By Maggie Cassidy, News Staff

Professors and students from the College of Criminal Justice (CCJ) met April 28 with members of the committee charged with advising the provost on potentially restructuring CCJ and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
The meeting came on the heels of several CCJ faculty and students voicing concerns about their lack of involvement in the committee’s decision-making process, and weeks before Provost Stephen Director is set to accept a report from the committee on the possibilities of restructuring May 15.
Darren Costa, a middler criminal justice major and Student Government Association senator, said he is confident the committee understands that the vast majority of CCJ members are against dissolving the college’s current structure, but said the purpose of the April 28 meeting, which he attended and helped organize, was instead to learn ‘what were their opinions on the restructuring, and no one really answered that.’
‘It was more reassuring to make sure the entire committee hears our concerns,’ Costa said. ‘It’s a little disappointing that we didn’t get all the answers that we wanted and it’s a little disappointing that the students were the ones who had to put this together ‘hellip; but at least we have some answers to bring back to the student body.’
While Costa said he was hoping to hear the committee’s views, committee member Nikos Passas, a criminal justice professor, said during the meeting that was not the committee’s role. He said the committee is ‘not a decision-making committee’ and they are only ‘here to make recommendations.’
‘Hearing from us what our view is isn’t all that useful because we’re not the ones that will make the decision,’ he said, adding that ‘what you are saying is being listened to, what you are saying will be in that report.’

‘- News staff Anne Baker contributed to this report