Most fall semester classes at State Center Community College District will be online and off-campus, continuing the distance learning mode of instruction that began this semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only classes that require face-to-face instruction will be offered on-campus, the district said Friday in an email.

“Faculty, classified professionals, students, and our industry partners along with public health officials were and continue to be involved in the planning of our Fall 2020 semester,” the email said.

The decision to maintain online classes in the fall semester was made by Chancellor Paul Parnell under the authority granted by the board of trustees at the special board meeting in March, district spokeswoman Lucy Ruiz said.

It’s unclear what impact the decisions to keep classes online will have on enrollments. After campuses were closed in mid-March to stem the spread of the virus, which is highly contagious, about 1,000 Fresno City College students dropped spring semester courses.

State Center serves more than 67,000 students yearly at Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Reedley College, and the college centers in Madera and Oakhurst.

CSU Also Staying Online in Fall

The district’s announcement comes the same week that the California State University chancellor announced that most classes at the 23-campus system would remain online in the fall semester.

Fresno State has extended the registration deadline for first-time freshmen from May 1 to June 1 and also has launched a “Welcome Home Initiative” that provides a streamlined admissions process for Valley students who attend a four-year college or university outside the region and who have moved back home because of the coronavirus.