The Faculty Senate will soon hear a proposal to spend $1 million to remodel part of MacKay Hall.

The money would be spent on the first floor east wing for the student services section of the proposed College of Human Sciences — the combination of the Family and Consumer Sciences and Education colleges.

The student service section would house the multicultural liaison officer, classification officer, recruitment and retention officer, advising coordinator, international program coordinator and career services director for the new college.

The plan suggests the student services functions of the colleges combine under a team of six full-time professional and scientific staff. The renovation would also allow space for a conference room where student organizations could meet or employers could interview students.

“This will improve the services to both groups of students because each college provides services the other doesn’t. By combining student services, students will receive considerably better advice, support and counseling,” said Jerry Thomas, interim dean of health and human performance.

Thomas said the FCS college has two departments that prepare students to become teachers, and now with the combination, FCS students will have more access to advice and counseling in teacher education. He also said the education students will benefit because FCS does a better job with placement and following up with graduates.

Pam White, interim dean of FCS, said the college does not have a full-time position dedicated to career services, but the College of Education does. With the merger, FCS students will have someone available to help with the placement of students after graduation. She also said that with the merger, education students would have assistance with recruitment and retention, which would increase continuity for students as they transition to Iowa State.

The proposal for the combination of the College of Education and the College of Family and Consumer Sciences states that based on the proposed structure of the new Dean’s Office and the Student Services Office, the combination plan would generate $500,000 in annual savings.

“The planning committee proposes to use the $500,000 savings generated from the first year of the combination and have the president and provost match the savings for a total of $1 million for renovation,” White said. “Currently the provost has promised $425,000 to renovate the student services unit and is looking for an additional $75,000.”

White said the building addition meets the intention that savings from the merger support the academic achievement of the college.

The combination of the student services would result in the elimination of 2.5 current positions in this area.

“We still need to come up with a complete human resources plan for staffing the new administration structure,” White said.

On Nov. 9, the provost introduced the plan developed by the Planning Committee for the Combination of the Colleges of Education and Family and Consumer Sciences to the Faculty Senate.

The Faculty Senate is expected to vote on the proposal at the Dec. 7 meeting. They will give an advisory vote to Provost Ben Allen and ISU President Gregory Geoffroy. The last two steps in approval would be Geoffroy’s affirmative recommendation for the merger and action by the Board of Regents.