The Educational Policies Council decided to merge the sociology and justice studies programs at their meeting yesterday.

Robert Frank, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, said the merging of the programs was well thought out.

“They had done extensive internal conversations so it was appropriate that would be passed easily because they had done all their homework,” Frank said.

Timothy Moerland, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said this merge will not take anything away from students.

“This will reinforce the experience for students both in sociology and in the justice studies program,” Moerland said. “It provides greater depth of faculty expertise.”

Moerland said this merger is logical because there are many faculty members in sociology and justice studies who have educational backgrounds that overlap.

Another action decided at the meeting was the deactivation of the horticultural technology major, which is now only available at the Salem campus, and the industrial trades technology major, now at the Trumbull campus.

Tom Janson, Faculty Senate chair and professor of music, said this merger was decided mostly because of the lack of students and faculty within the majors.

“If you have two students or three students in a program, it’s not the students’ problem, it’s the university’s problem to deliver instruction,” Janson said. “Obviously, with only two students in a majorm we don’t have the staff to offer all the courses.”

Contact academics reporter Suzi Starheim at [email protected].