AKRON — The University of Akron will hold all summer classes online this year, according to a campus announcement.



The university had already expanded summer class options this year, part of an initiative to help more students get into classes they need to be able to graduate on time.



The move to fully online classes comes in the wake of the university canceling in-person classes for the rest of the spring semester and closing the residence halls to all but a few students as COVID-19 continues to disrupt life in the United States.



Interim Provost Joe Urgo said in an email that the university initially thought the second session of summer classes would be able to be held in person. But as Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration pushed the expected date of the peak of the virus in Ohio further out, it seemed less likely, he said.



"We thought it best to make a decision now so that students and faculty had more time to plan and prepare for the classes," Urgo said. "We were also influenced by the Ohio State University and others who made the same decision."



Summer class registration has been open since early March.