Slippery Rock University President-elect William Behre made his first formal appearance as the school’s top administrator last week, and hit all the right notes during a news conference following his introduction.
Behre, responding to questions from students and news media outlets, was predictably humble and genial during his brief appearance in front of the microphone. But did anyone really expect him to be fearless and remarkably transparent at the same time?
Last week’s welcoming celebration at SRU had everything you would expect from such an event: a room full of supportive university students, faculty and staff, a glowing introduction from PASSHE Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney, and proud university trustees eager to introduce Behre to Slippery Rock.
It also had Behre himself, who has months of work in front of him before he fully grasps where, exactly, he should start as SRU’s new leader.
What we know so far is this: Mr. Behre knows how to start things off on the right foot.
Behre strong start did not come because he had all the answers or pledged to take SRU to new heights. It came because he was honest about where he stands as the university’s president-elect — that is, still learning a lot.
“Being a good leader, and especially in a transitional period, is not about what my opinions are,” Behre said, responding to a question about how he would seek to lead SRU. “It really is marshaling the resources of the community toward a shared goal, and that’s the way you can lead higher ed.”
This is what mature and thoughtful leadership looks like. Behre did not pretend to have all the answers (because he does not). He did not try to sell an agenda to the SRU community right out of the gate (because he does not yet fully understand the community’s needs and desires). And he did not try to use his 25 years of experience in higher education as a crutch.
Those years — especially Behre’s experience in PASSHE — should serve SRU well as the state system continues to consider how to respond to rising costs and falling enrollment at many of its 14 colleges and universities.
SRU, which continues to set enrollment records, is not struggling — in fact, as Behre noted last week, it is thriving.
In order for that to continue, the school needs strong and talented leadership.
SRU had that in former President Cheryl Norton, and early returns indicate that Behre is cut from the same cloth.
SRU trustees and members of the Presidential Search Committee should be commended for their hard work and their discerning eye for leadership.
