ATHENS — Ohio University has announced that its summer classes will done be online.

The announcement came from Ohio University executive vice president and provost Elizabeth Sayrs on Friday morning and she said it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision to extend the stay-at-home order until May 1.

The full summer session starts on May 11 and runs to Aug. 15. The first summer session is May 11–June 17 and second summer session is June 29–Aug. 15.

“While we offer many summer classes online during a typical summer, we believe it is important to provide this information about the remote delivery of all classes while students are registering for the summer semester” Sayrs wrote. “All summer classes will be delivered through remote instruction, including lectures, labs, studios and other primarily classroom-based classes. We will continue to review the possibility of offering required clinical experiences, practica or similar face-to-face experiences, especially during the second summer session, and we will announce any changes in status as soon as possible.”

OU will seek to reopen laboratories and other research spaces when the state allows them to and as soon as they can do so safely.

“The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and campus communities will remain our top priority,” Sayrs wrote.

OU has already made some drastic changes by canceling summer study away and study abroad programs.

“We are evaluating our summer course offerings to determine which classes can be added to the schedule to help students continue to progress towards their degrees,” Sayrs wrote.