Two years after his start at Illinois State, Strand was upgraded to vice president of the Business and Finance department.

Some of Strand's main concerns upon adopting the presidency were to fuel university enhancement, match employee salary to those of peer schools, and to stabilize yearly enrollment rates.

He also made an extreme initiative to acquire funding (though the university's debt limit hit capacity) to revamp the Science building.

This initiative became the Pilot Implementation Committee, which assisted faculty in creating course ideas and proposals.

[2] By his resignation from Illinois State University on June 30, 1999, David A. Strand had served at the school for nearly 21 years.

[1] Strand is best remembered for his first state of the university address, in which he recognized what he called the "Four C's": cooperation, collaboration, communication, and civility.

[citation needed] He emphasized a push on many of the educational and structural goals the university held prior to his entrance.

He continues to be active in the surrounding area of the university community and is president of the Immanuel Bible Foundation.