleagues have to say about how we worked as a team or of the shared result.

I have a strong belief in the concept of servant leadership, i.e., one who serves first. Servant leadership requires listening, consensus building, ethical decision making, and the building and maintenance of a sense of community. While it is often seen as “soft”, it requires the creation of vision, the setting of challenging goals, the sharing of data and performance and skill with conflict resolution.  Enrollment management is an organic process that involves data analysis and benchmarking in order to achieve enrollment objectives.  As a servant leader, I believe it is important to empower the staff, and lead by example.

As the chief enrollment officer, I truly believe in the need to think long-term, beyond the day’s immediate crisis – to think in terms of renewal—and overall university enrollment objectives. Several challenges await us, some known, some unknown, yet how we respond to and prepare for these challenges will have a major impact on our continued success.  Particularly in marketing and recruitment, the successful leader will adapt and change accordingly as market conditions change and evolve.

In closing, I believe there are two ways I measure my life, what is accomplished and what is left behind as a legacy. I hope that in my next leadership role, I can take stock of not just material accomplishments and acts, but my legacy as it takes form in the staff around me. I believe all physical things by nature are impermanent, the only lasting change occurs when it is embedded in life, and towards a common purpose. Therefore, we must act in concert with others to achieve greatness in any undertaking. If there is successful change in enrollment planning, people, and patterns there should be tangible results and positive results.

I am excited to work at a college or university because I want to make a difference in students lives, and feel I can have the greatest impact by aligning my effort with my colleagues as a servant-leader. My purpose is to foster the growth of knowledge, the development of people, and improvement of the common quality of life.

Only by investing myself first in the development of my colleagues can we hope to achieve great results together. Using this long-view lens I view both the potential of my colleagues and the lasting value of our contributions to the university.

I believe that strategic enrollment management has become a major force in the university and practice of higher education. With limited financial resources for financial aid, institutions must balance the need to attract and admit a freshman class that fits well with the institution and also provide the necessary financial support to allow for diversity in student body.

Strategic enrollment management is a comprehensive approach to integrating all of the University’s programs, practices, policies, and planning related to achieving the optimal recruitment, retention, and graduation of students with “optimal” defined by the mission, academic vision, and strategic plan of the institution. Enrollment management becomes Strategic Enrollment Management when it actively integrates planning, strategies and structures in the formal enrollment management units with the institution’s evolving strategic planning, its academic vision and its fundamental mission. Strategic enrollment management does not ignore short‐term activities. Instead, it integrates short‐term administrative efforts with long‐term planning processes. These administrative efforts include a focus on management of those functional areas responsible for achieving enrollment goals.