Class schedules will be changing for the earlier this Fall.

According to Dean of Academic Records and Institutional Research Wayne Chute, every department is required to have one class that begins at 7:30 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“The morning classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays buys everyone the opportunity to have more twice-a-week classes,” said Dr. Peter Hill, director of undergraduate programs at the Rosemead School of Psychology.

Chute said the reason for the change is to give faculty a preference for two-day-a-week classes, therefore requesting it to be so. There are some departments however, such as languages, math and science that still need 50-minute classes.

Last fall, discussions with a faculty adhoc committee during a number of meetings resulted in the establishment of this experimental schedule, which is going to be tested for the first time in Fall 2008. To accommodate students who find 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. classes too early, the Registrar will shift class schedules to one with a 75-minute class period two days per week this fall.

“It does not increase the number of scheduling hours for classes, but it does keep the same number of scheduling hours for classes as the current schedule,” Chute said. “The new schedule seems to be the only classroom scheduling model that would at least retain the same number of scheduling hours for classes, while allowing the 75-minute model to become the standard university model for classes.”

The new schedule does provide, however, for a single chapel for the whole Biola community. This has largely been viewed as an improvement, but there are still those who do not hesitate to voice their dissent. Freshman Stephanie Gomez said that she doesn’t like this new arrangement at all. With work until 9:30 a.m. and classes immediately afterward, her schedule is an unusually hectic one. Having to commute doesn’t make the situation any less complicated.

However, junior Julie Yi expressed a different viewpoint.

“I think it’s actually easier for me because I don’t have an excuse to miss chapel, since I’m already up,” Yi said. “Last semester, I didn’t have class until after chapel, which meant I didn’t have to wake up until then, and so I would miss chapel.”

The perspective of sophomore Jane Yi, her sister, is that even though it’s hard to wake up for her morning classes, having chapel at a set time makes it easier to attend. She really hated the idea of a single chapel at first, but she’s managed to attend quite a few sessions this semester.

“Once I started going, I realized that I really like it because the atmosphere is different. The audience is more engaged in the message and the worship,” Jane said. “When people had a choice last semester, 10:30 a.m. was considered the ‘lazy’ chapel, and the audience at the 9:30 chapel generally showed more enthusiasm. This semester, I feel that the single chapel at 9:30 is better because the gym is packed with people who are genuinely worshipping God. It just feels so real.”

The sisters also feel that a single chapel is better for the speakers because now they don’t have to speak twice in one day.

On the whole, most agree the changes are for the better. Sophomore John Quan thinks it’s a good idea, because it gives the student body an opportunity to congregate and worship all at the same time.

“It unifies Biola,” he said.

The bigger issue, however, is that many faculty and students prefer a schedule that does not maximize the use of building space.

“Something has to be done given the lack of facilities, and this is the first attempt to realistically address Biola’s lack of facilities given the size of its student population,” said Hill.

According to receptionist Jeannette Sadler at the Department of Intercultural Studies, there are many faculty members, both graduate and undergraduate, who have classes at night. This is due to the many undergraduate classes that are cross-listed with graduate-level ones, so the faculty tend to have classes in the evening and late afternoon.

“It’s hard to expect them to be up so early in the morning,” she said, “and there’s a big problem with classroom space. As our enrollment keeps increasing, our need for more classes also keeps growing.”

Dr. Kitty Purgason of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) expresses her opinion very frankly, without evading the issue.

“I think we should be good stewards,” she said with a laugh. “We’ve been given the capability, so we should maximize the space! However, I do have to say that these morning classes can be good news for all the early birds out there. My daughter is one herself, and she would actually love to have a class at 7:30 a.m.”