The Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will move from Zona Luce to the Hardin Administration Building after the Fall 2012 semester. The School of Nursing will move into Zona Luce before Fall 2013.

Dr. Greg Straughn, interim provost, outlined the location changes in a faculty meeting Monday. Other changes discussed include the merging of the English department with the Department of Foreign Languages, and the Department of Sociology and Family Studies will be split up among different colleges.

Straughn said in an email to faculty after the meeting that the changes would help the university to be more efficient.

“This realignment and maximization of our available space helps us become better stewards of our resources,” Straughn said.

The Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences will move to the southwest wing of the Administration Building during the winter break before the Fall 2013 semester. New labs will be built in southwest wing to fulfill their needs.

The new School of Nursing will be housed in the Zona Luce Building.

Dr. Ed Brokaw, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, said he’d rather not have to relocate the department, but the relocations are in the best interest of the university.

“From the university’s perspective, Zona Luce was the best option for the School of Nursing,” Brokaw said. “There’s no doubt we wish we were staying. We weren’t looking for a move.”

Brokaw said the possibility of the move had been talked about for several months but he wasn’t sure that it would happen until about a week ago.

Dr. Nancy Kehl, head of the School of Nursing, said the move will equip the School of Nursing with good space and potential.

“Zona Luce is an excellent space for the school,” Kehl said. “It will provide excellent space for the simulation lab as well as classrooms and faculty offices.”

Kehl said she also understood the move will be beneficial to the university’s efficiency.

“I think the administration decided it was good for the whole system and the most cost-effective place to put the School of Nursing,” Kehl said. “I know they will be giving new space for the Ag department in the Administration building.”

The Department of Foreign Languages and English department will merge this summer to become to the Department of Language and Literature, which will be housed in Chambers Hall.

The Department of Sociology and Family Studies will be dispersed among different departments and schools. Sociology will move to the School of Social Work in the College of Education and Human Services, the Family Studies will be go to the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy in the College of Biblical Studies and the program in Criminal Justice will move into the Department of Political Science.

Straughn said he knows the changes will affect several departments but he is optimistic the changes won’t hinder departments’ growth.

“My hope is that every department moving locations will be able to continue to grow and flourish in its new location,” Straughn said. “I am committed to supporting the departments throughout this move and into the future in any way that I can.”