Academy Report 2021
On the Start of the 2021 Academic Year
—Learning Lessons from Our Responseto the COVID-19 Pandemic in AY2020—

AY2020 was marked by the tremendous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives and studies of our undergraduate and graduate students. Amid this backdrop, the university has undertaken myriad efforts, such as implementing the Emergency Relief Package in Responseto the COVID-19 Outbreak, to continue providing educational value to students through a process of trial and error, and we have strived to realize student learning and growth. In addition, with regard to the impact of COVID-19, our students (by way of the Student Government Board)
have pointed out the problems that they are facing. We held several discussion meetings with the Student Government Board to engage themin communication, and we set this as a topic for the Representatives’ Meeting of the AY2020 Plenary Council.
In order to deal with and overcome such an unprecedented situation, it is important to unite all the members of Ritsumeikan University, including undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. In AY2021, based on the foundation we built under
the R2020 Second Half Plan, we will develop different styles of learning and campus life in light of our experiences dealing with the COVID-19
pandemic. At the same time, since AY2021 will be an epoch-making year in which we flesh out the details of the R2030 Challenge Design(mid-term plan) with an eye on the future, we are publishing this special issue of Ritsumeikan Style to summarize the initiatives and experiences of AY2020 and connect them to our future prospects.

Academy Report 2021

Chapter I:
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in AY2020
and Ritsumeikan University’s Initiatives
In AY2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed
the essence of what constitutes a university, andeverything considered “normal” and “ordinary”
with regard to academic affairs and campus life
was turned upside-down. The university prioritized the protection of the lives and health ofits students, faculty, and staff as it searched forways to continue the academic and research activities that form the basis of the institution After
deciding to shift to online classes in the springsemester, we devised a comprehensive emergency relief package (totaling of ¥2.5 billion for theentire Academy) to support the implementation ofclasses along with students’ learning and activities. Starting in late April, we (1) provided ¥30,000
in emergency aid to all students so they could
prepare the necessary IT environment for talking
online classes, (2) loaned personal computers
and mobile routers free of charge to students
facing difficulties in preparing the necessary IT
environment, (3) drastically enhanced Manaba +R, which was temporarily unstable immediately
after the start of online classes, (4) developed a
new FAQ site to answer various questions fromstudents related to the changing situation, and (5)purchased the necessary equipment, software,and mailable experiment kits for each college.

the risk of infection, and we have started to allow
clubs to resume face-to-face activities on a limited basis. Even after resuming face-to-face activities, each organization is receiving ongoing support from faculty and staff members as well as
their coaches, directors, and assistant directors.
In addition to these measures, we developed videos, quizzes, and other teaching materials for the
purpose of raising awareness about measures
to combat COVID-19 and used these to deepen
students’ understanding of infection prevention.
Furthermore, the offering of online classes
served as an opportunity to reaffirm the uniquevalue t​hat face-to-face classes provide and theroles they perform. As such, we have decided toresume face-to-face classes as much as possible
starting in the fall semester. At the same time, inorder to create an environment where anyone canlearn and everyone can learn from each other,
we have decided to recommend that faculty live
stream their face-to-face classes or make video
recordings of those classes available to students.
To this end, we have (1) installed cameras andspeaker systems in all our roughly 600 classrooms to enable simultaneous live streaming
and/or the recording of face-to-face classes, (2)concluded an Academy-wide license agreementwith Zoom (web conferencing system), (3) introduced Panopto, a live streaming system that willallow students to watch videos of classes without
having to download them, and (4) we increased
the number of wireless LAN access points sothat students can also take online classes on
campus. These are not just temporary measures
to combat COVID-19; rather, they are the firststeps in our efforts to create a new kind of quality
in education and student life in anticipation of the
post-COVID-19 world.

In addition, to ensure the quality of online
classes, we also established a page on the faculty site to provide announcements and share information about online classes. After the Golden
Week holidays in May, the library resumed lending services by mail and significantly expanded
the number of contracts for e-books. In terms ofstudent life, we disbursed ¥90,000 (¥30,000 per
month x 3 months) as emergency aid for students
facing hardship stemming from the loss of parttime jobs or sudden changes in their household
finances. Financed by donations from alumni,
faculty, and staff, we were able to provide this aid
to around 3,800 students. Combined with the national government’s relief payments for students,
the total amount of support that was provided toabout 10,000 students exceeded ¥1 billion yen.
As for extracurricular activities, we inspected each club’s activity plans and conductedinterviews with their student representatives toconfirm that measures are being taken to reduce2

However, students complained about variations in the quality of online classes, and they
were taken aback by the sheer amount of inclass work and homework, which marked a majordifference from the basic learning styles they had
experienced to date. In addition, campus usage
was restricted and it became increasingly difficult to participate in extracurricular activities, so
we were unable to create a sufficient number ofvenues where students could meet their friends
to discuss and resolve these issues. As a result,many students felt dissatisfied and stressed because they were unable to lead the student lives
they had envisioned. These sentiments were also
clearly evident in the questionnaires conductedby the university and the Student Government
Board; not to mention, many parents have expressed their concerns to the university.

In recognition of this feedback and the actual
conditions these students are facing, the university has been working hard to create a new astyle of academics and campus life support inorder to respond to the sudden changes in theenvironment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not all these problems have been resolved, but
the fact is that, despite the many difficulties thathave arisen during this time, new initiatives haveemerged in both curricular and extracurricularlearning. While sharing the above-mentioned
circumstances and experiences throughout theuniversity, the university will provide learning andstudent support by adding digital and various
other tools to our toolbox while maintaining abasic policy of providing in-person services withan eye on the direction the university should takeafter COVID-19 subsides. Based on this, we felt it
was important to have a sincere discussion with
undergraduate and graduate students, faculty,
and staff about how to develop these various
measures and for all members of the Academy
to work together to implement them. From thisstandpoint, as described in Chapter II, we held
discussions with our undergraduate students(Student Government Board) and graduate students (Graduate School Student Senate) at theRepresentatives Meeting of the First Plenary
Council of AY2020.

Academy Report 2021

Chapter II:
Examining learning and tuition in light of our experienceswith the COVID-19 pandemic—An ove rv i e w o f t he di s c us s io n s a t th e R e p r e s e n ta tiv e s ’ M e e tin go f t he F i rs t Pl en a r y Co u n c il o f A Y 2 0 2 0 —Photo by RITSUMEIKAN UNIV PRESS

On January 27, 2021, we held a discussion at
the Representatives’ Meeting of the First Plenary
Council of AY2020 on learning and tuition in lightof the experiences of our undergraduate andgraduate students, faculty, staff, and the university
with the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering that the
COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on undergraduate graduate students’ learning and campus
lives, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees
and the Chancellor also attended the session tohear directly what the students had to say.
The details of the discussion on the first agenda item— “Measures implemented in light of the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in AY2020”—isas follows.
The Student Government Board indicated that
it was aware of a major loss in opportunities forlearning and personal growth stemming fromfactors including a sharp decrease in face-toface classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thecancellation of study abroad programs, restrictions on extracurricular activities, and difficulties
faced by students in forming communities among

themselves. The Student Government Board thenraised the following learning issues that havebecome particularly and asked the university tomake improvements: 1) increase in homeworkfor online classes, 2) standardization of ICT tools(online tools) used in class, 3) guaranteeing feedback from faculty to the students pertaining toassignments submitted for online classes , 4) improvement of telecommunications infrastructure,5) exploring class formats to enhance educational effectiveness, 6) procedures for implementing
face-to-face extracurricular and self-directed activities, and 7) the significance of first-year education with a particular focus on the formation ofcommunities for first-year students. In response,
the university expressed the following views.
Regarding the various learning issues that havearisen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of
the amount of classwork and homework in online
classes (Item 1), the university asked faculty atthe beginning of the fall semester to consider
the amount of homework they assign and thesubmission deadlines therefor to ensure thatstudents to not become overburdened despite
the recognition that out-of-class learning is indispensable in substantiating the credit system. As
for the standardization” of ICT tools used in online classes (Item 2), the university accepts that it
will be necessary to take measures in the future
but believes it is not appropriate to standardize
them under the current circumstances where various tools are being used on a trial basis. Regarding feedback on classwork and homework (Item3), the university has provided support, such as
holding a discussion on FD in the Division of Academic Affairs and offering training sessions on
IT skills, to ensure that faculty can focus more attention on this issue. In terms of ​​feedback in general, we recognize the need to develop a certain
set of rules with the aim of building consensus at
the university level. As a countermeasure against
poor connectivity (Item 4), we plan to introduce
support services for stable, high-capacity, highspeed internet infrastructure. In terms of the
future of class formats (Item 5), the university is
considering the use of a hybrid (face-to-face +online) format that allows students to enjoy the
merits of both face-to-face and online classes.
Regarding this point, we will continue to share issues in an effort to secure venues for peer learning among students as well as pursue ongoing
discussions with the students.
Next, looking at extracurricular activities (Item6), we have been providing online support sinceApril 2020 while giving the highest priority toprotecting the lives and health of the students. In
recognition that extracurricular activities are an
important part of student growth, we have gradually been resuming face-to-face activities sinceJune 2020. We believe this process of reaffirming
the significance of activities independently organized by student clubs and confirming eachclub’s action plan to protect the safety and healthof its members has helped everyone involved inthese activities achieve personal growth. As we
prepare for the new 2021 academic year (Item 7),

Photo by RITSUMEIKAN UNIV PRESS

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Academy Report 2021

we agreed to collaborate with the Student Government Board on an event for both new firstyear students and new second-year students
who enrolled in AY2020 to welcome them to asafe and secure campus together with the Student Facilitators and current students.
Regarding the second agenda item, we helda discussion on the topic of “examining tuitionin light of our experiences with the COVID-19
pandemic.” In this discussion, the university explained the concept of providing academic services commensurate with the level of tuition. We
also confirmed that we will continue to hold discussions on the importance of fostering a senseof learning commensurate with the level of tuition.
Ritsumeikan University prepared the infrastructure for real-time learning, developed newclass formats for online classes, and enacted theEmergency Relief Package in Response to the
COVID-19 Outbreak whose content was no lessgenerous than that provided by other universities.
This relief package included scholarships andsubsidies to help students prepare the necessary
environment for taking online classes and offset
sudden changes in household finances. However, students faced severe restrictions in forming
on-campus communities, making friends, andlearning with each other, they were forced tocancel their study abroad programs, they could
not live the campus lives they had envisioned andwere not able to gain a sufficient sense of growth.
Given this reality, there were strong calls for apartial refund of tuition, which the university takes
seriously. We consider the COVID-19 pandemic
to be an important opportunity to re-examine theideal state of university education and research
as well as the value of the campus as a place forpeople to interact, learn, and grow. Based on aconfirmation of the actual situation in AY2020 andthe results of our efforts, in AY2021 and beyond,we will continue to pursue the creation of an environment for learning and campus life for the eraof COVID-19 and the post-COVID-19 era.

Turning our attention to Academy finances,tuition is the basic revenue upon which Japan’s
private universities operate despite the so-called
double disparity*1 in public funding. We were able
to implement the Emergency Relief Package in
Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak precisely
because of the financial base we developed fromtuition revenue, and this also allows us to continuously improve the quality of education and research, which are critical missions of the university. To enhance our students’ sense of learningand growth is a universal task, but even during
an unprecedented emergency like the COVID-19
pandemic, we believe it is the responsibility of theuniversity, which must provide services commensurate with the level of tuition, to strive to improve
the quality of education and research while responding to the changing conditions at hand andto create opportunities for learning and growth.
What’s more, these efforts to continuously improve education will not only reap rewards forour currently enrolled students, they will also
increase the value of the school (alma mater) for
our alumni. In December 2020, the President senta message to all students entitled “Seven Declarations for Creating a New Campus Life.”
We believe the discussions at the Representatives Meeting of the Plenary Council held in January
2021 served to create a shared awareness among
undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, andstaff of the enormous impact and challenges arisingfrom the COVID-19 pandemic while also marking
the first step toward a future where our university
and its academics and student life are equipped toovercome these kinds of hardships.

Explanation of Terms
The Plenary Council of the University
The Plenary Council is an organization that was established in 1948 to promote the active involvement in and discussion of improvements to education, research, campus life conditions by
all undergraduate students and graduate students who form the learning community that is Ritsumeikan University as well as faculty, staff, and members of the Executive Board of Trustees.
Based on the idea of “self-government for all,” discussions are held by the four component
groups of the university (i.e., the Student Government Board, Graduate School Student Senate, the Faculty and Staff Union, and the Executive Board of Trustees), and the Ritsumeikan
Co-Op, which supports students in their daily lives, attends these discussions as an observer.
Thus far, any time we have reviewed tuition and the methods for revising tuition at Ritsumeikan University, we have created a summary of our achievements to date and future issues
pertaining to education, research and student life support, and we have held discussions in
the Plenary Council on the direction of reforms and improvements to education, research, student life support before proposing subsequent tuition policies and tuition revision methods.
In AY2020, we held 21 discussions with undergraduate students (Student Government
Board) and six discussions with graduate students (Graduate Student Senate) in preparation
for the Representatives Meeting of the Plenary Council. Please refer to the website for more
information on past Plenary Council meetings, including an overview of the discussions in
the AY2020 Representatives Meeting and items confirmed in the AY2019 Plenary Council.

*1 Public subsidies for private universities in Japan are characterized by the following structural contradictions. (1) Despite the public nature of education, public expenditures on education in Japanremain low, and the private sources account for 65% of expenditures at the tertiary level, which is more than double the OECD average. (2) In addition, although both private universities (incorporated
educational institution) and national universities share the same responsibility for public education, public funding directed to private universities is about one-fourth that that provided to national
universities, which yields a per-student funding disparity of about 13 times.

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Academy Report 2021

Chapter III:
Initiatives to be undertaken in AY2021 to elaborate
upon the R2030 Challenge Design

AY2020 marked the final year of the R2020
plan, and it was also the year in which we finalized the Challenge Design based on the R2030
Academy Vision. The Challenge Design based on
the R2030 Academy Vision will be embodied by
all undergraduate and graduate students, faculty,
and staff members based on our aforementioned
experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. Thissection provides an outline of the Challenge Design and describes the specific initiatives to beundertaken in AY2021.

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Regarding the Challenge
Design based on the R2030
Academy Vision

In terms of the ideal shape toward which Ritsumeikan University strives to achieve in the 2030s,
the university has proposed the following two pillars with an eye on creating value for a symbiotic
society: (1) become a next-generation research
university and (2) become a university that creates innovation and produces emerging talent.
When we defined these pillars, we also set
three priority goals that we aim to achieve: (1)create shared knowledge with society, (2) provide
learning value, and (3) realize a self-reforming
organization. Based on these goals, Ritsumeikan University’s Challenge Design outlined
the following five issues that we will tackle withdetailed measures: (1) develop a next-generation
research university centered on the Ritsumeikan
Knowledge Nodes concept, (2) develop education that connects the improvement of researchcapabilities with the advancement of education,(3) improve the adaptability of learning systems
to handle the diversification of learners, (4) build
multidimensional partnership that promote open
innovation, and (5) pursue organizational reforms

that leads a diverse array of individuals toward
the creation of new value.
Through these efforts, Ritsumeikan University
aims to continue to create new value and learning. Furthermore, we believe that the source ofenergy to tackle these issues is our undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, staff
and other actors who continue to study throughout their lives even after entering the real world
and who come to Ritsumeikan University at aturning point in their lives to learn from each other. In this sense, Ritsumeikan University serves
as a home port for voyagers on this lifelong journey of learning.

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we use to measure language proficiency. In thisway, the learning environment continues to improve, and while we have shown these efforts tobe effective, we are expected to aim even higher.
One detailed initiative aimed at materializing theR2030 Challenge Design is the plan to further
create an environment where students can “learn
anytime, anywhere with anyone” and enhancelearning for all students by proactively promoting
digital transformation (DX).
Aiming to enhance learning in light of theachievements and issues of the R2020 Plan,
our experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic,
and the Challenge Design based on the R2030
Academy Vision, we will undertake the following
initiatives in AY2021.

Initiatives to be undertaken
at Ritsumeikan University in
AY2021 to enhance learning

In the R2020 Second Half Plan, we sought toimprove the quality of education centered on thepillars of learner-centered education, the formation of learning communities, and international
education. To this end, one of the strategic basic
issues we defined was the creation of a Ritsumeikan Model for Learning. This led us to undertake a wide range of initiatives including diverse
forms of study support, course selection counseling, peer learning support in the commons,
the Student Success Program (as a form ofstudent support and support for extracurricular
activities), the Ritsumeikan Impact-Makers Inter X(RIMIX) Platform, and the Ritsumeikan Innovators
Supported by Alumni (RI-sA) online exchange
promotion project. As a result, surveys between
AY2017 and AY2019 not only reveal and increasein out-of-class study time *2 , they also show an
uptick in the number of students achieving theB1 level on CEFR, which is one of the standards*2 This item was removed from the survey in AY2020 due to massive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
*3 T his refers to subjects whose face-to-face classes account for more than one-third of the 15 classes.

5ClassesIn AY2021, we will increase the opportunitiesstudents have to take face-to-face classes on
campus and increase the number of face-to-faceclasses as much as possible even in those classes that combine face-to-face and online components. (Classes with face-to-face components *3
currently account for 90% of all classes under
Level 2 of the BCP). In addition, class formats foreach subject (i.e., face-to-face, online, etc.) will

Academy Report 2021

be made available by listing them in the syllabus.
Furthermore, we will develop the Ritsumeikan
Model for Learning and begin to consider ways
to expand opportunities for learning while taking
various research outcomes into account.

those organizations that want to conduct faceto-face activities.

Promoting interaction and exchange
In April and May 2021, we will work with theStudent Government Board Organizing Committee and everyone involved in club activities
to hold an event to encourage participation in
extracurricular activities and welcome new students to Ritsumeikan University. The on-campus
portion of this event will feature booths whereclubs can showcase their activities in person andpresentations in the halls and large classrooms.
In addition, the online portion of the event will
use a wide range of tools, like the university-led
Ritsumeikan Cyber-Campus and the Student
Government Board’s FrontieR platform, to create
venues for exchange and encourage interaction.
This event aims to encourage interaction among
both new students enrolling in AY2021 and new
second-year students who enrolled in AY2020.

utilize an online platform that allow students tomeet with alumni and learn about their careers.
Furthermore, we will use various other tools toprovide interview preparation support. Meanwhile, students can choose between online andface-to-face formats for individual consultations.
Finally, we will continue to provide support basedon each student’s situation and aspirations.

Infection prevention measures

Study abroad andinternational exchange

We will continue to enact measures to keep everyone safe from infection (e.g., installing acrylic
boards to prevent droplet transmission andmask-wearing). In addition, to prepare for future
outbreaks, we have adopted our own contact
tracing system. QR codes have been affixed tothe seats in all the classrooms, and if you scan
the code to register the location of the seat, youwill be notified when an infection occurs nearby.

To promote global learning and international
exchange, we will further strive to establish international liberal arts courses, provide courses
taught in English, implement co-learning and exchange events in the BBPs, and provide opportunities for learning foreign languages. Keeping
an eye on the resumption of overseas travel, we
will also promote online study abroad and hybrid
study abroad programs.

Accommodation and support
for a diverse student body

Extracurricular activities
in student clubs
As of April 2021, we have increased the number of organizations that carry out extracurricular
activities in person to more than 200 while thoroughly implementing measures to prevent the
spread of COVID-19 infection, and we will continue to provide them with support. In AY2021, we
will continue raising awareness of measures tocombat COVID-19 and providing other support toTurning to gender and sexual diversity at Ritsumeikan University, we will provide support fordiversity and inclusion initiatives in accordancewith the student support guidelines. As for students with disabilities, the support coordinatorsin the Disability Resource Center will listen to
their needs and make adjustments to make iteasier for them to pursue their studies. We will
also continue providing our international students
with multilingual daily living support.

Career development support
We will hold various seminars and workshops
to convey information about the reality of the job
search to undergraduate students in every year
level as well as graduate students. We will also

Elaborating upon
the R2030 Challenge Design
AY2021 marks the first year of the R2030 Challenge Design, and the university will undertake
measures to flesh out the following four priority
issues outlined in the plan: (1) enrichment oflearning in the era of COVID-19 with an eye on the
post-COVID 19 era, (2) advancement of education and research and enrichment and activationof learning through the stepwise promotion ofdigital transformation (DX), (3) promotion of newforms of globalization, and (4) formation of an entrepreneurial culture and mindset through open
innovation.

Ritsumeikan University
Ritsumeikan University Academy Report, Ritsumeikan Style Special Issue: On the Start of the 2021 Academic Year
1 Nishinokyo-Suzaku-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8520 Tel: 075-813-8146
Published on April, 9, 2021, by Office of Public Relations, Ritsumeikan University

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