Updated at 10:55 p.m. CST

The combination of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the College of Education is expected to be given final approval by the Iowa Board of Regents on Thursday.

Just one week after the Faculty Senate approved the combination with a tie-breaking vote from Faculty Senate President Sanjeev Agarwal, the regents are expecting to receive a request to combine the college under the name College of Human Sciences.

ISU President Gregory Geoffroy will submit a report updating the combination’s progress before the Board’s Education and Student Affairs Committee. If requested by Geoffroy, the regents may approve the combination, which is expected to take place on July 1.

As of last week, however, Geoffroy said he has yet to formulate a recommendation.

[Geoffroy said in a news release Monday that he would recommend that the regents approve the plan to combine the colleges and name the resulting college the “College of Human Sciences.”]

The combination has become a contested issue, with debate centering mainly on the new college’s proposed name. Faculty members from both colleges have said the name “Human Sciences” is confusing and under-represents the College of Education. Not wanting to sacrifice the colleges’ identities, some have proposed combining the names into one.

This has drawn criticism from other faculty members who argue that slapping the two names together doesn’t represent the idea of collaboration.

Before the official vote on the combination, the Faculty Senate unofficially voted 37 to 31 against the name change only. The combination itself won 60 to 8 in an unofficial vote.

In November, 79 percent of faculty members from the FCS and Education Colleges approved the proposed plan.

“I believe it will be good for the two colleges,” Agarwal said. “None of the eliminations will be program-related. It’s basically two separate pieces being put together, but remaining independent in its structure.”

The plan calls for the elimination of five staff positions between the two colleges, as well as the reduction of one dean and two associate dean positions.

Under the report, one dean and three associate deans would lead the college.

The plan also suggests the colleges’ student services functions be combined under a team of six full-time professionals and scientific staff, resulting in the elimination of 2.5 current positions. Through the reduction of current positions and administrative costs, the combination would generate nearly $500,000 in annual savings.

It’s proposed that the savings be used for supporting academic work, with the highest priority placed on hiring new faculty, as well as used for remodeling the east wing of MacKay Hall — which would be the location of the new college’s student services office.

“There will be no change in the department structure. No program or department is being eliminated,” Agarwal said.

“I have no doubt this can be done. Just look at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — it’s one of the most complex colleges on campus with all of its diverse departments, and it’s being managed very efficiently and effectively.”

— Daily staff reports contributed to this article.