VPSA candidate Erwin focuses on his vision for a healthy University community at forum
Steven Erwin, the second of three candidates for the position of Vice President for Student Affairs to visit campus, focused on his vision for creating a healthy University community at a public forum Oct. 14. He currently serves as Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Auxiliary Services, Pittsburg State University, Kansas.
Erwin earned an associate degree in science from Olney Ill. Central College in 1980, a bachelor’s in communications and theatre arts in 1982, and a master’s in guidance and counseling in 1984 from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, a specialist degree in community college/HIED in 2006 from Pittsburg (Kan.) State University, and his doctorate in higher education leadership from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 2009.
He has held his current position since 2004. He is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Education serving the leadership studies curriculum. Prior to that, he was interim and associate vice president for student affairs and director of university housing for Pittsburg State University. While at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, he served as assistant to the assistant chancellor for student affairs and as the assistant director of student housing. He was director of residence life at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and residence hall director at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
In his talk, Erwin said that he feels his ability to provide an ambitious vision is one of the strengths he could bring to the position, and that he could help move UND from great to exceptional. He cited a quote by Gary Schear: “True leaders provide vision to take people where they otherwise would not go.” Erwin said that people are both the foundation and fulfillment of vision. “It’s the right people on the right bus in the right seats,” he said.
He added that he knows many people from UND, and it’s apparent that the University’s motivation and heart are strong. “The soul of the citizenry is right,” he said, citing President Kelley’s State of the University talk.
Erwin said he has six key ingredients to fulfill his vision.
First, change is systemic and evolutionary. He said that we want to believe that cause and effect are proportional, and that change is instantaneous. But it’s not that way; it’s incremental. Continuous and sustainable change is not easy and takes persistence, he said. He said he would focus on the issue of change and adapt for continuous change.
Second, history and tradition feed the future. Founded in 1883, it’s remarkable that UND flourished, Erwin said, adding that his university had their own visionary similar to George Walsh. Those who came before us didn’t endure hardships in order to fail.
Diversity is multi-dimensional, and it’s everyone’s responsibility. Diversity is all about numbers: background, educational experience, support services, programs, and more, Erwin said. And it can be limiting if we just stop there. Who is responsible for diversity? Where is the intention? It’s a shared commitment by everyone, Erwin said. He added that a couple of years ago he helped form a book group, which read Creating Inclusive Campus Environments, published by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. That book transformed his thinking about diversity, Erwin said. The range of diversity goes beyond color of skin and origin, and includes the true business of the university – curriculum. “We had an opportunity we hadn’t pursued,” he said. “The majority of courses can weave in diversity, and we can be a better place for diverse students.”
Fourth, leadership matters, Erwin said. Leaders are first servants, and he embraces the concept of servant leadership. He believes in being inclusive, transparent, and engaging, among other concepts. “Engagement is key to effective decision-making,” he said, adding that collective ideas are better than individuals. However, we can’t always be democratic, and sometimes the majority is wrong. Most significant social movements were not supported by the majority, Erwin said, citing integration, women’s suffrage, and other movements. “The majority felt that everything was just fine.”
Fifth, people who ask hard questions are not the enemy, said Erwin. Conflict of ideas is exceptional. Conflict of people is not. We need to help people understand that. And we need to resist protectionism and respond to criticism by seeking feedback.
Sixth, collaboration is essential. Erwin said his two defining qualities, vision and collaboration, are at the core of his success. He said that universities often don’t collaborate well because their structure inhibits it. Silos, bureaucratic and hierarchal structure, along with specialized disciplines, often inhibit it. However, Erwin said, we need to have a new way of doing business, and collaboration is essential to solving problems.
He then took questions from the audience, the answers to which are summarized below.
With the plethora of great ideas at universities, it can be hard to determine what’s worthy of time and energy, an audience member said. That person then asked how Erwin prioritizes. Erwin said he thrives on chaos, and that most things deserve some attention. He is able to compartmentalize and spend time on issues relative to their urgency. “It’s like the thousand-piece puzzle at your aunt’s house,” he said. “It’s always there, and it’s a balancing act to see how everything fits together.” At the senior leadership level, he said, people want to know their issues matter.
Success in collaboration is summarized in his application letter, Erwin said. He is interested in partnerships, and he hasn’t achieved any of his successes alone. He has a strong collaborative relationship with Pittsburg State’s enrollment management office. “Most effective projects are collaborative,” he said, citing the need at his university to develop a counseling center. They moved from contract counselors to a counseling center and involved a coalition of community agencies, the university, and more to succeed.
When asked what causes coalitions to fail, Erwin said, “Egos.” Or, he said, they are not true collaborations – you must establish mutual goals.
To “keep the flywheel going,” Erwin said it takes one push after another. You never know, he said, which push starts the project and which push keeps it moving.
Erwin said he was a transfer student in college: he began his education at the University of Illinois and lasted three weeks. He then attended a community college. Transfers are important to a campus like UND, he said, as students use other routes to come to us. He recommends establishing relationships with feeder colleges, forming – and listening to – focus groups, and mirroring the transfer experience with the new freshman experience, even though there may be some pushback from those students. They tell you they know what’s happening, Erwin said about transfers. But they really don’t, and they need that information.
The UND position is desirable to him because of the parallels between Pittsburg State and UND (excepting the size difference): the culture of the community and campus, the work ethic of the University community, and the size of the town. He said that when he researched UND, he was surprised by the array of programs. “You have a combination of unique things that position you for a national presence beyond what you already have,” he said. He said that he visited UND in 1989, driving a bus to a NACURH conference on campus. “The growth is amazing.” He said that he feels energy when people talk about where UND is going, along with some uncertainty. “I’m at ease with that,” he said. “UND has a good energy and it’s poised to move.”
When it comes to providing services for online students, Erwin said that online means a lot of different things. Students can learn and pay fees online, and even though they’re at a distance, given today’s mobility, some can partake of campus services. Online students need to interact with us, he said.
When asked about involving students in the decision-making process, Erwin said he talked about that in his initial telephone interview. He has a background in hall government, and didn’t do anything without student input. It’s systemic and foundational, part of the culture at Pittsburg State, he said, and is built into everything the campus does. There, he said, they work committee meetings around student schedules, and there is pressure on students to show up at meetings. There’s also continuity involved: students don’t see immediate change, but eight years later, they reap the benefits of work by previous students.
One audience member asked how he advocates for students when other members of the administration don’t agree on the issue. “You just do,” Erwin said. “That’s the expectation.” For example, he said, the President’s Council at his university held a discussion about student organizations hosting political organizations. The College Republicans wanted to bring a candidate to speak on campus, and the regents prohibit campaign activities on campus. However, he said, a student organization bringing a candidate to campus is different than the candidate campaigning on his or her own on campus. After a heated discussion, his view prevailed.
Universities play a tremendous role in educating students about fiscal responsibility, Erwin said. They have a mandatory freshman course that includes educating students about their obligations, and the implications of loans and credit cards. The financial aid office interacts with and can influence students. His campus also has an active Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) organization that offers programs.
Regarding the issue of high-risk drinking, Erwin said that as Pittsburg State implemented its new counseling center, they continued employment of one program contractor who had experience in alcohol counseling and focused on prevention and wellness. That person implemented a successful educational project that included peer educators. “Gorilla in the Midst” focuses on social norms and positive messages, and involved the campus.
About students in crisis situations, he said that those situations can potentially outpace resources if the university is not careful. He said we need to take a collaborative view and recognize problems before they become acute. An early warning system can help recognize problems early and intervene with counseling and discipline. He said it needs to involve the community, and you must draw boundaries lest the issue become disruptive to the campus environment.
