Because of the opening of the new Talbot building, departments will be shifting and moving their way around campus and to the new off-site location. Professors will be able to move into the new offices this Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. | Lauren Kermelis/THE CHIMES

Two departments will be moving into the new Talbot building during finals week, according to Ken Bascom, director of facilities at Biola. This will start a chain reaction of department moves that will continue on into the spring 2012 semester.

Relocating classes and offices

As a result of this domino effect, students in the biblical studies programs are not going to be the only people using the facilities for classes.

Biola began to prepare for the move in summer 2011 when several Torrey Honors professors joined their fellow staff members in Sutherland Hall, relocating from the Bardwell annex offices. These moves, in addition to the opening of the Talbot building, will open offices in other spaces so that more departments can move.

David Talley, chair of the Biblical and Theological Studies department shared his excitement in the effects the changes will have across campus.

“The Lord has richly blessed Biola and Talbot with this amazing structure to house our ministries, which impacts every corner of our university and, eventually, every corner of the world,” Talley said. He is thrilled that those in the department will now be in closer proximity, allowing them to make deeper connections with each other.

Talbot will be the largest group that will be affected by the shift. All of the professors who are currently in Bardwell Hall will be relocated to the newest addition to the campus, freeing up much needed space for classrooms, labs and faculty space for the science department.

Talbot professors will be vacating Dorothy English Hall and Rose Hall, allowing undergraduate faculty from the communication studies department, giving them their own space as a department.

The upper level of Rose Hall will house Biola’s new program, the Center for Christian Thought, and Rose Middle will be handed over to the Center for Multi-Ethnic Studies, another new Biola program.

The English Language Studies Program will be moving to Rood Hall, which will be possible once the office for University Advancement moves into the Professional Building off-campus — the space where Biola Youth now resides.

Utilizing Rancho Elementary School

Biola Youth offices that are now in the Professional Building will move to Rancho Elementary School — a property Biola is now leasing.

Approximately 15 percent of the Rancho Elementary School space will be used as offices for the Office of University Advancement staff. The space that they vacate in Metzger Hall will be used for University Communications and Marketing offices and other advancement personnel.

The Rancho school property may also be used for some of Biola students’ intramural activities on Fridays and Saturdays, according to Bascom. In addition, Biola Youth offices will also move from the first floor of the Professional Building to the Rancho classrooms. Biola Youth students will have classes on the Rancho campus instead of at Cavalry Chapel of La Mirada, according to Bascom.

“We are really excited because we have so many possibilities and this property is just allowing the possibility to grow,” said Wanda Sabia, academic coordinator of Biola Youth.