A skateboarder commutes at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California on March 11, 2020.
The University of Southern California will no longer resume in-person instruction for the fall semester and instead will move to mostly online classes.
The plan announced late Wednesday is a reversal of an earlier decision to welcome students back to campus in August for a hybrid model of on-campus and virtual teaching. A revised class schedule will be available July 8.
The announcement came hours after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced tougher restrictions on indoor activities. Provost Charles Zukoski recommended that students not return to campus for the semester and instead continue their education online.
"The once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of our lives -- the way we interact, work, and socialize -- and with each new permutation of the pandemic, we must find ways to thrive," Zukoski said in a statement.
"Given the continuing safety restrictions and limited densities permissible on campus, our undergraduate students primarily or exclusively will be taking their courses online in the fall term," the statement said. "On-campus housing and activities will be limited."
Only 10 to 20% of courses during the fall semester will be conducted in person and on campus, according to the new plan. These courses include certain labs, studios and performance classes and research studies that require hands-on work.
