Angered faculty members rally against Herbert

IU President Adam Herbert's decision to restart the search for a Bloomington campus chancellor has created a divide between him and many professors, prompting dissenting faculty members to voice their concerns in letters to Herbert and organize a meeting to discuss "leadership issues at IU."\nThe public clash could bring into the spotlight the growing division between Herbert, who is in his third year of his presidency, and University faculty who strongly believe in the idea of faculty governance.\nA meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. today in Alumni Hall at the Indiana Memorial Union, according to an e-mail circulated among IU faculty.\nThe Indiana Daily Student has obtained two letters, one addressed to Herbert and one addressed to the IU board of trustees. The letters express discontent among the IU faculty about the search process and the fact that Herbert did not select College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kumble Subbaswamy as chancellor. The letters also show concern regarding Herbert's job performance.\nThe letter that will be delivered to Herbert states he should reconsider Subbaswamy as IUB Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis' successor. The letter says if Subbaswamy is not named as the next chancellor it "will have adverse consequences for faculty morale and academic quality, in the College, on the Bloomington campus and throughout the Indiana University community."\nThe letter, written by Political Science Department Chairman Jeff Isaac, is signed by 21 COAS department chairs, 11 directors and a professor. \nIsaac said there will be other letters written. \n"The letter that we wrote is not just about (Subbaswamy)," Isaac said. "It's about our sense of what is necessary to move forward and our belief that the University has a fantastic internal candidate who really ought to be given more serious consideration. The letter articulates -- what I believe and I think what the people who signed the letter believe -- that it was very unfortunate that this decision was made, and we do believe that the decision was unwise and ought to be reconsidered."\nIU Student Association President Alex Shortle, who is a member of the chancellor search committee, said he will do everything he can to be a part of tonight's faculty meeting to understand the faculty's concerns and to make a student's voice heard. \nA concerned faculty member, who wished to be unnamed, said he has seen four or five documents authored by different faculty members. One of the documents, which has more than 100 signatories, shows there is a great deal of concern among faculty about what these recent events suggest about the leadership of the University, he said. \nThe draft of a second letter, to be sent to the trustees, was given to the IDS by a member of the chancellor search committee, but the author of the letter was not disclosed. \n"It is now apparent that the Chancellor's search has been badly handled, and President Herbert has lost an opportunity to incisively move the mission of the University forward," the letter states. "His poor performance in this area is emblematic of his failing presidency. Indiana University can no longer afford to be patient with President Herbert and his continued bad decisions (or lack of action) in the academic arena."\nThe letter, which will remain unsigned until revised and finalized by faculty members, attacks Herbert's "complacency in relying on an interim administration." \nThe letter also sets out specific concerns for the trustees, including: the immediate need for a chancellor, specifically Subbaswamy; bringing attention to "unprofessional and disrepectful" treatment to Subbaswamy during the search process; creating a new procress for selecting chancellors; and addressing whether Herbert has the University's best interests in mind.\nThe letter also suggests Subbaswamy will leave his post as COAS dean as a result of the way he was treated in the search, which would leave another gap in the administration. \nThe letter closes by saying: "Further, we respectfully request that the Board of Trustees carefully consider a reevaluation of Adam Herbert's policies and performance as President of Indiana University."\nChancellor search committee member and School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Robert Kravchuk said he doesn't think his signature on the letter would have any benefits, but it's important for the faculty members to convey to Herbert the strength of their feelings. \n"The plain fact is (the letter is) not going to get us a chancellor any quicker," Kravchuk said.\nHerbert spent Wednesday at the groundbreaking of Research Building III in Indianapolis but is aware the letter is coming, said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre. Herbert will be attending the IU board of trustees meeting at IU-East in Richmond. \nMacIntyre said Herbert knew not everyone would be happy with his decision to continue the search, and he would be happy to take a scheduled meeting about the issue with anyone.\n"Yet as (Herbert) has said several times as president, he must make decisions which are based solely on what is best on the long-term interests of Indiana University," MacIntyre said. "(Herbert) just feels he cannot allow himself to be swayed by popular opinion. (Herbert) considers this the single most important hire he will make as president. He wants to work with the faculty and try to find as much common ground a possible." \nSeveral members of the search committee said they are more than willing to continue to serve on the committee citing a commitment to filling one of the most important positions at IU. \nTrevor Brown, chairman of the chancellor search committee and former School of Journalism dean, said there is much support for Subbaswamy because of the "oustanding" job he has done as COAS dean, something he said Herbert and Gros Louis agree with as well.\nWalter Gantz, chair of the telecommunications department, who signed the letter to Herbert, said he has worked with Subbaswamy for a number of years and was always impressed by his decision-making, openness, honesty, integrity and personal interest in every department and each faculty member. Gantz said he was pleased when the search committee recommended Subbaswamy because the COAS dean would help IUB, and IU in general, grow into a better University.\n"I signed on the letter along with the other chairs because I was keenly disappointed, and as the letter notes we hope that the president, who I'm sure gave it careful consideration, will reconsider his decision to not name Subbaswamy as chancellor," he said. \nSumit Ganguly, director of the India Studies department, said he respects Herbert's prerogative to name the chancellor he feels is best for the University, but he is particularly distressed by how the situation with Subbaswamy was handled. The fact that Subbaswamy was not given the chancellorship after his candidacy was made public completely undermines his position as the dean of COAS.\n"Once his name was known in the public domain that he was a candidate for the chancellorship, then to deny him the chancellorship in many ways, is deeply insulting," Ganguly said.\nGros Louis declined comment. IU law professor Fred Cate, who organized tonight's faculty meeting, and Subbaswamy did not return phone calls by press time.\n-- Campus Editors Rick Newkirk and Michael Zennie and Staff Writer Brian Baker contributed to this report.