Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

February 13, 2004

Geoffroy announces intent to combine FCS, Education colleges

by John McCarroll
President Gregory Geoffroy announced Feb. 2 that the university plans to combine the colleges of Education and Family and Consumer Sciences in order to reduce administrative costs and enhance synergies between the two colleges. Such a move would mark the first time that colleges have been combined at Iowa State. It would reduce the number of colleges from eight to seven.

A committee of faculty and staff, in consultation with students and alumni, will develop plans to carry out the restructuring. Benjamin Allen, vice president for academic affairs and provost, will appoint the committee. Consolidation of the two colleges is to be completed by June 30, 2005, Geoffroy said.

No academic programs will be eliminated, and students enrolled in the two existing colleges will be able to complete course work toward their degrees.

"The seven consecutive reductions in state appropriations we have experienced over the last four years have severely affected our ability to maintain eight colleges, each with its own administrative structure," Geoffroy said. "By combining these colleges, we will eliminate administrative expenses and strengthen the academic offerings of the combined college."

The search for a new dean for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences has been ended. Interim Dean Pam White has agreed to continue in that position and Walter Gmelch will continue serving as dean of the College of Education until a permanent dean for the combined college is selected.

Geoffroy's decision to begin the planning process resulted from an intensive study conducted in recent months by Allen and senior academic leaders, including the eight deans.

"Among the options we discussed was making no change in the administrative structure of our colleges, but that's unrealistic, considering the financial reality we face," Allen said. "At the same time, it must be noted that we started this study knowing we already have a very lean organization in the number of colleges that make up Iowa State University."

Savings from combining the two colleges is estimated at $500,000 to $700,000 annually, depending on details of the structure of the combined college, Allen said.

College links
Geoffroy said an important factor in his decision to combine the two colleges is the strong academic connections between Family and Consumer Sciences and Education.

"Those ties are particularly strong in the areas of elementary education and early childhood development, health and human performance and human nutrition, family and consumer sciences education and secondary education, and the leadership programs of the two colleges" Geoffroy said.

"I want to emphasize that Iowa State's commitment to training teachers, school administrators, experts in health and nutrition and family and consumer sciences remains as strong as ever. We're going to do this within a more streamlined administrative structure," Geoffroy said.

State financial support for Iowa State has been cut considerably over the last four years, he said.

"We simply have to find new ways to carry out the commitment we have to the people of Iowa," he added.