-Article by Sheetal Sohoni
I recently got a chance to interact with Dr. Subramanya, principal of R.V College Bangalore. Dr. Subramanya has over 29 years of experience in teaching, learning and research, 25 years of which he has been associated with R. V College. He is recipient of B.E in Industrial Engineering, M.Tech from IIT Chennai, MBA, and PhD degrees. At R.V. College, he worked his way up from lecturer to Principal. This experience has helped in shaping and developing Dr. Subrmanya’s philosophy towards teaching and learning. He is one of the leading forces behind creating an environment at his institution that encourages faculty growth and success. He believes in identifying and promoting an individual’s strengths, instead of trying to fit everybody in the same box. His passion for the institution he represents reflects through the sheer enthusiasm with which he walked me through the rich history, accolades and achievements of the institution. Here is a brief summary of my interaction with Dr. Subramanya.
The institution was established in 1963. R.V. College was one of the few privately owned institutions during that era. The institution is managed by a public charitable trust, which believes in empowering the Principal and faculty to manage and promote high educational standards. At the outset, the institution offered just three majors. Now the institution offers 12 majors for undergraduate degree, 16 post graduate majors, and has 15 research centers. As of August 2020, 7,000 students are enrolled at various academic levels at R.V College. The institution has been one of the most sought-after academic venues by students. The institution has maintained its high standards and demand from past several decades, and it ranks 70th in NIRF ranking. The institution’s placement record is very high too. 92 to 93 percent of the students get placed through campus interviews, with a median salary of Rs. 10,00,000. Recently, 50 students from the institution were placed at CISCO.
The institution realized the importance of research along with strong academic achievements. There are 375 faculty members out of which 215 have a PhD. Centers for excellence in research were developed to help and provide support for faculty members. Dr. Subrmanya described how before the centers were developed, faculty were working in siloes, but these centers have helped in bridging the gaps and improving collaboration among faculty members. The research culture is introduced right from the undergraduate degree level. This helps in improving students’ reading, writing, and research skills. The institution has been part of over 250 research projects since the inception of the research initiative 20 years ago. R.V College has also created industrial collaboration for the research centers with corporations like CISCO, Greece Cotton, and other institutions across the globe.
The institution believes in the philosophy of supporting and helping other institutions to improve the quality of engineering education and sharing best practices. It has been part of the Margadarshak initiative of AICTE and has provided guidance to tier ii and iii institutions regarding accreditation process and outcome-based education. Through this initiative, R.V College is mentoring around 11 institutions in Karnataka.
The institution believes in providing a holistic education to the students and has created platforms in form of 30 clubs to provide opportunities for students to develop interpersonal skills and professional skills. The high placement rate of R.V College demonstrates that the college has been successful in graduating well-rounded students.
The institution has been part of IUCEE since IUCEE’s inception. R.V College believes in the mission and vision of the organization. When asked which of IUCEE’s offerings is his favorite, Dr. Subramanya selected IUCEE Annual Leadership Summit. He is a champion of implementation and suggested that changes can only be brought about if we focus on the positive aspect and don’t get bogged down by failures. He feels that IUCEE’s leadership summits have provided him a platform to share and learn from his peers.
When enquired where the institution sees itself in the next ten years, Dr. Subramanya shared the plan of the institution to become a deemed university. He also reinforced the idea of staying true to its core values of high-quality education, transparency, openness, and truthfulness. The institution has stood tall with all the changes, and Dr. Subramanya believes that the institution’s core values will remain unadulterated over the several decades.
In an era of social media advertisement, the institution has survived for several decades with little to no marketing efforts. It has attracted bright students from across India because of its commitment to a high standard education. IUCEE team extends our best wishes to the institution.