A Personal Look At James Erwin

by Alex Shterenberg

It is hard to imagine someone dreaming about becoming an advisor to college students throughout his high school and college years. It is easy to be advised by that person. Students, often subjected to the enormous pressure of choosing classes and majors, in situations where a wrong step might prove impossible to correct for in following years, students often count on Dean Erwin and his colleagues as their sole guides.

N ine years of advising have not been just honey and milk for Dean Erwin. He ceaselessly faces new challenges, the greatest of which is, in his opinion, the interpretation of the curriculum. "There are very few typical students; everybody is very different." he said. "Fitting a single curriculum to suit all of them is difficult."

A s a part of his continuous effort to improve the satisfaction of students, Dean Erwin has recently initiated a research project. Records of engineering students, especially those who have dropped out, transferred, or done exceptionally badly, will be gathered in a special database. The data will allow the deans to decrease the retraction rate. Studies conducted before encompassed only one class at most.

"W e are looking to work out constant, solid, predictable procedures," Dean Erwin said. He pointed out that the administration is not interested in general statements. Individual remedies will be proposed for every student showing a warning trend. The deans will arm themselves with the findings to make the lives of their advisees easier. If serious concerns are discovered, Dean Erwin does not rule out the possibility of confronting the faculty with a demand to adjust the programs to the needs and desires of the students. "Faculty has to approve any serious change -- it's a given," Mr. Erwin said.

S ince Dean Colombo agreed to serve as an advisor of financial aid, he has transferred his approval tasks to Dean Erwin. Because of this change, Ms. Ko, who has recently graduated from the Student Personnel Administration Program at the Teacher's College, was recently hired as a full time academic advisor.

L ooking at the expertise of Dean Erwin, it is hard to believe that he does not have educational background in engineering. The deceiving "engineer's" image that one would attribute to him must have genealogical origins, for James Erwin was born into a family of Pennsylvanian engineers. His father was a power engineer. His brother, who is 3 years younger, is a mechanical and electrical engineer.

A fter peaceful years in a small high school in West Philadelphia, Mr. Erwin entered the college where several years earlier his father met his mother -- Vanderbilt University. Despite his father's persistent efforts to persuade him to become an engineer , Mr. Erwin majored in the liberal arts.

"I knew that I would wind up in education somewhere," Mr. Erwin said, "I thought about teaching but I was more interested in administration." His first attempt to gain an administrative position in education failed when University of Pennsylvania turned him down after an interview. But Mr. Erwin did not despair. He accepted a position in a business firm downtown New York.

I n 1986, Dean Erwin accomplished the dream of his life. He was hired by the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia.

M r. Erwin believes he could not possibly find a better place than Columbia. "Working here is a great experience," he said. He was so sure he had found his dream job that when the University of Pennsylvania finally offered him a position, he turned it down. "It is difficult to imagine working somewhere else," Mr. Erwin said, "Meeting so many different people from other places is a great benefit that makes Columbia special."

T wo neighborhoods play important roles in Mr. Erwin's life -- Morningside Heights and his residence, a cozy area in Greenwich Village around Hudson Street. He is intimately involved in the life of his neighborhood. Mr. Erwin, who is not married, counts many friends among his neighbors. He is also a passionate lover of theater. The Jean Cocteau theater on the Bowery in Greenwich Village, for which he buys a subscription every year, is his favorite.

H aving achieved his career goal, Dean Erwin still looks at the future with passion. "My professional goals evolve all the time. I would like to perfect my current position," he said.

W hat would he change in his life if given a chance? Dean Erwin smiled, "Nothing. I think I've been very lucky. I don't have any regrets. This has been a great place to work, good career. I am quite content with the whole arrangement."