SLIPPERY ROCK —Slippery Rock University's new president, William Behre, feels strongly about student debt.

“I do think we're not talking correctly about the debt crisis for students,” Behre said.

In March, he was chosen to succeed Cheryl Norton, who retired in July 2017, after five years as Slippery Rock's president. Behre comes to SRU from Georgian Court University in New Jersey, where he was the chief academic officer.

Behre said he sees student debt as a good thing most of the time. He said it is a great motivator for students to persevere and stay focused on their goals.

“A modest amount of student debt is healthy because students need to have some skin in the game,” Behre said. “They need to share in it.”

But Behre said he also recognizes that there are students who are struggling under astronomical debt that their earning power cannot match. Most are students who enrolled in an expensive school and left without a degree, or those that need to stay for a fifth year, he said.

Behre said the best way a college can help limit these problems is by building solid programs and teaching their students adaptability.

“We need to make sure our students are learning how to learn and how to be adaptable,” he said.

He said the current marketplace shows trending careers in health care, engineering and business in Western Pennsylvania. But trends, Behre said, change.

“I think you need to be careful in terms of programming,” he said.

His plan is for the university to support its students is through good retention rates, and the best way to do that is to teach students how to learn.

Liberal arts classes in all students' general education requirements help them develop critical thinking and analytical skills that transcend any one career or learning path, he said.

“I think habits of mind sustain people,” Behre said. “The habits of mind that I graduated with (30 years ago) are still serving me well today.”

Faculty support

Continuing to foster an already-successful university like SRU can be difficult in that success is dictated by maintaining status rather than making big changes, according to Behre.

“There's no need for someone to walk in and make some major changes,” he said. “Because (the university's) not in crisis I don't have to move quickly.”

Behre said the benefit of coming into a good situation is that the administration and faculty can hear many voices and take their time making decisions.

“We move deliberately and after lots of people have an opportunity to weigh in,” Behre said. “Our faculty need to be deeply engaged in our curriculum.”

Behre also sees continuity in leadership as a strength.

Philip Way, who served as interim president after Norton's retirement, is still with the university. Way will assume his former position as provost and vice president for academic and student affairs.

“It's great to have continuity,” he said. “I owe him and I owe Norton a debt of gratitude,” Behre said.

Behre said the legacy left behind by the last two presidents will make his job easier moving forward as he tries to continue their success.

“I won the job lottery,” Behre said. “This is one of the best jobs around.”

Tuition increase

Behre said the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education's new chancellor, Daniel Greenstein, has yet to show which direction he might take in restructuring the state system.

“Whatever course we take on, it (has to) stay predictable,” Behre said.

With the new chancellor taking over soon, little has been done at the system level except an increase of tuition by 3 percent across the state schools for next year, which is a standard annual procedure.

“Every year the cost of living goes up,” Behre said. “It's always a challenge to balance the needs of your budget with needs of students.”

Behre said sacrificing tuition could impact the quality provided by state schools.

“We do have to pay our bills,” he said. “I think something in the range we saw here is reasonable.”

One initiative Behre said he hopes the Board of Governors will view favorably is granting state universities more control of their own budgets. Behre said the changes would allow the university to tailor its financial needs and balance them with the needs of their students.“The needs of our students might be a little different from a student in the middle of the state,” he said.Behre said the university does not have any plans yet, if the measure moves forward.“I'd like to get a better sense of where the Board of Governors are at before we do that,” Behre said.Behre said the plans would need to be handled by a company that specializes in building pricing models. The analysis would cost too much money to be undertaken without being sure it was necessary.“This would be a long-term situation,” Behre said. “Anything they could put together, it would be a 5-to-10 year shift.”Sense of communityIn the last few months, Behre and his wife have continued to explore the area. They visited the Big Butler Fair, attended a Butler BlueSox game and have plans to check out the Butler Farm Show next month.While Behre said they have had excellent experience so far testing local restaurants, like North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock and Compadres in Grove City, he and his wife plan to buy meal plans at the college.“During the school year, my favorite place will be our dining halls,” he said. “The irony is I'll have two kitchens, but I won't be cooking much.”Yes, the Behres have two: the presidential home, which comes with the job, and a second home in downtown Slippery Rock which is used primarily by his wife, Leah, for work. Leah is a writer and freelance journalist who also specializes in content marketing.Behre said he and his wife both felt good about buying a second home in Slippery Rock. He said having a mortgage is also something that keeps him invested in his career and his community. It also helps that the second home is close to campus.“It's a 15-minute walk from one house to the other,” Behre said.Behre said his neighbors have made him feel welcome in his new home. He said during a time when he went away to visit family, he imagined returning to an unkempt lawn at his second home only to find it well manicured.“I have fantastic neighbors,” Behre said.Behre said he never expected the settling process to happen so quickly.“There's a neighborliness here,” he said. “There's been a wonderful sense of community here that I really appreciate.”