Concerns about lost identity and a lack of planning dominated discussion Thursday when about 60 alumni and faculty attended a forum to address the combination of the Colleges of Family and Consumer Sciences and Education.

The forum, held by the planning committee for the merger, was conducted specifically to give alumni a chance to voice their opinions, said Susan Carlson, associate provost and planning committee facilitator.

Before the forum, she said the provost’s office had received several letters from alumni expressing their opinions and considered the forum an excellent opportunity to discuss them.

Alumni of both colleges contributed their concerns and hopes for the proposed combination at the forum.

Julie Rosin, College of Family and Consumer Sciences alumna, said she was worried the college would lose its identity in the merger.

“I’m not an Iowan. I grew up in Minnesota,” she said. “There’s only one reason I came to Iowa State, and that’s because I wanted to be a home economics teacher.”

She said she heard about Iowa State’s reputation came to Ames because of it.

“That’s the key issue — how do we preserve the identity?” she said.

Mary Watkins, College of Family and Consumer Sciences alumna, said she was also concerned the college would lose its heritage.

“We have a lot of heritage and reputation,” she said. “You don’t have to go far to find someone who considers [Family and Consumer Sciences] a top program.”

Dick Manatt, alumnus and former professor in the College of Education, said he had positive views of combining the colleges.

“We have an opportunity to prove that we can pull it off,” he said. “It won’t disappoint in the long run.”

Ardyce Roehr, College of Family and Consumer Sciences alumna, said the university should have created a plan before it announced the solution of combining the colleges.

“I feel that the strategic plan needed to be made before the proposal,” she said. “I think the speed this is going at is much too rapid.”

Jackie Manatt, former College of Education professor, said she considers the merge an opportunity to aid the budget-strapped colleges.

“As the money keeps getting cut … I would hate to see the colleges limp by,” she said. “I would like to see the strength remain.”

Rosin said one of her main concerns was there was not enough study conducted to determine if the merger was the best option.

“I would just like to see more study and information,” she said.

Beverly Crabtree, former dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, agreed with Rosin. She compared the combination of the colleges to the Atkins diet.

“There’s no proof it will work,” she said.