About 50 faculty members attended an interest meeting to discuss the possible creation of a peace and social justice center on campus Monday.

Dr. Caron Gentry, associate professor of political science, submitted the proposal and said feedback for the center was positive.

Unlike a club, the center would be a resource for both students and staff and would focus on the university’s research, education and engagement of peace and social justice. Internship opportunities also would become available.

“We’re currently still in the early stages,” Gentry said. “It will look at Christians in higher education, and how might we use our lives to investigate peace and social justice.”

Gentry said the facility would complement the peace and social justice minor, which became available to students last year.

“The minor would possibly be housed in the center, and we’d possibly look at expanding it as a major,” she said. “We’ve been dreaming, and we’ve been dreaming big.”

Dr. David Dillman, Jack Pope Fellows program director and professor of political science, said the newly developed minor would serve as an umbrella for the center. Principally, the minor examines how humans resolve conflict to achieve peace and justice.

“The director of the center would be the adviser for the minor because it is interdisciplinary,” he said. “No department owns the minor because it draws from seven different departments and three different colleges.”

Jonathan Holmes, junior social work major from Los Angeles, said although the center is still in an exploration phase, he believes it would be effective in preparing the ACU community for the future.

“It’s important for us college students to be aware of the issues because our mission as Christians is caring for people who are being abused and who are less fortunate,” he said. “It could help us learn how to think and not just think what we’re taught to believe.”

Although the center currently is just a working proposal, those in charge presently are contemplating means of funding, in order to bring the center closer to reality in the future.