After a winter that included a full day off on January 26 and half-day cancellations on December 2 and November 19, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi announced the university will add five minutes to every class for the remainder of the semester, following a similar move by the State College Area School District.

The adjustment increases standard 50-minute periods to 55 minutes and 75-minute classes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, a change officials say will recover lost instructional time with “minimal disruption.”

With passing periods typically set at 15 minutes, it cuts into the already short time students have to make it across campus. “It’s not really five extra minutes of class,” one student said. “It’s five fewer minutes to get anywhere on time.”

Faculty have reportedly embraced the change, using the extra time to squeeze in “one more quick thing” at the end of lectures, revisit a point from three weeks ago, or finally assign that reading they forgot to mention. Early adopters have already extended PowerPoints by exactly one slide.

While class times will be extended, the university confirmed that office hours will remain the same length and Canvas deadlines will not be adjusted. Administrators noted this maintains “consistency across academic expectations,” while students pointed out it increases instruction without increasing support.

President Bendapudi called the change “a practical step to maintain academic continuity,” noting that “small adjustments across the semester ensure we meet our instructional goals.” She added that the university is “confident students will adapt,” though she did not specify how they are expected to get from ECoRE to Thomas in under ten minutes.

Editor’s note: This story is part of Onward State’s April Fools’ Day series. It is satirical, meant for entertainment, and not to be taken literally. Any quotes were made up for the purpose of this post.