Sonoma State University sent an email to students at the beginning of the fall semester about the change of university departments, such as the Sonoma State Police reporting to Student Affairs. This strategic move aims to support the police department’s emphasis on student well-being, community, and care, merging the department with other student support services already in place under Student Affairs.
The campus administration strives to foster connections between various departments to help students’ academic experience while attending Sonoma State University. Before the change of departments, the university police department reported to the division of administration and finance. This change was implemented by the president of Sonoma State University. This isn’t the only university to change its ways of order, as universities such as San Francisco State University and California State University, East Bay are also following suit, according to SSU Police Chief Nader Oweis.
Ultimately, “the decision came from the President,” said Oweis, and it was a decision made after talking to the President and Student Affairs. This move wasn’t a hard decision, as the police department already worked closely with Student Affairs…