California State University cancels in-person classes for fall semester due to coronavirus pandemic

California State University will not return to on-campus classes in the fall.(Damian Dovarganes/AP)

California college students don’t even have dorms to book for the fall.

California State University, which includes 23 schools across the state, won’t bring students back onto campus in the fall, choosing instead to return to virtual classes during the coronavirus outbreak.

“Our university, when open without restrictions and fully in person … is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity,” Chancellor Timothy White told Cal State’s Board of Trustees Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times. “That approach sadly just isn’t in the cards now.”

California and Gov. Gavin Newsom have been among the most stringent regarding coronavirus lockdowns, but few colleges and universities have announced plans for the fall.

UC spokeswoman Claire Doan told the L.A. Times that campuses will explore a “mixed approach with some instruction delivered in classroom and lab settings, while other classes will be primarily online.”

Students who require lab settings, like nursing and science, would be allowed in person with proper precautions.

It’s unclear how this will affect athletics at California State University.

Colleges pose a unique dilemma for social distancing, with both cramped dorm rooms and packed classrooms. Most systems have not announced fall plans yet, but several, including the Universities of Alabama and Tennessee plan to bring students back like normal.