Lured by its reputation for providing a great education through great teaching, David
Behrs, Ph.D., has accepted the position of interim dean of enrollment management at
Clarion University.
He fills a position left vacant by Bill Bailey, who is now directing Clarion's Career and Professional Development Center.
"We had a tremendous person in Bill Bailey," Behrs said. "I plan to make some enhancements but not change the basic structure of the office."
Behrs, originally from Lancaster and most recently from Orange County, California, brings 30 years of experience in higher education, holding positions in enrollment management and leadership of universities, including serving as associate provost of Dominican University of California and as president of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.
Prior to coming to Clarion, Behrs was vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Southern California University of Health Sciences, where he produced the largest entering class of chiropractic students in 10 years.
He hopes to build on Bailey's work to bring in the best students possible. To that end, in Behrs first month at Clarion he was instrumental in launching the Clarion Academic Scholarship, which rewards high-performing high school students with renewable, $1,000 scholarships, with another $1,000 available to students who enroll in Clarion's targeted programs.
"(Clarion offers) a world-class education," Behrs said. "We're going to challenge you more than you've ever been challenged academically, but we'll have that undergirding of support. We're not recruiting students; we're recruiting graduates."