About 150 supporters of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences crowded around the steps of Beardshear Hall Monday afternoon to protest the proposed combination of the college with the College of Education.

Some waved posters proclaiming “We love FCS!” while others took their turns at a microphone, urging the crowd to let administrators know they are against the merger.

At some points between speakers, the crowd broke out into chants of “FCS! FCS!” Even Cy, the ISU mascot, turned out to support the college and provide comic relief to the crowd.

Speakers included students, faculty and alumni of the college.

Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, and Drew Miller, Government of the Student Body presidential candidate, also spoke in support of preserving the college as an independent unit.

Beverly Crabtree, alumna and former dean of the college from 1987 to 1997, said the costs of merging the College of Family and Consumer Sciences with another college could exceed the money the university would lose from alumni donations.

“Alumni and friends of the college contribute between $3 and $5 million each year to the ISU Foundation for college program priorities and scholarships,” she said.

The mandate to merge the two colleges was made with no strategic plan or feasibility study and without input from those the combination would most affect, Crabtree said.

“Let me state right up front — I am opposed to the plan to merge our college with another college,” she said. “It is incomprehensible that the central administration has recommended for our college be reduced in stature … yes, budgets are tight right now, but there are other alternatives that should be considered.”

Betty Trost, president of the Iowa Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, said the planned combination is not in the best interests of the families of Iowa, the nation and the world.

“The 200 members of the Iowa Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, many who are alumni of the college, are horrified that the administration has taken this step,” said Trost, graduate student in family and consumer sciences education and studies. “They see this as the end to the proud and long tradition of the college.”

George Kevin Randall, graduate student in human development and family studies, compared the tradition of the college to some of Iowa State’s well-known landmarks.

“At what cost would we bulldoze and destroy Central Campus and the Campanile?” he said. “We are greater than just the sum of our departments.”

A small crowd of administrators watched the rally from across the street, including Thomas Hill; vice president for student affairs, John McCarroll, director of university relations; and Pete Englin, dean of students.

Hill said he thinks the administration will “absolutely” take the speakers’ concerns into consideration when making a decision on the proposed college combination.

“I thought it was a well-organized and very effective rally,” he said.

Neither ISU President Gregory Geoffroy nor Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Ben Allen attended the rally.

Geoffroy said he couldn’t attend the rally because he had to take a previously scheduled conference call with the Board of Regents.

“I made sure plenty of people were there listening to students. As we’ve said all along, there will be plenty of opportunity for everyone involved to have input,” he said.