When Indiana University offered Kumble R. Subbaswamy the job of heading its College of Arts and Sciences, he literally jumped at the proposal.  This IU alumnus believes that his appointment as COAS dean is a chance to “pay back” to the school where he earned his doctorate in physics in 1976. 

           “IU is a special place for me as I got all my breaks here,” explains Subbaswamy, who left Bangalore in southern India in 1971 to join the university on a graduate fellowship.  Undoubtedly, this father of two young children, a girl, 11, and a boy, 5, views his return to Bloomington as both a professional and a personal boon.  “I had a great experience, a great education, and it’s a beautiful campus. This is a labor of love for me.”

           Not surprisingly, Subbaswamy has had a busy induction.  With 5,800 undergraduate majors and 3,000 graduate students, COAS offers more than 50 baccalaureate majors and nearly 40 doctoral programs.  In fact, “never a dull moment” is how he describes his initial campus experience.  He is well aware that the road ahead is not an easy one since one of his main tasks is to put the College’s finances, which has been battling rising costs and lower income, on a robust footing.  As undergraduate tuition is a primary source of their revenue, he hopes to enhance IU’s enrollment numbers through better recruiting and marketing efforts.

           He believes strongly in the benefits of a liberal arts education. “There’s a big misconception that there’s a big difference between people who get professional degrees and liberal arts degrees,” he notes, “That’s not true – the changing marketplace is looking for critical thinking and better communication skills – qualities you get from a liberal arts education.”

           Meanwhile, Subbaswamy is holding discussions with faculty to gather feedback and ideas on how to make COAS more competitive.  One suggestion is the introduction of an international studies major that capitalizes on its existing strengths in language and cultural studies.  Another is to arrange joint majors and minors in information technology with the School of Informatics to give arts and science majors a “leg up” in the workforce.

           Elaborating on his consultative style of work, he explains, “I don’t believe a single person can know all the answers.  I believe in a very open process, in better communication.  Everyone should know what’s going on.”

           He believes in making the most of IU’s human resources.  “What’s rewarding is that we have some of the best minds in the world in different areas here.  We have wonderful, talented people.”

           Subbaswamy’s vision for the future is to ensure that COAS remains the center of all education on campus.  “That’s our challenge,” he stresses.  “Regardless of what professional path you take, a liberal arts background is relevant in today’s world.”

           For now, one of his most pressing tasks is to address the inequity in the salaries of teaching staff, a key element in retaining faculty.  “It’s frustrating that IU has fallen behind in faculty salaries compared to other Big 10 institutions.  Our people are being hired away by them,” Subbaswamy says.  “The greatest asset in any university is its faculty.  If you have good faculty, then good students will come.  That’s what makes a university great.”

           While the assignment at hand may seem onerous, it is old hat to him, having tackled similar problems in his previous job.  Before returning to Bloomington on July 1, Subbaswamy, who goes by the name Swamy, was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla., for three years.  There, he spearheaded the recruitment of more students, a review of its curriculum and also undertook a vigorous advancement effort.  He has also held positions at other research institutions, including teaching at the University of California-Irvine and the University of Kentucky, where in his 18 years, he served as chair of the physics department as well as an associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. 

           As a full professor of physics, he also plans to teach classes next year. Certainly, Subbaswamy believes that being an educator, especially one with his experience, makes him a better administrator as both roles are intertwined.  “In a complex modern university like IU, you really do need an academic administrator who can provide coherence to the institution’s mission,” he notes.

           Summing up his IU experience to date, he describes the transition as “smooth.”  “There’s a great deal of goodwill on campus.  I find the place quite open to all kinds of questions and discussions.  People are receptive to change, they’re eager to make things better,” he says.  “Since I bring an outsider’s perspective, that makes all the difference.”

“I look forward to reinvigorating the College in a very short period of time. In two years, we will be a much more dynamic environment,” he promises.