Criminal Justice, Sociology Become Two Separate Departments

October 15, 2012

The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice has separated to become two independent departments at SUNY Plattsburgh.

The separation, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2012, will allow each department ― the Department of Sociology and the Department of Criminal Justice ― to develop its own discipline further and offer students the most progressive perspectives on topics in those fields.

The separation at SUNY Plattsburgh was an idea that had been growing for a few years.

“This separation between sociology and criminal justice mirrors a national trend,” said Dr. Sandra Rezac, the sociology department chair. “As each discipline has evolved … many departments like ours have realized that students and faculty can be better served by two distinct departments.”

The primary reasons for the split were to reduce confusion about curriculum for each department and to better serve students.

Dr. Robert Davis, the criminal justice department chair, believes the separation is a boon to students. “The new governance structure will be less confusing to students, making it more obvious which classes fall under which curriculum, and will create an enhanced identity for student majors in each program.”