Less than four years after its introduction, a graduate program is being eliminated due to budget cuts.

If the university budget is approved at Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting in Urbandale, the program for organizational learning and human resource development, housed in the College of Education, will lose its funding and be cut from the university.

According to the program’s Web site, the focus is on the three professional practice areas in the field of human resource development – organizational learning, performance and change. It is designed to provide masters and doctoral students with skills that will prepare them for leadership roles in organizations, as well as in human resource development.

This is part of the new budget that reduces the College of Education’s course offerings by 16 sections and raises the possibility of longer times to graduation and fewer choices for students who need classes.

This graduate program, which began in 1999, has an enrollment of 30 students.

Walt Gmelch, dean of the College of Education, said students currently enrolled in the program will still be able to complete their degrees at Iowa State.

He said there were a number of factors that contributed to the loss of the program.

“We lost two of the three faculty, and we decided not to rehire for the positions,” Gmelch said. “It was a good program, but not as central to our college as other areas. There are other venues that can prepare people in that area.”

Gmelch said the program cut will save the university two faculty positions, in turn saving more than $100,000 over the course of a year.

Ellen Mullen, assistant professor in organizational learning and human resource development, said she has not received official notice of the cut.

“I haven’t been given any reasons for the removal yet, but I know timing has a lot to do with it. I know we’re committed to the students, and we will finish them,” she said. “Currently, we’re not taking applications.”