A university in Ohio is getting rid of most Friday classes next fall

The University of Akron campus. KAREN FARKAS / THE PLAIN DEALER

The University of Akron campus. KAREN FARKAS / THE PLAIN DEALER

An Ohio college is preparing to elimante classes on at least one day of the week, giving students a three-day weekend.

Friday classes will soon be a thing of the past for students at the University of Akron. The university announced this week that it will shift to a mostly Monday through Thursday class schedule beginning next fall.

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The move, the university said, will leave Fridays open for students to get “hands-on, real world experience.” The change will condense class schedules but will not change the course loads for most students, according to the university.

Although the schedule change will mean most students will get a three-day weekend every week, the University of Akron is hoping it will prompt something else.

The university has put together a web page calling for students to use their extra day to get involved in community service, research, internships and more.

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As part of the campaign, the school is referring to the day off as “Five-Star Fridays.”

“Quality learning and student success are the primary focuses of Five-Star Fridays,” UA president Matthew Wilson said in a prepared statement. “This initiative is consistent with workplace flexibility trends, and based on my conversations with industry, UA students should be even more attractive in the workplace both during school and after graduation if they take advantage of this Friday initiative.”

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