The Department of Community and Regional Planning may soon share leadership with the landscape architecture department.

Riad Mahayni, professor and chairman of community and regional planning, is stepping down. College of Design Dean Mark Engelbrecht recently told faculty the college is considering unifying the department’s leadership with that of the landscape architecture department.

If the plan is adopted, the current landscape architecture chairman, J. Timothy Keller, would undertake double responsibility and become chairman of both departments July 1.

“No one is talking about merging departments, just unifying leadership at the top,” Engelbrecht said.

The departments would remain individual entities with separate budgets, faculty and students, said Keller, professor of landscape architecture. The departments must also remain separate to maintain national accreditation.

The community and regional planning department would have an associate chair position to manage day-to-day organization, Engelbrecht said.

Despite efforts to maintain distinct department identities, Keller said one drawback would be the resulting perception of unification.

“There are worries in the department that if it has a chair from another part of the college, it might lose some independence,” Engelbrecht said. “But I don’t think it will happen.”

Mahayni acknowledges the risk, but said “the programs will maintain integrity in terms of impact on students.”

Adopting a unified leadership model may help ensure both programs fulfill the needs of students.

“An alternative option would be other cost-saving solutions, such as reducing the number of courses or not hiring faculty,” Keller said.

The college will save $50,000 to $70,000 a year by not hiring another chairperson, Engelbrecht said.

“There is not another good option right now,” he said. “The college has a lot of young faculty who would not benefit from taking on that kind of leadership role right now.”

If adopted, the success of the new structure will depend on the leadership of the chairman. Engelbrecht said Keller is well versed in both community planning and landscape architecture and is capable of meeting both positions’ demands.

Keller said he will be able to give both departments the attention they need.

“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think I can,” he said.

The college is currently conducting a series of faculty meetings, and Engelbrecht will meet with community and regional planning students today. The college will also consult a primarily alumni-based advisory group.

Mahayni has spent six years as chairman of community and regional planning and one year as acting chairman. He is currently working on a Community Outreach Partnership Center focused on inner-city issues in Des Moines. He is also helping develop a virtual reality model of the Temple of Heaven and a commercial site in Beijing, China, with a grant from the National Science Foundation. Mahayni said he hopes his resignation will give him more time to focus on research and teaching.

Mahayni made his decision to step down two months ago, he said. The college recently finished the re-appointment process.

“I’m disappointed he’s stepping down,” Keller said. “He’s been an effective leader in that department.”