RS Academy Report: Toward the AY 2022 Plenary Council To All Undergraduate and Graduate Students of Ritsumeikan University Ritsumeikan University has long pursued high standards in education and research, attuned to the demands of the changing times. Recent dramatic shifts such as the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental problems, and international affairs lend weight to the feeling that we are entering a new era of great unpredictability (VUCA).*1 The pandemic especially has prompted us to rethink assumptions and accepted wisdom in all areas, including individual lifestyles, society, politics, and economy. This has brought immense changes to the learning, research, and wider life of undergraduate and graduate students (referred to collectively hereafter as “students”) as well, and the impact of these changes continues to unfold. At the same time, responding to the pandemic has posed major challenges for universities, and provided an opportunity to reassess approaches to university education and research. We have truly come face to face with a situation in which nobody in the entire world can uncover problems and formulate pathways to their resolution using only their pre-existing value outlooks and common sense. We have gained a fresh awareness of what is crucial to living through times of uncertainty, in which there is no single correct answer to the questions confronting us. One of the keys is to continue to learn and grow, seeking a better version of ourselves and a better society for all; and moreover to be aware of the roles that we can play, develop our own pathway forward, and play a part in a changing society. In this sense, there is a need to rethink the mission of a university as a place that provides places and opportunities for people to learn and grow. At Ritsumeikan University, we are continually seeking to cultivate students’ independence and initiative and enhance opportunities for them to learn and grow, attuned to the conditions and challenges of our present era and into the future. We have now reached a point at which it is crucial for the university to engage with students and involve them in discussion regarding how to formulate and realize a future vision for education, research, and the university as a whole in this era of uncertainty. Ritsumeikan University operates the Plenary Council of the University (referred to hereafter simply as the “Plenary Council”) as a forum for discussing university development with students. The 2022 academic year (AY 2022) is one in which open sessions of the Plenary Council are scheduled to be held. In the Plenary Council this year, we will be seeking to advance the process of creating a university that raises the standards and quality of education and research on an ongoing basis and continues to generate spaces and opportunities for enriched learning and growth, with a view to creating universal value and tackling the various challenges confronting humankind. We look forward to reviewing the initiatives pursued under R2020 and engaging in robust discussion with all participants regarding the outlook for R2030. In advance of the publication of this document, a Plenary Council Representatives’ Meeting was held on June 3 with the President in attendance, and opinions were exchanged with the student representative bodies—the Student Union and Graduate Student Council—regarding the direction of discussions at the forthcoming October session of the Plenary Council. At this meeting, the Student Union proposed that the discussions be pursued from two standpoints: “present-day students” and “the students of the future.” The Student Union shared comments from university-wide questionnaires that evidence the context for this proposal: namely, the heightened level of student interest in tuition fees as the COVID-19 pandemic brings changes to learning and student life. The Student Union suggested that in light of this interest among students, the Plenary Council should discuss whether current programs in areas such as education and student support are proportionate with the tuition fees that students pay. The Student Union also proposed discussion of how to realize the vision for the university under the R2030 medium-term plan, based on the understanding that student fees and financial management are connected with the creation of academic programs for the students of the future. In response to the Student Union’s contentions, the Representatives’ Meeting confirmed that the October Plenary Council session will include discussion of educational and student support policies that make use of tuition fees, and models for learning and growth at the university. *1 VUCA is an acronym of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, expressing the idea of a society undergoing dramatic and complex changes, in which the future is difficult to predict. Source: “VUCA,” JapanKnowledge Digital Dictionary (in Japanese). https://japanknowledge.com (accessed June 10, 2022) Chapter I: Progress of Plenary Council Discussions to Date and Positioning of the AY 2022 Plenary Council Overview of the Plenary Council The Plenary Council is an organ established in order for all members of the Ritsumeikan University (“RU”) learning community—undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff, and the university authorities to discuss and engage actively in improvements and reforms to various conditions of education, research, and student life. Sessions of the Plenary Council are conducted in line with the principle of self-government by all constituents of the university, and are attended by representatives of the four primary components of the university: the Student Union as the self-governing body for undergraduate students, the Graduate Student Council as the self-governing body for graduate students, the Faculty/Staff Union, and the university authorities (the Executive Board of Trustees of which all College Deans are members). The Ritsumeikan Co-operative, which provides welfare and assistance for student life, participates as an observer. Positioning of the AY 2022 Plenary Council Ritsumeikan University formulated the R2020 medium-term plan in AY 2010, and embarked on a program of further improvements in education, research, and student life with the goal of achieving the vision for AY 2020. Open sessions of the Plenary Council were held in AY 2011, 2016, 2018, and 2019, pursuing discussions focused on “learning and growth” to cultivate students’ independence and initiative. The university has given especially serious consideration to the demands and issues identified in the course of discussions with the Student Union and Graduate Student Council, and pursued improvements accordingly as part of R2020. AY 2018 saw the establishment of the Academy Vision R2030, and in AY 2020 the R2030 Challenge Design was adopted as a medium-term plan for the ten-year period beginning in AY 2021, formulated amid the COVID-19 pandemic from the standpoint of fundamentally re-thinking the nature of the university, education, and research from the ground up. The open session of the Plenary Council to be held in October 2022 will be required to undertake a comprehensive review of what initiatives thus far have achieved and the challenges that remain, and to confirm, through consultation between the university authorities, students, and faculty and staff, the directions Ritsumeikan University will take in education, research, and student support from AY 2023 onward. As a prerequisite to these discussions, there is a need to ascertain the achievements and challenges arising from initiatives undertaken thus far. This will involve (1) evaluating the various programs pursued under R2020 from AY 2011 through 2020, and (2) reviewing the learning initiatives undertaken in the period of transition from R2020 to R2030, when the COVID-19 pandemic was necessitating a shift in models of learning at university. Among the initiatives designed to enable continuity of learning during the pandemic, some are “emergency measures” to ensure students could continue their learning, while others are more connected with new advancements expected in the future. There is a need to distinguish between these two types. These matters have also been discussed at meetings of Plenary Council representatives held in AY 2020 and 2021. The university authorities are aware that in the context of reviewing R2020 achievements and challenges and initiatives under R2030, the various points raised during these representative discussions need to be revisited and their status confirmed. In terms of future directions, there is a need for further discussion going forward in order to give shape to the R2030 Challenge Design and put it into practice. Informed by the progress of discussions to date, this document is designed to prompt discussions in the lead-up to the AY 2022 Plenary Council open session. It clarifies the achievements and remaining challenges especially with regard to initiatives under R2020 and those carried out in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and sets out directions toward the realization of the R2030 Challenge Design. AY 2022 Plenary Council Schedule Student Union / Graduate Student Council activities mainly directed to the Plenary Council February-April: Organisational development, new student welcome activities, etc. May-June: Election of Council Members / Changeover of executives in Student Union College Councils, confirmation of discussion outcomes, etc. July-: Grad. Student Council General Assembly / Fiveway Discussion Meetings Plenary Council Schedule Jan 24, 2022: AY 2021 Representatives' Meeting February-May: Discussion Forums / Opportunity to advance understanding of academic affairs, student life, financial management, etc. June 3, 2022: Representatives' Meeting / Exchange of opinions on direction of discussions at the October session of the Plenary Council June-September: Discussion Forums, Representatives' Meetings, etc. / Clarification of discussion points for Plenary Council October: Plenary Council Session Chapter II. Ritsumeikan University’s Initiatives from R2020 toward R2030 1. R2020 Initiatives Launched in AY 2010 under the theme of “Creating a Future Beyond Borders: Go Beyond Yourself and Create Your Own Future,” R2020 involved a variety of programs in education, research, student support, and other areas with a view to the type of academy Ritsumeikan aimed to be in 2020. Underpinning these programs was the Ritsumeikan Academy Vision 2020, which comprised three pillars: (1) developing self-motivated learning within the Academy’s diverse communities, (2) striving to become a unique research university that contributes to humankind, nature, and society, and (3) developing an Academy where everyone can experience the joy of learning autonomous learning in diverse communities. This vision was given concrete form through two phases—the first from AY 2010 to 2015, and the second from 2016 to 2020—but throughout this entire period initiatives were advanced in the areas of qualitative shift in teaching and learning, globalization-focused advancements in individual colleges, graduate schools, and educational institutions, and enhancement of research and graduate school policies. Firstly, in the area of Creation of a Ritsumeikan Model for Learning: Promoting a Qualitative Shift in Teaching and Learning, the university worked on student-centered learning, the formation of learning communities, and qualitative enhancement of education to cultivate students who can continue learning autonomously throughout their lives. Through a wide range of initiatives in learning support, course guidance, diverse commons and other opportunities for peer learning, and distinctive approaches to teaching that promote autonomous learning by students, we have made progress on the themes of transition to learning at university level and quality assurance in university education, which have also been topics of discussion in the Plenary Council recently. The Ritsumeikan Model of Learning is positioned as a key pillar of Ritsumeikan University’s education under R2030 as well, but under the revised national school curriculum, flexible, exploratory learning will gain even more importance as a means to cultivate the kinds of skills that society requires, such as problem solving and logical thinking. We have already been implementing exploratory learning in both integrated school education and at university level, but we are now expected to foster students’ exploratory capabilities, such as the capacity to solve problems and to think for themselves, at an even higher level than before. In order to achieve this, we will need to use educational DX to ensure our educational efforts are aligned with students’ individual needs and characteristics and optimized to their active learning activities, as well as achieving further qualitative shifts in comprehensive study support and the educational system as a whole. In the area of Promotion of the Global Initiative: Becoming an open academy that contributes to global society and the region, flagship initiatives include the realization of the Top Global University (SGU) concept and the promotion of inbound and outbound student mobility, as well as the establishment of the Global Studies (GS) Major in the College of International Relations, the CRPS Major in the College of Policy Science, and the ISSE Course in the College of Information Science and Technology. Currently Ritsumeikan University operates four English-medium programs in four different undergraduate colleges, and a total of 19 English-medium programs at graduate school level, all of which have flow-on effects for the globalization of the university as a whole. Our initiatives in partnership with universities and other institutions outside Japan have also received significant recognition and positive evaluation: these include programs under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Inter-University Exchange Project (in the Colleges of Humanities, Policy Science, International Relations, Economics, Business Administration, Science and Engineering, Information Science and Engineering, and Life Sciences), the College of Information Science and Engineering’s Dalian University of Technology-Ritsumeikan University International School of Information Science and Engineering, the College of International Relations’ American University Ritsumeikan University Joint Degree Program, and the College of Letters’ Campus Asia Program. Furthermore, the College of Global Liberal Arts established in partnership with the Australian National University, one of the world’s leading research universities, is a creative academic endeavor that will dramatically enhance the domestic and international presence of Ritsumeikan University’s global education and advance our profile as a global university that contributes to the formation of multicultural communities. We have also worked to enhance research with the aim of becoming a Distinctive Global Research University. Initiatives in this area include R-GIRO, the creation of research hubs at Kinugasa Campus (KIC), Biwako Kusatsu Campus (BKC), and Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC) that leverage the distinctive features of each campus, advancement of basic research through increase in both number and value of KAKENHI Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, and further promotion of university-industry collaboration. Notably, the number of Ritsumeikan University research projects receiving KAKENHI funding at the end of the R2020 period was approximately 1.8 times the number when R2020 was launched. Related to these initiatives in research enhancement are graduate school policies. We have pursued both qualitative and quantitative expansion of the graduate schools, and are close to attaining the objective of 100 coursework doctoral completions each academic year, with 97 in AY 2018. We have also strengthened collaborations between graduate schools and research organizations with the involvement of industry partners as well, pursued initiatives to foster young talent as the next generation of research leaders, to support women in research, and to contribute to the realization of career paths for young researchers. This work has steadily yielded improvements, as demonstrated by our selection under MEXT’s Initiative for Realizing Diversity in the Research Environment, and our becoming the only institution in Japan to receive an “S” grade (highest) in the mid-term evaluations for this Initiative. These new academic developments and advancements in research have generated synergies within our organization, while also enhancing the brand value of the Ritsumeikan Academy externally, and raising the overall capacity of the Academy as an institution of education and research that contributes to a better future. With these overall achievements of R2020 in mind, the section below sets out specific matters that will inform discussions in the 2022 Plenary Council, with a focus on construction of the Ritsumeikan Model of Learning, Qualitative Shift in Teaching and Learning, and Advancement of Graduate School Reforms. Table 1: New Academic Developments During the Academy Vision R2020 Period Academic Year Academic Developments in Colleges/Graduate Schools 2011 Graduate School of Image Arts established College of International Relations Global Studies Major established 2012 Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering established Graduate School of Life Sciences established College of Science and Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Department of Photonics merged into a new Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Department of Electronics and Information Design renamed the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering; Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Macro-mechanical Systems Engineering merged into a new Department of Mechanical Engineering 14 Majors/Programs in the College of Letters reorganized into 8 Studies and 18 Majors 2013 Community and Regional Policy Studies Major established in the College of Policy Science DUT-RU International School of Information Science and Engineering established in partnership with Dalian University of Technology 2014 Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences established Graduate School of Letters reorganized into 2 Majors and 15 fields, with establishment of Major in Informatics of Behavior and Culture Ritsumeikan Junior and Senior High School relocated to Nagaokakyo 2015 Osaka Ibaraki Campus opened Colleges of Business Administration and Policy Science relocated to Osaka Ibaraki Campus 2016 College of Comprehensive Psychology opened 2017 Graduate School of Professional Teacher Education established Department of Information Science and Engineering established in College of Information Science and Engineering; College reorganized into 1 Department and 7 Courses College of Economics reorganized into 1 Department and 2 Majors 2018 College of Gastronomy Management opened Graduate School of Human Science opened College of Science and Engineering Department of Urban Systems Engineering and Department of Environmental Systems Engineering merged into new Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering American University - Ritsumeikan University Joint Degree Program established in College of International Relations 2019 College of Global Liberal Arts opened 2020 Master’s Program in Pharmacy established in Graduate School of Pharmacy Establishment of Graduate School of Gastronomy Management formally approved (for 2021) (1) Initiatives to Realize Diverse Learning among Diverse Students (development of student learning environments) 1) Enhancement of learning/teaching environments in the undergraduate colleges: the core of university learning On the premise that it is important for each of our diverse undergraduate students to gain a true sense of growth through their learning, we pursued the following initiatives in R2020. (i) Initiatives centered on the formal curriculum a) Initiatives in small-group classes for first-year students First-year education plays an important role in enabling students to “learn how to learn” at university and achieving the transition from “high school student” to “university student.” The first-year curriculum is therefore an ongoing focus of reform activity at Ritsumeikan University. Specialized, small-group first-year subjects such as Introductory Seminar are especially crucial, as they provide opportunities for attentive small-group guidance and peer learning. In 2014, in the academic guidelines that provide guiding principles for academic reforms and improvements, we stipulated a standard class size of 30 students for first-year specialized small-group subjects. Over the period from AY 2010 and 2020, 10 of the 13 colleges (these 13 do not include the Colleges of Comprehensive Psychology, Gastronomy Management, and Global Liberal Arts, none of which were established as of AY 2010) decreased the number of students per class in their specialized small-group subjects (see attached ). Moreover, 4 colleges had class sizes of 35 or more in AY 2010, but small-group specialized class sizes in each of these colleges in AY 2020 were either in conformity with the academic guideline of 30 students per class or just slightly above it. The provision of more attentive guidance that leverages the small-group format and the reform and enhancement of undergraduate curricula to advance learning and growth are both important prerequisites to the success of small-group classes, but optimizing the number of students in these classes is itself a crucial part of providing an environment in which such improvements can be made. Table 2: Small-Group Class Sizes (2010 vs 2020 Comparison) College First Year Small-Group Classes Third/Fourth Year Seminar Classes AY 2010 AY 2020 AY 2010 AY 2020 Law 36.3 29.6 14.8 14.3 Eco. Economics: 32.1 Int'l Economics: 23.9 Economics: 31.3 International: 29.6 21.3 19.8 Bus. Admin. Bus. Adm.: 29.2 Int'l Bus. Adm.: 25.8 Bus. Adm.: 26.2 Int'l Bus. Adm.: 22.2 19.5 15.0 Soc. Sci. 31.3 28.2 13.3 13.9 Int. Rel. 29.7 IR: 23.5 GS: 20 18.9 16.0 Pol. Sci. 35.0 31.6 12.8 11.8 Letters 30.8 26.3 18.0 18.3 Image 30.0 32.4 17.1 17.4 Psych. - 35.0 - 10.9 Sci. Eng. 31.2 32.9 8.9 8.1 Info. Sci.Eng 32.2 27.6 9.7 8.7 Life Sci. 36.5 33.8 73.2 (divided into small groups of 10-15 for instruction) 8.3 Pharm. 35.5 30.0 92.8 (divided into small groups of 10-15 for instruction) 3.4 Sport Health 25.4 25.4 - 11.9 Gastron. - 25.1 - 13.7 GLA - 16.8 - - *Figures are shown separately for Colleges where class sizes differ among departments. * Under the AY 2010 curriculum in the Colleges of Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Science, third/fourth year small-group subjects initially divided students into classes of 70-100, and then into smaller sub-groups of 10-15 for instruction, but the figures in the table show the averages before formation of the sub-groups. Table 3: Curriculum Reforms Since AY 2009 (circles indicate years in which reforms were implemented) b) Initiatives in seminars for third and fourth year students (Advanced Seminar, Graduation Research, etc.) Subjects such as Advanced Seminar and Graduation Research have an important position in the specialized small-group learning system, because for students, they represent the culmination of undergraduate learning and a form of learning quality assurance at the point of graduation. In AY 2014, the academic guidelines stipulated a standard class size in these subjects of 20 students. Class sizes in almost all colleges were already lower than this standard in AY 2010, but 9 out of the 13 colleges had nonetheless reduced class sizes even further as of AY 2020. As is the case for first-year small-group subjects, the reduction of student numbers per class is connected with the concrete advancement of the academic improvements envisioned by each college and with further substantiation of learning quality assurance at the point of graduation. As of AY 2020, 14 colleges—including those established post-2010—had made graduation theses mandatory as the culmination of undergraduate learning. Of the remaining 2 colleges, one plans to make graduation theses mandatory for students entering in AY 2022 and thereafter, and the other requires students to register for a Graduation Research subject. These initiatives are backed by an expansion of faculty personnel in accordance with the faculty organization development plan, which is a plan for the number of faculty positions at the university. Increasing faculty numbers has enabled the breadth of education and research fields and topics to grow, and provided students with an expanded choice of seminar classes and research labs. The outcomes of this are especially noticeable in natural science-based colleges. Moreover, results of class questionnaires show that students tend to rate their degree of achievement of learning outcomes and usefulness of learning relatively higher for classes taught in these small-group formats than for lecture-style classes. A questionnaire survey of students graduating in AY 2018 also showed that for students in colleges of the humanities and social sciences, “graduation thesis” and “seminars” ranked alongside “extracurricular activities” as the things that contributed most to their growth at university. For students in science and engineering colleges “graduation thesis” was rated by far the highest, selected by more than 30% of students, followed by “extracurricular activities” then “seminars”. Results such as these demonstrate the significant impact that third- and fourth-year seminar classes have on students’ actual sense of growth. c) Initiatives in the mandatory English language curriculum The academic guidelines stipulate 35 students as the standard class size in foreign language subjects. This is used as a baseline for ongoing improvement of class sizes in line with the academic and curricular characteristics of each college (such as problem-based learning, communication-focused classes, etc.). In AY 2010 the ratio of students per teacher (hereafter “ST ratio”) in mandatory English language classes was 31.72; in AY 2020 it was 29.16. In addition, we have been advancing initiatives for internationalization of the curriculum, propelled further through the national government’s Top Global University Project (“SGU”).*2 These include expansion of English-medium majors, extension of international liberal arts (Liberal Arts Group B) subjects and English-medium subjects offered by each college, and provision of a greater variety of college-specific study abroad programs—all of which are also connected with the aforementioned improvements in ST ratio. Through these initiatives, learning outcomes in the English language curriculum have improved in the period from the 2010s through AY 2021. As part of the SGU project, Ritsumeikan University has set CEFR B1 level as the standard to be used for verifying students’ foreign language proficiency attainment. The proportion of Ritsumeikan University undergraduate students attaining this standard was 23.5% (7,607 students) at the start of SGU in AY 2013, but had risen to 45.6% (14,561 students) in AY 2021. Nonetheless, in the course of Plenary Council discussions, the Student Union has noted that a gap exists between students’ sense of achievement and growth and their objective degree of attainment, and discussions on this point are ongoing. Owing in part to the SGU context, the information regarding foreign languages provided above is focused primarily on the English language. It goes without saying, however, that there is great significance in the study of languages other than English as a means to gain more profound understanding of the world’s diverse cultures and the ability to comprehend international issues in a more multifaceted manner. *2 The Top Global University Project (often referred to in Japanese using the acronym “SGU”) is a national government program designed to raise the international competitiveness of Japanese higher education. It involves system reforms in conjunction with the provision of focused assistance to top universities engaged in world-class education and research and global universities taking the lead in international engagement, to support their comprehensive internationalization through university reforms and partnerships with leading universities overseas. In light of the alignment between these goals and Ritsumeikan University’s efforts to cultivate individuals to pursue careers on the world stage as envisioned in The Ritsumeikan Charter, Ritsumeikan University sought to become involved in the Top Global University Project and was selected for funding in 2014. d) Writing support desks and other initiatives in student support One of the changes made during the course of R2020 was the introduction of new student support initiatives such as writing support desks. This was a result of the AY 2019 Plenary Council’s confirmation of the need for university-wide provision of writing support in order to improve students’ skills of academic writing as a basis for producing graduation theses. In order to address challenges such as these, we have been pursuing new initiatives under the Co-Creation Policy (2019-2022). Discussions around the Co-Creation Policy have yielded a variety of programs for student support, including the Student Success Program (SSP), Beyond Borders Plaza (BBP), and university-wide writing support programs based on the Kinugasa Campus. These high-level connections between initiatives in the curricular and co-curricular realms are helping to diversify learning and foster independent study skills. (ii) Initiatives outside the formal curriculum a) Initiatives to enable diverse students to realize their own styles of learning and campus life Comprehensive student support The concept of providing comprehensive support for learners has informed the development of a unified arrangement of advisory services, including the establishment of the Special Needs Support Office in AY 2011 (to support students with mental disorders and developmental disabilities) and the transfer of the Medical Service Center from the Personnel Division to the Student Affairs Division in AY 2015, as well as the AY 2016 transfer of the Disability Resource Center (DRC) from the Academic Affairs Division to the Student Affairs Division and its merging with the Special Needs Support Office, the establishment of the SSP in AY 2017, and the establishment of a website providing a comprehensive guide to student support services in AY 2019. Based on these improvements we are now promoting collaboration across different professional services, divisions and departments in order to deliver appropriate support to address students’ individual problems. In the area of support for gender diverse students, we have established an Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which works with associated divisions and departments to formulate guidelines for student support in this area, which have now been formalized as the Guidelines on Support for Students regarding Sexual Diversity, which are being publicized on the website and through other channels. Enrichment of support for inbound international students The AY 2018 Plenary Council confirmed the need to develop systems to enhance the provision of support for international students. Since AY 2019, as part of the Co-Creation Policy, one international student support coordinator has been appointed on each campus—KIC, BKC, and OIC—as a point of initial consultation regarding the diverse support needs of international students. The role of these coordinators is to connect and collaborate with related divisions and departments within the university, as well as local authorities and other parties in order to facilitate the resolution of problems. In the area of graduate employment support for international students, we are providing employment matching opportunities by inviting companies interested in employing international students to visit the university as well as offering support for students to improve their Japanese language proficiency, which is essential for graduate job-hunting activities in Japan. Moreover, we have been using Zendesk to deliver online support to international students unable to travel to Japan owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to advance international student support through proactive utilization of both face-to-face and online platforms, in order to respond to the diverse concerns and challenges faced by international students. b) Initiatives to promote student-to-student exchange Promotion of activities in diverse learning communities Ritsumeikan University is home to many different “learning communities.” Within the formal curriculum there are communities in small-group (seminar) subjects such as Advanced Seminar and first-year small-group classes. A wide variety of communities also exist outside the formal curriculum: these include clubs and circles affiliated with the Student Union, groups whose activities are supported by learning support scholarships such as the Alumni Association Future Human Resources Development Scholarship, college project groups and self-motivated seminars whose activities are supported at the college level, peer support groups whose activities are supported at the college and divisional levels, and the Students’ Network in which current undergraduate students and alumni work together to develop career paths. In recognition of the importance of students having opportunities to learn together in such communities, and we are pursuing initiatives to support and expand the range of activities available in light of students’ needs, unrestricted by conventional activity structures. For example, in line with discussions at the AY 2011 Plenary Council, in AY 2012 we began operating the growth support scholarship system on the basis of three approaches: (1) comprehensive student support beyond the distinction between curricular and extracurricular realms; (2) support for both individuals and groups; and (3) support not only for outcomes but also for the process of taking up new challenges and striving to achieve objectives and goals for the future. This scholarship system was reorganized in AY 2017, and work continues to make the system more accessible to students. Inter-campus shuttle bus services are designed to enable students to pursue extra-curricular activities across campus borders. We have been operating services linking all three campuses since the AY 2015 opening of OIC, and since AY 2018 these services have been run in line with flexible operating plans (timetables, shuttle stops, etc.) tailored to student needs. Furthermore, in AY 2019 we began trialing the use of a single platform (RIMIX) to give greater visibility to initiatives supporting students taking up a wide range of “challenges,” such as the entrepreneur development support programs operated across the Ritsumeikan Academy, and university venture support programs that make use of research seeds developed at the university. This platform provides opportunities for students at university, junior and senior high school, and elementary school, as well as researchers, to take up new challenges, and offers them support at all stages from the discovery of new problems to the establishment of commercial ventures. Promotion of exchange between Japanese and international students Ritsumeikan University promotes “peer learning” among a diverse variety of students. In the formal curriculum, the number of international liberal arts (Liberal Arts Group B) subjects taught in an English-language medium has increased from 40 classes in AY 2017 to 55 classes in AY 2021 (student numbers have also increased over this time from 819 to 1,300). Outside the formal curriculum we have implemented a variety of international exchange events under BBP. In AY 2021 a total of around 2,000 students participated in events, and there were around 60,000 instances of participation in and access to online content; in the same year 226 students participated in online international exchange activities with partner institutions (during 2021), and 138 students worked as BBP staff. These results evidence the expansion in opportunities for diverse students to learn together. c) Initiatives toward enhancement of extracurricular activities We have been working to enhance assistance for extracurricular activities and create systems to support and extend students’ “learning and growth,” toward the R2020 goal of giving concrete form to the Ritsumeikan Model of Learning. As part of this work, in AY 2012 we introduced a system for designating and providing support to student clubs on a priority basis. The designation process focuses on clubs’ capacity to (1) gain the understanding and support of many members of the university and wider Academy; (2) contribute to the development of the community and society; (3) build on their achievements thus far to contribute to students’ learning and growth; and (4) exert a positive and beneficial influence on other students. With regard to extracurricular activities in the area of sports in particular, in April 2014 we established the Ritsumeikan Declaration on Sports, which declared that sports embody the Ritsumeikan Academy ethos (to believe in the future, to live for the future) and positioned sports as a driving force for the Academy’s development. These initiatives have resulted not only in improvements in performance in various fields of activity, but also enabled students to share the individual growth and knowledge they have gained through extracurricular activities with their peers in a variety of settings, helping to cultivate the Academy’s identity and culture. Through this process we have also sought to emphasize learning and growth through extracurricular activities and to give concrete form to the ideal types of graduates Ritsumeikan seeks to produce. Clubs Designated for Priority Strengthening Phase 1 (AY 2012-2016) 8 sports clubs, 11 art & culture clubs Phase 2 (AY 2017-2020) 7 sports clubs, 10 art & culture clubs Phase 3 (AY 2021-2025) 7 sports clubs, 10 art & culture clubs A number of systems also function to support the initiatives outlined above: these include the Special Entrance Examination for Persons with Outstanding Talent in Art and Culture, Special Entrance Examination for Persons with Outstanding Talent in Sports, Special Scholarship Students, and the Ritsumeikan University Athlete and Creator Development Scholarship. Furthermore, in the area of sports-related extracurricular activities, we are advancing several initiatives for the enhancement of Ritsumeikan Sports, such as: (1) a comprehensive partnership agreement signed with Asics Japan in AY 2017, which involves collaborative projects under the three pillars of human resource development/exchange, promotion of community service activities, and enhancement of research and development; (2) the 2017 establishment of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Activity Expense Subsidy Regulations and initiation of financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students to undertake travel for training camps and competitions; (3) establishment of the Reserved Scholarship Program for Affiliated School Students with Outstanding Talent in Sports in AY 2017 and its reorganization in AY 2020 as the Reserved Scholarship Program for Affiliated School Students with Outstanding Talent in Extracurricular Activities; and (4) selection under the Japan Sports Agency’s program for the creation of a Japan Association for University Athletics and Sports (UNIVAS) styled on the NCAA in the United States, with the operation of the University Sports Consortium Kansai as the core project. d) Initiatives in learning through fieldwork overseas In the context of the SGU initiatives, Ritsumeikan University has promoted learning abroad initiatives in parallel with the abovementioned support for international students. With the aim of “Human development to collaborate across cultures and contribute globally to Asian communities,” we have pursued reforms in education, research, and student activities to address the three ideals of “international viability, transparency, and exchanges.” In order to implement these reforms we have built a structure than involves all arms of the university, under the Ritsumeikan Global Initiative Promotion Headquarters led by the President and Chair of the Board of Trustees. Specific initiatives in this area include the short-term introductory study abroad program known as Global Fieldwork Project (GFP), launched in AY 2018; provision of attentive study abroad guidance and advice at the International Centers on each campus; use of the BBP as a unified hub for international exchange and language learning, dissemination of the latest study abroad-related information through the study abroad programs website and Zendesk, and the enhancement of internal and external scholarship programs. These and other initiatives enabled us to provide opportunities for learning abroad to a total of 1,941 students (1,623 Japanese students and 318 international students) in AY 2019, against a target of 2,300 students (no outbound programs could be operated in February and March owing to the COVID-19 pandemic). The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact, but in AY 2021 we confirmed changes to the outbound mobility plan and responses and are now providing opportunities for even more students to study abroad, with targets of 2,780 and 3,220 students for the AY 2022 and 2023 years respectively. e) Scholarships to support learning Ritsumeikan University supports learning and growth with two categories of scholarships: financial aid and growth support. Financial aid scholarships help students continue to pursue their dreams under their own volition and responsibility, rather than abandoning their studies for financial reasons. Growth support scholarships, as mentioned earlier, provide assistance to individuals, groups, and organizations that are engaging enthusiastically with curricular learning and extracurricular activities. Following a decision to expand the financial aid scholarship category in AY 2012, we now offer one of highest levels of support in this category in the whole of Japan. The proportion of financial aid scholarships among all scholarships offered at Ritsumeikan University has increased significantly: the ratio of financial aid scholarships to growth support scholarships was formerly 20:80, but is now 50:50. Notably, for the Academic Incentive Scholarship, we adopted a policy of prioritizing those applicants within the “household salary income of 4 million yen or under” category who have household incomes of 3.29 million yen or under, and providing them with 50% reduction or full exemption from first semester tuition (valid for one academic year only). We also established new scholarships that are awarded conditionally prior to students taking the entrance exam. In AY 2017, this pre-entrance exam scholarship award system was reorganized as the Scholarship for Entrants from outside the Kinki Region. Moreover, the Academic Incentive Scholarship, the Scholarship for Internally Recommended Entrants, and the Academic Incentive Grant for Working Adults were combined to create the Financial Support Grant Scholarship. This scholarship provides a 50% reduction of first semester tuition valid from the time of award right through to completion of the standard number of years of enrollment. Around 400 students are selected for the scholarship each year, and while maintaining eligibility for students from households with annual income of 4 million yen or less, we have set upper limits for award of the scholarship at 6 million yen for salary income households, and 1.97 yen for self-employed income households. Furthermore, in AY 2020 we established the Ritsumeikan Tuition Reduction program that incorporates the national government’s new support (grant and loan) system for students in higher education, and reorganized the Financial Support Grant Scholarship. In addition to households with annual incomes of 3.8 million yen or less, which are covered by the national government scheme, Ritsumeikan University has extended eligibility for this scholarship to households with annual incomes of up to 4 million yen. We have also established a new Tuition Reduction for Household Emergencies in order to assist prospective and current students who are facing hardship in their studies owing to sudden change in household finances, natural disasters, and other unforeseen events. At the same time we have been re-organizing and merging programs including Ritsumeikan University Tuition Reduction for Students in Hardship due to Natural Disasters and the Emergency Enrollment Grant Scholarship. Through these financial aid scholarships, we have been developing systems that provide students in a wide variety of circumstances the security to continue their studies. We also continue to operate and improve student growth support scholarship programs, as mentioned above under “Initiatives to promote student-to-student exchange” and “Initiatives in learning through fieldwork overseas,” in order to support individuals, groups, and organizations engaging enthusiastically with curricular learning and extracurricular activities (including study abroad, obtaining qualifications, and club activities). 2) Creating desirable career pathways that respond to society’s needs We have been making improvements to careers and graduate employment services and providing attentive support to enable students to realize their preferred career paths, based on analysis of changes in the employment and recruitment climate and student activity trends. As a result, in the area of graduate employment in the private sector, we have attained the targets set by the university as basic performance indicators for the second half of R2020, including satisfaction with post-graduation career paths, degree of ascertainment of student career paths, proportion of students deciding career path, and proportion of students obtaining graduate employment. We have also been working in close collaboration with colleges, graduate schools, and associated divisions to strengthen support for students taking highly competitive external examinations, resulting in a rise in pass rates. This is beginning to generate a positive cycle whereby more students are aiming to pass competitive examinations. In survey of graduating and completing students conducted in AY 2018, 95% of students gave positive ratings for “satisfaction with student life” and “satisfaction with education. When asked to nominate “something that contributed to your growth,” respondents named such things as their graduation thesis / Master’s thesis, curricular activities such as seminar classes, extracurricular activities, and graduate job-hunting activities. These results clearly show the positive correlation between graduate careers and employment outcomes and sense of fulfilment and satisfaction with student life. Moreover, rather than targeting only students preparing for graduate employment and careers in the immediate future, we have also strengthened the provision of individualized support tailored to the conditions of graduate students, international students, lower-year undergraduate students, students with disabilities, and the like, as well as the career preferences of students seeking careers in fields such as public service and education, law and accounting, and in rural and regional areas. Furthermore, in AY 2014 we launched a “Global x Career” approach to graduate career support in a global framework. Specifically, we have held careers abroad seminars, provided information on career opportunities at international organizations and in the international cooperation field, and implemented other support programs for Japanese, international, and English-medium students interested in working in countries other than Japan or their home country. (2) Advanced Research and Career Support Initiatives in Graduate Schools In the area of career development and research support in the Ritsumeikan University Graduate Schools, a central role has been played by the career path support program which has been conducted over four terms to date. This program was launched in AY 2007, prior to R2020, under the title of Doctoral Career Path Development Support, and phase 1 operation ran from AY 2007 to 2009. This was followed in the first half of the R2020 period by phases 2 (AY 2010-2012) and 3 (AY 2013-2015) terms. For phase 3 the title was changed to Graduate School Career Path Support, with the Doctoral Career Path Support Center being reorganized as the Graduate Career Path Support Center (from AY 2013). The aim of this reorganization was to expand the program’s scope in phase 3 to provide comprehensive support for all graduate students including those in Master’s programs, rather than focusing mainly on Doctoral students as was the case in the first and second terms. The Graduate Career Path Support Center has also earned high praise from graduate schools at other institutions for transcending the boundary between education and research and developing and implementing support programs from a more holistic standpoint. The first half of R2020 (up to phase 3) saw the establishment of a number of new research support programs that continue to operate today: the Prize Fellowship for the Doctoral Degree Students S, Prize Fellowship for the Doctoral Degree Students A, Prize Fellowship for the Doctoral Degree Students B, International Research Grant, Domestic Academic Conference Scholarship, International Academic Conference Scholarship, and the Grant for Student Research Societies. Career path support initiatives during phase 4 (AY 2016-2020), which is the second half of the R2020 plan, included the establishment of the Grant for Publication of Doctoral Dissertation, the Scholarship for Overseas Joint Research, and the Program to Support the Submission of Academic Papers in English (all in AY 2017). At the same time, graduate school tuition fees were reduced as part of academic policies designed to achieve quantitative and qualitative advancement of the graduate schools, with the reduced levels applied to both new and current students from AY 2017. Furthermore, new systems for academic RAs and newly-appointed research fellows and assistant professors came into operation in AY 2018 and AY 2019 respectively. A number of other programs, including the Domestic Research Grant and the Internship Scholarship for Doctoral students, were launched around the same time, along with the full-scale rollout of a variety of programs to support career development and research beyond the provision of scholarships and grants. With regard to the latter, one of the pioneering initiatives was the Premier Leadership Ph.D. Program to Innovate Active Life Society: Advanced Industry-Academia Collaboration, launched in conjunction with an application to the national government’s AY 2018 Doctoral Program for World-leading Innovative & Smart Education. Ritsumeikan University is also involved in the Collaborative Program for Innovative Talent Development (known from AY 2022 as the Integrated Doctoral Researcher Development Partnership System), launched in AY 2019 with Hokkaido University as the representative institution and several other universities involved. Building on these reforms pursued under R2020, in AY 2021 we launched the Ritsumeikan University NEXT (New Educational Xross-Training) Fellowship, an initiative to connect career development and research support more progressively to the R2030 vision. This NEXT Fellowship has been selected for funding under MEXT’s University Fellowship Creation Project for Innovation in Science and Technology. The NEXT Fellowship program provides support to Fellows (selected Doctoral students) participating in research projects in “development hubs” selected from among the diverse interdisciplinary research centers within Ritsumeikan University. The aim is to enable Fellows to collaborate with researchers working at the front lines in different fields, obtain advanced specialist expertise and cross-disciplinary perspectives, and grow into high-level specialists equipped with the capacity to develop real-life applications for their research. This aim accords with the basic direction of the R2030 Challenge Design, and represents a groundbreaking initiative for concretization and implementation of the Challenge Design in the area of graduate schools policy. Furthermore, in AY 2021, Ritsumeikan University applied for the Japan Science and Technology Agency’s (JST) Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation, a program designed to support talented doctoral degree holders as a new generation of researchers. Ritsumeikan University’s successful application, titled the Ritsumeikan Advanced Research Academy (RARA) Next-Generation Researcher Support Program, involves selecting outstanding Doctoral program students as RARA Student Fellows, and providing them with extensive support to develop into research leaders for the next generation. In addition to these initiatives, we have been developing other systems to support graduate students across many areas, including seminars (such as Career Management Seminars and Matching Seminars for Doctoral Students and Companies) and support for students to improve their English language proficiency (such as the Basic Skills Development Support Grant, Subsidy Program for Group Examinations of English Language Proficiency, English academic writing support, and online individual guidance sessions on writing academic papers in English). To help graduate students realize their preferred career paths, we are developing enhanced support systems for specific student cohorts in line with disciplinary categories and other differences. In this way, dramatic advancements were made during the R2020 period (including the transition phase to R2030) in the area of career development support and research support for graduate students at Ritsumeikan University. (3) Development of Campus Environments for Greater Amenity and Enrichment of Learning and Student Life 1) Facilities and campus infrastructure Securing facilities and class venues is a major precondition for supporting student life, advancing new educational initiatives, and realizing curricula and class schedules that enhance students’ learning. Campus development plans were pursued under R2020, including the opening of OIC in AY 2015, with a view to providing the basic infrastructure and conditions for education, research, and student life. This perspective informed the development and utilization of a full range of learning commons during the R2020 period. These commons are pleasant places for students to spend time on campus, providing opportunities for peer learning in diverse forms beyond the learning that takes place in classrooms, during class time, and within the formal curriculum. These commons include the Piara spaces within libraries on each campus, the commons that capitalize on the characteristics of college facilities and other specific facilities at KIC, and the Sports and Health Commons and Outdoor Commons at BKC, while at OIC we have developed a variety of commons under the concept of making the entire campus a place of learning. Since AY 2015 we have also commenced operation of new graduate school facilities in the Kyuronkan at KIC and the graduate school area in Building A at OIC, with a view to developing environments responsive to the diverse needs of graduate students, including enhanced research labs, commons, and meeting rooms. Other improvements in campus environments have been pursued from the standpoint of promoting diversity and inclusion, including the installation of escalators and sloped pathways on campus, and the opening of daycare facilities. Major Campus Facilities and Infrastructure Developments Undertaken as Part of R2020 KIC Kyuronkan Hall (in use from March 2015) KIC Hirai Kaichiro Memorial Library (in use from April 2016) KIC/BKC Development of daycare facilities: Ritsumeikan Mirai Nursery Kinugasa (in use from September 2018) BKC Tricea: New Science & Engineering Building II (in use from May 2014) BKC Sports and Health Commons: Redevelopment of BKC Front Zone (in use from August 2016) OIC Establishment of OIC (in use from April 2015) OIC OIC Field / Building F (lawn replaced March 2017) OIC Wakebayashi International Plaza Building G (in use from September 2019) KIC/BKC/OIC Redesign of lavatories (implemented progressively) 2) Foundational support for safety, security, and comfort in campus life Medical Service Centers have been established on each campus in order to support the foundations of safe, secure campus life for students. Initiatives centered on these Medical Service Centers include Travel Clinics established in AY 2015, the peer supporter-operated +R Study Abroad Health Supporters system launched in AY 2019, the medical expense subsidy system provided by the Parents Association of Student Education Assistance since AY 2017, and the Healthy Campus Ritsumeikan Declaration and Health Promotion Plan formulated in AY 2018. Moreover, responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have included the establishment of fever clinics (AY 2020), the introduction of PCR testing devices (AY 2021), and on-campus vaccination programs (since AY 2021). In addition, we have been pursuing initiatives for smoke-free campuses, including the AY 2009 establishment of the Smoke-Free Campus Promotion Committee, and no-smoking education and patrol campaigns. Another essential part of making campus life more pleasant is the enhancement of dining environments. We have established Lunch Streets at BKC (since AY 2011) and OIC (since AY 2015). Furthermore, we renovated and expanded the seating in the Zonshinkan cafeteria at KIC in AY 2017, and opened Forest Dining nadeshico at BKC in AY 2021. A Lunch Street was also opened at KIC in AY 2021 as another one of the range of initiatives designed to enhance dining environments on campus. 2. Emergency Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Future Outlook Based on the Pandemic Experience In addition to the diverse initiatives undertaken during the R2020 period as outlined above, the university has pursued a number of important measures to ensure continuity of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic since AY 2020. Some of these measures constitute “emergency” responses, which others are connected with new developments in the future, so in the context of identifying achievements and remaining challenges from R2020 and formulating initiatives toward R2030, there is a need to review these measures and re-confirm the issues involved. This perspective informs the following account of initiatives in response to COVID-19. (1) Teaching and Learning Initiatives In April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the adoption of online classes across all parts of the university, a measure with no precedent in the past. To achieve this shift, we developed implementation structures and student supports on an emergency basis. The first stage of this response involved the payment of a standard grant of 30,000 yen to all students as a form of “emergency learning support” to help them prepare the conditions required for learning online. WE also offered loans of notebook computers, Wi-Fi routers, and other equipment free of charge. For students experiencing financial hardship owing to a sudden change in household financial circumstances or loss of income from part-time work, we provided an emergency student support grant of 90,000 yen (30,000 yen per month for 3 months). In addition, we introduced the Online Classes Starter Kit, a paid service to help students set up their online learning environment. We also used the Ritsumeikan University website, manaba+R and other channels to distribute messages and information to students on topics such as how to take online classes and use associated tools, and information on the COVID-19 virus itself. We also strengthened our server capacity to ensure that manaba+R and other systems would operate problem-free even when accessed by large numbers of students as online classes commenced across the university. Moreover, in order to support faculty members teaching online classes, we opened a support desk, disseminated information through the academic affairs support web pages, and organized FD activities. At the start of the fall semester AY 2020, we made large-scale infrastructure improvements to enable effective pursuit of online teaching and learning at the same time as re-commencing some face-to-face classes. We entered into a university-wide license agreement with Zoom, which is used to deliver online classes in real time, and also introduced Panopto, a platform for recording, sharing, and managing on-demand video content. We also improved classroom infrastructure by installing camera/speaker systems for use in real-time class delivery in all Ritsumeikan University classrooms: a total of approximately 600 rooms in all. This has enabled classes to be offered in “hybrid” mode, with face-to-face teaching in the classroom and online real-time teaching conducted simultaneously. From the fall semester 2020 through the 2021 academic year, we enhanced Wi-Fi access points in classrooms in the expectation that the number of students taking face-to-face classes on campus would increase as COVID-19 infection rates declined. We also developed facilities directly to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as ventilation facilities in classrooms not equipped with mechanical ventilation systems), and the replacement of long tables with one-person individual desks in small classrooms at KIC. Viewed in a short-term perspective, most of the above initiatives were conducted in the context of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and proved effective for this purpose. In addition, the basic facilities developed for online teaching and learning during the pandemic will form the basis of initiatives in the development of educational methods and infrastructure for the pursuit of full-scale Digital Transformation (DX), following further university-wide discussion on this topic. When making BCP-level changes during AY 2021 under the continued COVID-19 pandemic, we endeavored to offer small-group classes for lower-year undergraduate students on in face-to-face mode wherever possible. This decision was taken in light of the fact that specialized small-group classes are places where the Ritsumeikan University tradition of peer support is put into practice, contributing to the formation of student communities. (2) Library Initiatives Libraries remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic and worked to maintain their learning environments. The pandemic necessitated reconsideration of the role of libraries as real-life spaces (places to belong) for students, but we decided to keep them open based on the notion that in order to protect students’ “academic freedom” and guarantee their “right to knowledge,” restrictions on library use should be kept to an absolute minimum even in the face of public health risks such as COVID-19. At the BCP level, we introduced measures and policies to mitigate usage restrictions such as the introduction of postal loan services. We also ensured that an adequate range of databases and electronic journals were available, and continued to offer online services for access to numerous digital materials, as well as expanding the number of books available online. (3) International Exchange Initiatives for Outbound and Inbound Study Abroad The pandemic also had major impacts on outbound and inbound international student mobility. The number of participants in outbound study abroad programs stood at 2,080 in AY 2018. In AY 2019 we were forced to cancel short-term outbound programs for approximately 300 students in February and March, meaning that the total number of outbound students in the academic year was 1,941, against a target of 2,300. In anticipation of extremely harsh restrictions on international departures and arrivals in AY 2020 and 2021, we altered our outbound mobility plans to include substitute online programs in July 2021 and continued to support students who had enrolled in Ritsumeikan University anticipating opportunities for international learning. As a result, in AY 2021, we provided international education programs to a total of 592 students: 19 students who traveled overseas to study, 347 who participated in online study abroad programs, and 226 who participated in online international exchange activities with partner institutions. (4) Comprehensive Learner Support Initiatives In the area of comprehensive learner support initiatives, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we took steps to enable the provision of support to students unable to come to campus in person, confirming safety requirements and legal issues and moving ahead of other universities to establish a system of remote consultation and response making use of telephone and online platforms. Notably, we strengthened the functions of the Student Support Room (SSR) and in addition to the existing tertiary support structures (counselling and specialized/personalized care) we enhanced primary support (support for students with issues addressable through self-care) and secondary support (support for students with issues addressable through self-care and provision of care in group formats), promoting the provision of support and development of connections for all the university’s students. (5) Extracurricular Activities Initiatives The COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity once again to acknowledge the status and importance of extra-curricular activities as learning communities. As we moved toward resumption of face-to-face extracurricular activities, we developed support to enable activities to be conducted in a safe, secure manner both before and after this resumption, as well as other novel forms of extracurricular activity support. We began accepting applications for resumption of face-to-face activities from June 2020, and following interviews with clubs, discussions with the Associate Dean and other processes, we began permitting the resumption of activities by student organizations that were able to implement COVID-19 countermeasures on an ongoing basis. As of March 2022, 276 organizations, around 70% of the total, have resumed face-to-face activities. In addition, we began providing opportunities for new students to interact with clubs online in AY 2020. A Cyber Campus was established in December 2020 as a forum for online exchange, and in AY 2021 we supported both online and face-to-face welcome activities, club and circle recruitment events, and campus festivals as activities targeting both new and existing students. (6) Community-Building Initiatives The COVID-19 pandemic has caused damage to many kinds of person-to-person connections, and the impact on the formation of student communities has been especially severe. In acknowledgment of this impact, and in order to sustain learning activities, since the fall semester 2020 the university has been hosting exchange events and presentation forums on an ongoing basis both online and offline. These events have been extremely diverse in format and content, including extracurricular activity recruitment, grants for activities supporting student growth, relaxation sessions and other mental and physical wellbeing activities (organized by the SSR), and study support-related activities (organized by the SSP). In AY 2021 these activities numbered over 80, with a total of more than 3,000 students participating. Moreover, the 24 on-demand classes offered by the SSP attracted a total of 8,903 views. Other initiatives that were accelerated and enhanced in this period include the online exchange platform for undergraduate and graduate students known as RI-sA (the Ritsumeikan Innovators Supported by Alumni Project). (7) Careers and Graduate Employment Initiatives To enable students to continue their graduate job-hunting activities free from concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, we offered guidance sessions, seminars, mock interviews, and other support programs in online and on-demand formats, and moved over-the-counter individual consultations online as well. In order to respond more effectively to students’ concerns, we also exchange events for students online. Since AY 2021, we have been offering individual consultations through a variety of channels in line with students’ needs, including face-to-face, online, telephone, and e-mail. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an opportunity to diversify approaches to careers and graduate employment support, including the introduction of an alumni visit platform, website renewal, adoption of digital bookshelves, and installation of private booths for use in online interviews and screenings. (8) Learning from the Pandemic Related Initiatives In this way, although the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the capacity to secure opportunities for student learning and growth, Ritsumeikan University pursued a variety of initiatives to ensure that learning did not come to a halt. In retrospect, the insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic were designed not simply to enable a return to the same campuses as existed prior to the pandemic, nor were they based on simple binary distinctions between face-to-face and online realms: rather, they will inform new approaches to campus life and new forms of learning and growth based on “learning outcomes” and “accountability for learning.” Developments such as technology-driven initiatives toward educational DX and enhancement of support beyond existing frameworks can be seen as forms of pre-emptive action on the concepts laid out in the R2030 Challenge Design. It is also essential to keep in mind that an event that transforms the world in a short period of time, just as the COVID-19 pandemic did, may well occur again in the future. This demands us to consider how best to build an environment for continuity of learning, and acknowledge that playing a responsible role in such situations is one of Ritsumeikan University’s missions going forward. 3. Concrete Initiatives under R2030 Challenge Design As stated at the start of this document, there is a need for further discussion of the concrete initiatives to be pursued under the R2030 Challenge Design, and such discussion will be taken into account as we work to build a shared awareness of the issues involved. Ritsumeikan University has pursued its R2020 plans in tune with the changing times. The process of implementing these plans provided a real sense that we have entered an era of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), as typified by the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic arose rapidly as a globally shared challenges, requiring us to adjust our preconceptions and accepted wisdom across all spheres of activity, from individual lifestyles to society, politics, and economics. Progress and advancements in technology enabled wide-ranging efforts to tackle COVID-19, which both brought great benefits to society and changes to the everyday lives we had led prior to the pandemic. These experiences prompted people to reassess the significance of humanism and ethics, and awareness of considerations surely increased. What is important when living through an era of uncertainty, in which no question has a single correct answer, is surely for each and every person to continue to learn and grow, seeking a better version of oneself and a better society for all. Moreover, there is a need to rekindle appreciation of the fact that living in a manner true to oneself and participating in the creation of a better society is linked to the process of gaining awareness of the roles that one can play, developing one’s own pathway forward, and playing one’s part in a changing society. Thus far, Ritsumeikan University has sought to become a university better able to support students’ learning and growth, taking into account the conditions and demands of the present era and into the future, and achieving improvements and enhancements in education, research, and support for students’ lives. Given the contemporary climate in which radical transformations could occur at any time, we now appear have reached a major transition point in terms of education, research, and student support at Ritsumeikan University. Under R2030, we will pursue the initiatives set forth below, in order to raise the standards and quality of education and research on an ongoing basis and continues to be a gathering point for people committed to learning and growth, with a view to creating universal value and tackling the various challenges confronting humankind. (1) Approach to the R2030 Challenge Design Informed by the initiatives pursued under R2020, in AY 2018 the Ritsumeikan Academy drew up the R2030 Vision: Challenge Your Mind, Change Our Future. Based on this Vision we set out the Ideal Shape of the Academy, the Ideal Qualities in Our People, and Policy Objectives, to ensure the Academy is a place in which students on any level, members of faculty, staff, or indeed alumni are able to consider, from the own individual perspectives, how to create a better society; and which attracts, on this basis, those who are able to exercise boldly the freedom to tackle any challenge in moving toward the realization of a truly peaceful society. -Ideal Shape of the Academy An Academy that serves as a community hub for lifelong learning An Academy that tackles issues facing human society An Academy dedicated to realizing diversity and inclusion -Ideal Qualities in Our People People imbued with enterprising spirit People who can respond to changes in society, think independently, and take action People equipped with a sense of global citizenship -Policy Objectives Realize the creation of new value Actively contribute to global society Evolve teaching and research with technology Create future-oriented campuses Pursue seamless institutional development Embrace diversity for academy development Ritsumeikan University has a two-point vision for its existence in the 2030s, as it strives to create value for social coexistence: (1) as a next-generation university that creates new forms of value, and (2) as a university that produces innovative and creative individuals, through which it will continue to generate new forms of value and learning. At the heart of this vision lies the idea of undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and faculty and staff continuing to learn, seek, and explore throughout their lives, and of these people gathering at Ritsumeikan University to learn together at significant points in their lives. Ritsumeikan University will function as a kind of mothership (alma mater) for people on a lifelong journey of learning. The R2030 Challenge Design also articulates the ideal of expansive recoupling of research and education. Our research, in the sense of intellectual enterprise that generates value for social coexistence, should connect widely and in diverse ways not only with other universities and research institutions, but also with companies, national and local governments, civil society and local communities; moreover, learners should be able to participate in this kind of broad-ranging, open research in the context of vertical connections between the university’s affiliated schools, undergraduate colleges and graduate schools. This is precisely what it means to pursue learning that is consistently active and inquiry-based. Another of our objectives for R2030 is to become the number one university in terms of students’ sense of growth. We believe that to achieve this objective, we need to abandon conventional thinking that views the places where students learn under the binary framework of “curricular” and “extra-curricular,” and instead provide an environment in which all students, in the course of their university life, make use of their individual characteristics, collaborate with a diverse range of people, and thereby obtain a sense of growth and continue to improve on their own distinctive “personal best.” The outcomes of R2020 and our initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic have been, among other things, (1) to expand opportunities for diverse students to learn and grow, and (2) in support of such learning and growth, to promote exchange among students and provide the basic infrastructure for such exchange to take place. This work has enabled those who have led full lives as university students to gain a sense of personal growth in a variety of situations in their social lives. There are keen expectations that the concrete programs carried out under the R2030 Challenge Design will further elevate these outcomes and raise students’ sense of growth and satisfaction. (2) The Meaning of Expansive Recoupling of Research and Education: Seeking to Discharge Ritsumeikan University’s Mission To pursue the expansive recoupling of research and education, we first need to clarify the type of education that is linked to research. Universities are “knowledge hubs” but also places for “knowledge sharing”: through their research activities, and enabling students to observe faculty members working intently on these activities, they foster students’ understanding of what it means to learn. Moreover, the mandating of exploratory learning in the revised national primary and secondary school curriculum from AY 2022 means that senior high school students will gain more opportunities to come into contact with the research undertaken at universities. A good example of this is the Rice Bowl Seminar series, which enables students of Ritsumeikan affiliated and partner schools to encounter cutting-edge university research through seminars featuring research presentations by young Ritsumeikan University researchers and free discussion. The problem, however, is that the experiences and insights gained from such activities are not directly connected with the learning students pursue after entering university, leading to some dissatisfaction with university learning among new students. We acknowledge that this state of affairs must be addressed, and that the university must pursue educational reforms that foster students’ capacity for exploration, including ways to resolve the kind of disconnect noted above. Specifically, we are promoting integrated education programs, advancing senior high school-university articulation, and considering the introduction of a system that allows senior high school students to take university classes. It is also important to share achievements and experiences in high school-university articulation activities undertaken recently by individual colleges, including connections with institutions other than our affiliated and partner schools, and to learn from these achievements and experiences. On this basis we will explore overall approaches to undergraduate education, with a view to the continuation and advancement of learning at graduate school level as well. (3) Further Enrichment of Student Learning and Growth As can be seen in profound connections between learning at university and endeavors such as resolution of real-life societal problems and development of cutting-edge technologies, such learning deals with issues for which there are no set “answers,” or for which “answers” formulated provisionally may change from day to day. These characteristics make university learning an inherently sophisticated exploratory activity. Surely we can say that the learning and individual inquiry-based activities that students undertake at university are seamlessly connected with the full-scale research activities that lie beyond them. In this sense, undergraduate (Bachelor’s degree) education is key to achieving the R2030 Challenge Design vision of a next-generation research university. We need to work on giving shape to the concept of “expansive re-coupling of research and education” that is deeply connected with undergraduate education and contributes to its enhancement, through inquiry-based approaches that extend and deepen undergraduate students’ learning by enabling the discovery and resolution of new societal issues, and equipping them with a broad general education through interchange with other disciplinary fields, while remaining grounded in the fields and modes of learning in undergraduate major education. To cultivate students’ inquiry-based capabilities and achieve further advancements in learning and growth, a priority task will be to revisit our current approaches in curricular, extracurricular, and international exchange fields and provide enhanced opportunities for inquiry-based learning tailored to the shift in focus, and to construct a coordinated system for appropriate selection and provision of support for such inquiry-based learning opportunities. It will also be important to create mechanisms for students themselves to ascertain (visualize) their own growth, in line with the ideas of utilizing valuable resources generated by the recoupling of research and education, and establishing opportunities for autonomous learning in the context of linkages with society. (i) Developing fields to learning to enhance exploratory capabilities a) Advancements in classes Firstly, in discussions of how to create more effective inquiry-based learning opportunities within classes in the formal curriculum, there is a need to consider the following points: Responding to changes in student awareness and the changing demands resulting therefrom (enabling home-based and distance learning to raise time-effectiveness, etc.) Surveying and analyzing study methods that may help improve learning outcomes (revision using video-on-demand materials, effective utilization of time through skip-ahead learning, etc.) Sharing teaching practice designed to enhance learning outcomes (effective use of TAs and ESs, team teaching by multiple faculty members, use of chat functions for interactivity, etc.) Development and enhancement of IT infrastructure (university-wide Zoom licenses, installation of video cameras for filming and streaming in all classrooms, adoption of the video management platform Panopto, video filming studio and video editing support, etc.) We consider initiatives in relation to the above points to be connected with qualitative shifts in face-to-face classes, based on insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to secure these kinds of class environments, there is a need not only to support faculty members but also tackle issues such as promoting DX, enhancing the capabilities of TAs and ESs, enabling graduate (Doctoral) students to participate in education, and training and assigning highly skilled specialists in educational design. It will be essential also to clarify the advantages of face-to-face teaching and learning, at the same time as making maximal use of insights into the potentials of online teaching and learning gained through the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that there is a need to design face-to-face learning opportunities not simply in terms of sharing the same physical space, but also with the aim of “expansive re-coupling of research and education,” raising the quality of learning by adding new forms of value that help enhance Ritsumeikan University’s research capacity. It is important to develop class environments and infrastructure necessary to achieve this re-coupling in ways that proactively advance qualitative shifts in teaching and learning. These are initiatives that cannot be realized through the unilateral efforts of faculty and students alone. We believe that the utilization of DX will drive further advancements that help facilitate the sharing of faculty members’ research outcomes in educational practice. b) Further enhancement of global education The next topic is global education. A key theme in the R2030 Challenge Design and the post-SGU phase is the further promotion and advancement of the global education systems that Ritsumeikan University has built through the R2020 period. It will be especially important to respond to the new environment that has evolved through the COVID-19 pandemic with novel approaches to global education, including the use of international activity bases and online platforms in the post-COVID era. Even during the pandemic, we were able to develop new, high-quality online study abroad programs with international partners with which Ritsumeikan University has a history of close collaboration. We will expand this experience to other universities and institutions overseas, make progress toward the formation of new global education hubs, and develop new study abroad programs. In the area of long-term study abroad (student exchange), we will work to secure new outbound places in order to give students a wider choice of exchange destinations, with a focus on institutions in high demand among our students. c) Enhancement of diverse community-building initiatives Next is the formation of communities both within and beyond the university. There will be no change in the way these communities are positioned as important places for students and other constituents to cultivate their skills of inquiry, and we will continue to support the formation of communities and their vitalization of activities in student life. A wide range of activities relating to community formation have been pursued in the context of R2020, including RIMIX and RI-sA. We will build on these to create new programs and further enhance activities in areas such as community exchange and social contribution. It will be important to apply online communication methods and the like, in addition to inter-campus exchange, community exchange, and utilization of external resources, to further expand opportunities for inquiry-based learning that enhances students’ autonomous, active learning. d) New advancements in Ritsumeikan Sports In the area of sports, as evidenced by developments such as the enactment of the Basic Act on Sports, and the programs of the Sports Agency established for the hosting of the 2020(+1) Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, there are high expectations in regard to the value of sports and their role in society. Ritsumeikan University has been working to enhance sporting activities as part of the extracurricular activities sphere, but taking into account the abovementioned developments, we will now consider the positioning and approach to sports afresh. The key to doing so will be the formulation of a sports promotion strategy to generate social coexistence value out of Ritsumeikan’s sporting culture and initiatives aligned with a new articulation of the Academy’s sports policies, informed by changes in society since the start of R2020, when we established the Ritsumeikan Declaration on Sports. Sports have educational dimensions (character formation and moral development as required to build contemporary societies undergoing accelerated change), as well as ethical dimensions (respect for implicit values such as fair play and mutual respect under conditions of equality), intellectual and technical dimensions (techniques and tactics for the skillful control of physical power, emphasis on ingenuity and strategy), and organizational dimensions (configuration of groups in a game context, building of organizations and allocation of roles). We need to respect all of these dimensions and pursue initiatives that reflect the intrinsic value of university sports from the standpoint of developing positive relationships between students and sports. In addition, fostering understanding of the intrinsic value of university sports among students will aid the enhancement and strengthening of activities in sporting fields, as well as the formation of the Academy’s identity through sports. Advancing these goals through our sports promotion strategy will also contribute to the cultivation of students with an inquiring spirit and capacity for exploration: future talent befitting our vision of a next-generation research university. Moreover, there is a need to redesign scholarships and initiatives for student safety, security, and health that provide the foundations of student activities, and programs enabling the involvement and participation of students in university development. (ii) Toward the enrichment of learning in inquiry-based settings In this context, it will be important to initiate discussion of the ideal mix of face-to-face, online, and hybrid platforms for inquiry-based learning, and how best to achieve such a mix. We also need to develop and verify new methods. Advancements such as digital twins and virtual campuses are being imbued with a greater sense of realism as universities move toward a new model of operation that combines the real and the virtual in the near future. Challenges here include, for example, (1) to leverage online class formats for the expansion of educational courses leading to external qualifications; (2) to establish team teaching approaches (models for collaboration between instructors, TAs, ESs, specialized professionals, and external parties); and (3) to explore approaches to learning support that involve bringing students’ learning data together on an integrated “Ritsumeikan Data Platform” and individually optimizes support based on the data and tailored to each students’ aspirations. These would require organizational restructuring within the university and need to be considered in conjunction with a review of the division of roles between faculty and administrative staff. In this context, there is a need for systems that coordinate and support opportunities for learning and growth, with a view to transforming university education into a realm of inquiry-based learning and identifying the optimal ways for students to experience such learning so that it connects with their individual sense of growth. We anticipate that by proactively developing such systems it will be possible to generate a positive learning and growth cycle, whereby students gain an actual sense of learning and growing, connect it to the next steps in their learning, share their learning with others, and thereby inspire further learning. As a result, students will be able to acquire the exploratory capabilities needed to embark on their preferred career paths, solve a variety of problems, and realize a way of living that is true to themselves. (4) Roles Expected of Graduate Students (the “ideal graduate student” envisaged by Ritsumeikan University) The R2030 Challenge Design aims to produce individuals who keep learning throughout their lives. Advancing to graduate school and pursuing recurrent education after graduation are important ways of realizing this kind of ongoing learning. Above all, graduate students are expected to play a central role in achieving our vision of a “next-generation research university.” The next ten years will see fundamental changes in the nature of Ritsumeikan University’s graduate schools, along with major shifts in the ideal types of graduate students the university seeks to cultivate. When discussing these ideals, there will be a need to take adequate account the diverse attributes of graduate students, including their disciplinary characteristics, career intentions, academic programs, and differences in background, including working adults and international students. It will also be essential to augment our professional graduate schools in areas where advanced professionals are in high demand. The Ritsumeikan University Graduate Schools will view their students as practitioners of “independent research” that continue to explore new horizons, and pursue a mission that can be described as the cultivation of individuals with the exploratory capabilities to tackle novel research topics in line with societal needs and to contribute to the generation of social coexistence value, at the same time as producing academic value in the global dimension. (5) Future Advancement of Graduate School Academic Programs Ritsumeikan University’s campuses are hope to numerous research organizations, research institutes, and research centers. One of the distinguishing features is the existence of research organizations situated under the direct jurisdiction of the President, such as R-GIRO and the Ritsumeikan Asia-Japan Research Institute (AJI). In AY 2021, the latter Institute launched the AJI Graduate School Partnership Program for Next-Generation Researcher Development, in which Senior Researchers are appointed exclusively from among people who have completed Doctoral degrees at Ritsumeikan University, with the aim of cultivating young researchers’ exploratory capabilities and contributing to their career development. This program seeks to create a nurturing setting that integrates research and education, and is building a seamless growth environment for the cultivation of young researchers. Its specific initiatives include (1) the AJI Frontier Seminar, (2) the AJI Research Enhancement Program, and (3) the AJI Advanced Support for Academic Writing in English. These initiatives are part of generating a distinctive system of training at organizational level, while still allowing graduate students to focus on their research. There is also potential for diverse deployment of this system in other research hubs. As this example shows, some advance initiatives toward the R2030 goal of “expansive re-coupling of research and education” are already underway. Going forward, in a wide variety of research organizations, institutes, and centers, we will be developing research, education, and training environments that enable graduate students engaged in research to grow through direct experience of connecting with world-leading research. Fostering young researchers is a primary mission of our research organs, and in the Research Enhancement Plan Phase IV formulated in AY 2021 the provision of research support for graduate students is positioned as a key issue. As we expand scholarship programs such as the NEXT Fellowship Program and RARA Student Fellows, we anticipate that graduate students will form “nodes” of research, organizing research groups and exercising leadership grounded in their individual specializations. To achieve this, we will move forward with initiatives for activity partnerships among research institutes and centers, integrating and transcending existing research fields with data science, and graduate student training in conjunction with joint research projects with industry partners. It will also be important to create opportunities for graduate students to pursue research in partnership with research institutions outside Japan. We will pay close attention to the aspirations and preferences of graduate students as we work to expand research opportunities for them. Moreover, we will develop conditions that will enable even larger intakes of international students with high levels of interest in and motivation for undertaking research in Japan, and further enhance opportunities for peer learning with undergraduate and graduate students on campus. Chapter III: Financial Management in the R2020 Period and Ritsumeikan University Tuition/Finance Policies for AY 2023 and Beyond In R2020, under the goals of learner-centered education and comprehensive learner support, we developed the basic conditions and infrastructure for the qualitative enhancement of teaching and learning and the advancement of globalization. Informed by the achievements of R2020, in order to undertake further initiatives to raise educational quality and reliably implement the R2030 challenge design that was formulated with the post-COVID era in mind, we need to maintain sound financial health and balance going forward. Japan’s private universities are subject to a twofold structural disparity: a low level of public funding by international standards and a gap in funding levels between national and private universities. Japan has one of the lowest levels of public higher education funding of all OECD member countries. Private university ordinary expense subsidies allocated by the national government now make up less than 10% of private university expenditure on ordinary personnel and operating expenses. (The Act on Subsidies for Private Schools that governs these subsidies was passed by parliament with an additional resolution that the rate would be maintained at 50%. In practice, it peaked at just 29.5% in 1980 and has been declining ever since, but this is the first time since the law was passed in 1971 that the rate has fallen below 10%.) As a result, private universities have a financial structure that involves using student fees (revenue from tuition and fees) as the main source of funds to cover essential education and research expenses such as personnel costs and scholarships, at the same time as accumulating reserve funds for use in future replacement and upgrading of facilities and the like, to enable perpetual operation of academic activities and the university as a whole. Student fees are an indispensable source of funding for private universities, and the financial foundations provided student fee revenue are what make it possible for private universities to assure the quality of education and research and achieve ongoing developments and improvements. While taking into account contextual factors such as household finances, the wider economic climate in society, and conditions at other universities, Ritsumeikan University positions its student fee levels and policies at the nexus of Academy finances and the qualitative and quantitative conditions of education, as expressed in the principles of “education corresponding with the burden of tuition” and “sense of learning and growth proportionate to tuition.” In the Plenary Council, we hope to promote deeper understanding of the current conditions and challenges in the Academy’s financial management, and discuss how the academic initiatives being implemented and developed with primary support of tuition fee revenue are contributing to the learning and growth of students at all levels, and how they are connected with the creation of a university that is attractive to people who strive to learn and grow on an ongoing basis. Under the vision for the university set out in R2030, it will be more important than ever to acknowledge that the ongoing pursuit of higher educational quality, and the financial durability that underpins it, both leads to improvement of present-day educational conditions for students currently enrolled, and realizes and guarantees enhanced value for the university as an alma mater or mothership: a place where students, after graduation or completion of their degrees, and in some cases after gaining some career experience, may return for further learning or pursuit of graduate studies. 1. R2020 Financial Management and Achievements (1) Development of Student Learning Environment Under R2020 we undertook expansion and development of educational conditions in accordance with the basic objectives of educational quality enhancement, learner-centered education, and comprehensive learner support. In addition, the Co-Creation Policy that bridged R2020 and R2030 involved initiatives to respond to the learning needs of diverse students, including the appointment of international coordinators, establishment of the SSP, and expansion of financial aid scholarships. These initiatives have been followed through with the emergency support measures for continuity of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and improvements such as the provision of academic enhancement budgets for the post-COVID era, which give concrete form to the ideas and needs of each college and graduate school. Below we outline achievements made in development of the faculty personnel organization and facilities and infrastructure, which are the most fundamental requisites for education and research activity. How best to utilize these fundamental resources in the various R2030 programs is a key question that is also closely connected to the idea of transforming approaches to education and research. We believe that the expansion and development initiatives undertaken during the R2020 period will provides a crucial foundation for the further advancement of academic activities and student support in the context of the more diversified modes of learning, teaching, and student life that have emerged through the COVID-19 pandemic. (i) Enhancement of learning and teaching environments During the R2020 period, in order to enable diverse learning by diverse students, we worked to improve the ST ratio, a fundamental element of our educational environment. Between AY 2010 and AY 2020, the overall ST ratio, which represents the number of students per faculty member at Ritsumeikan University, decreased (improved) from 32.4 to 25.3, thanks to an increase of 286 in the number of full-time faculty and a decrease of 804 in the overall student population, comprising a decrease of 877 in the undergraduate student population and an increase of 73 in the graduate student population. This improvement in ST ratio is a prerequisite for assuring educational quality and raising students’ sense of learning and growth. (Unit: No. of students) Ritsumeikan University AY 2010 AY 2015 AY 2020 AY 2010 to 2020 (Increase/decrease & rate) Undergraduate Students 33,120 32,301 32,243 -877 / -2.6% Graduate Students 3,456 2,819 3,529 +73 / +2.1% Total Students 36,576 35,120 35,772 -804 / -2.2% Full-time Faculty 1,129 1,288 1,415 +286 / +25.3% Total Students / Faculty 32.4 27.3 25.3 -7.1 Additionally, by expanding the availability of scholarships under R2020, we were able to advance the diversification and globalization of learning in both curricular and extracurricular settings. A further expansion in financial aid scholarship programs was undertaken in AY2020, in line with the launch of the national government’s new student financial aid scheme. In AY 2010, 1,582 students were receiving scholarships to the value of 700 million yen; in AY 2020, these figures had risen by 994 students and 800 million yen, to a total of 2,576 students and 1.5 billion yen. These developments have played a major role in supporting and realizing diverse learning and creation of an environment in which students have the security they need to continue their studies. (ii) Development of campus environments During the R2020 period we pursued a variety of campus development projects to make learning and campus life more comfortable. Thanks to projects such as the AY 2015 establishment of OIC and the development of learning commons such as BBP, campus facility space per student increased by 5.2 m2 over the decade beginning AY 2010. This represents a significant improvement in the environment and conditions for learning, exchange, and student activities. Development of Campus Environments (Units: Students, m2) AY 2010 AY 2015 AY 2020 AY 2010 to 2020 (Increase/decrease & rate) Students (Under-graduate + Graduate) 36,576 35,120 35,772 -804 / -2.2% KIC 18,195 15,820 13,725 -4,470 / -24.6% BKC 17,804 13,596 15,007 -2,797 / -15.7% OIC - 5,536 6,892 +6,892 / - Building Floor Area 427,628 572,773 592,491 +164,863 / +38.6% KIC 163,459 183,677 191,652 +28,193 / +17.2% BKC 237,044 256,050 260,877 +23,833 / +10.1% OIC - 105,908 112,823 +112,823 / - Area per Student 11.7 16.3 16.6 +4.9 KIC 9 11.6 14 +5.0 BKC 13.3 18.8 17.4 +4.1 OIC - 19.1 16.4 +16.4 (2) Revenue Diversification and Cost Saving Initiatives The strengthening of revenue streams other than student fees, the streamlining of operations and the pursuit cost-cutting initiatives were positioned as top-priority issues under R2020, and we worked on financial management initiatives that would sustain and improve educational conditions while avoiding higher reliance on student fees as far as possible. (i) Strengthening of revenue other than student fees In order to strengthen revenue other than student fees, we pursued priority initiatives in donations fundraising and asset management. In the area of donations, major gifts from alumni enabled the construction of the Hirai Kaichiro Memorial Library at KIC (AY 2015) and the Wakebayashi International Plaza (dormitory and exchange center) at OIC (AY 2019). Efforts such as fundraising activities for the Future Human Resources Development Fund in collaboration with the Alumni Association yielded an increase in ongoing donations from alumni and other individual donors. In the area of asset management, too, we have been able to secure high levels of revenue in comparison with other universities. Moreover, partnerships and cooperation with industry, government, academia, and the local community have enabled us to secure a wide variety of external funding including competitive government grants and research commissions. We also obtained financial support from local government authorities for the establishment of OIC. Consequently, revenue from student fees a proportion of overall revenue (the “student fee ratio”) has declined from 75.9% in AY 2010 to 73.1% in AY 2020. (Diversification of Revenue is Driving Down the Student Fee Ratio(1) (down 2.8% AY 2010-2020)) (ii) Cost savings / expenditure reviews One other challenge for financial management “corresponding with the burden of tuition” is the pursuit of cost savings. To reduce costs, we have undertaken repeated reviews of contract pricing, content, and methods with a focus on operational outsourcing costs, which account for a major portion of ongoing general (non-academic) expenditure. As a result, we have curbed expenditure on campus management and utilities by around 1.9 billion yen, enabling us to absorb the increased expenditure resulting from the development of new campuses and facilities over the R2020 period. Over the same period, however, we have faced considerable expenditure growth pressure, resulting from factors such as two separate increases in the consumption tax rate, the global rise in energy and materials costs, and exchange rate fluctuation. We will sustain our cost-saving efforts in on an ongoing basis rather than approaching cost-cutting as a limited-term initiative, but it is nonetheless important to be aware of the potential for these changes in wider society to have a considerable impact on the Academy’s fundamental financial position. (Cost Reduction Efforts Make Progress Year on Year, Despite Strong Upward Pressure on Expenditure due to Social Conditions, etc.) (3) Achievements of R2020 Financial Management Enhancing educational conditions inevitably demands extra expenditure, but we were able to complete the initiatives to develop the learning environment and expand comprehensive support during the R2020 period without needing to revise tuition levels (apart from the revisions linked to rises in the consumer price index and reduction of admission fee levels). Nonetheless, Academy finances are being impacted significantly by changes in societal conditions and government policies beyond the control of any single university, such as the decline in student fees resulting from stricter administration of admission quotas in accordance with MEXT policy, consumption tax rate increases, rising energy costs, and increasing personnel costs resulting from revised social insurance premium levels. Backed by these trends, when viewed year-on-year, there has been a major decrease in the academic activities balance, which is calculated by subtracting educational activities expenditure—which includes personnel expenses, education/research activity expenses, and the like—from educational activities revenue—which includes student fees, government subsidies, and the like. The academic activities balance is the primary indicator of the balance of revenue and expenditure in the university’s primary sphere of activity. The financial management policy for the second half of R2020 aims to maintain and secure a positive balance of ordinary revenue and expenditure, which is calculated by adding revenue from sources such as asset management to the academic activities balance. We have been able to achieve this aim by a narrow margin in AY 2020 despite the large-scale emergency expenditure related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of securing a considerable degree of revenue from asset management. However, we can barely sustain this performance as finances are extremely stretched, even as we continue our efforts to diversify revenue other than student fees and reduce costs. The most essential goal of financial management is to advance the R2020 Challenge Design while maintaining and securing the educational conditions currently in place. The financial foundation underpinning this sustainability of academic development is the academic activities balance: the most significant financial management challenge in R2030 will be to maintain a healthy balance and prevent it from worsening. 2. Continuity of Learning in the COVID-19 Pandemic The global spread of COVID-19 had an immense impact on everyday life and social and economic activities. In the AY 2020 spring semester, Ritsumeikan University had no choice but to make decisions including delaying the start of classes and restricting access to its campuses. Even in this kind of unprecedented situation, it remains the mission and the responsibility of universities to create the conditions that enable education and research to continue, and to provide students with opportunities for learning, growth, and exchange on an ongoing basis. In accordance with this responsibility, and following much careful consideration, we swiftly (in April 2020) decided on a number of measures in response to the pandemic, committing to expenditure in the order of 4.7 billion yen during AY 2020. This decision, which meant that expenditure exceeded revenue on a single-year basis, was only possible because the university has stable financial foundations in a long-term perspective. We believe that among the many financial support programs and other measures undertaken in response to the pandemic, the development of educational environments leveraging technology, including DX, pre-emptively put into practice the vision laid out in the R2030 Challenge Design. Ritsumeikan University’s Own COVID-19 Countermeasures (AY 2020) Measure: Emergency support/ response for students, faculty, academic institutions, etc. Outline: Outline: Emergency learning support scholarships (support for developing environments needed to pursue online learning; financial assistance), free loans of Wi-Fi routers and PCs, mail-order library loan services, assistance with immigration procedures and cancellation fees for overseas programs and off-campus research projects, support for on-campus businesses, etc. Major Expense Items: Scholarships, leasing, outsourcing, consumables, communications, etc. Expenditure: 2.28 billion yen Measure: Development of campus environment for online/hybrid teaching and learning Outline: Development of hybrid teaching and learning infrastructure (audiovisual equipment in classrooms, Zoom and other software/licenses), development of BYOD infrastructure (extension of campus Wi-Fi coverage, more power outlets in classrooms, etc.), development of remote work environment, etc. Major Expense Items: Equipment/facilities, consumables, outsourcing, repairs, communications, buildings, etc. Expenditure: 860 million yen Measure: Development environment to prevent infection Outline: Anti-infection coatings in classrooms, cafeterias, etc., increase in ventilation facilities, establishment of fever clinics, replacement of classroom furniture (introduction of individual desks), other infection countermeasures (installation of thermal cameras, no-touch doors and hand wash facilities, expansion of exam venues in regional areas, installation of clear acrylic panels, etc.) Major Expense Items: Buildings, equipment/ facilities, consumables, outsourcing, repairs, etc. Expenditure: 1.50 billion yen Measure: Information provision and awareness-raising for faculty and students Outline: Special guides to online classes, online support website, awareness-raising videos and publications, etc. Major Expense Items: Outsourcing, miscellaneous, etc. Expenditure: 40 million yen 3. Tuition and Financial Management Policies for AY 2023 and Beyond (1) Financial Structures and Tuition at Private Universities The financial management of a private educational corporation needs to build financial structures with a long-term perspective, encompassing the past, present, and future. There is a need to develop facilities such as campus buildings and libraries, as well as equipment for use in classrooms, laboratories, and the like, as part of the environment for education and research and the learning activities of students at all levels. To do so requires the funds needed to at the time such facilities and equipment are constructed or purchased, as well as funds to cover their future maintenance and replacement as a result of ageing, new advancements in education and research, changes in learning styles, and the like. Funds for the above purposes are not covered simply by the specific students who are enrolled in the years that purchases and refurbishments actually take place: private university corporations are structured to enable them to accumulate their own reserve funds for these purposes, with a long-term outlook and a view to equalization across the entire institution. At Ritsumeikan University, for example, improvements to academic conditions undertaken in the R2020 period included a major renovation of the Zonshinkan and Seishinkan buildings at KIC, construction of new Sport and Health Commons at BKC, and establishment of OIC. Developments like these entail major expenditure in the years they are implemented, but it is possible to complete them without having the cost burden focused exclusively on students enrolled in those years, because we pursue financial management and accumulation of funds along a long-term timeline encompassing the past, present, and future. In the same way, the responses to COVID-19 since AY 2020 could be implemented in a timely manner because, in financial management terms, we were able to draw in this emergency on some of the funds accumulated in our reserve. Natural disasters, pandemics, cyber attacks, geopolitical tensions, and other recent developments have heightened the uncertainty surrounding continuity of education and research activities. In order to continue to improve the quality of education and research and create more diverse and attractive learning opportunities going forward, it is essential for educational institutions to be managed, both academically and financially, in a way that can respond flexibly to changes in society. This flexibility and continuity of academic development is guaranteed by the maintenance of a sound revenue/expenditure balance in a long-term perspective. Furthermore, tuition fees not only underpin the academic content provided in each college and graduate school, but are also connected with the provision of scholarships, comprehensive learner support, extracurricular activities support, careers and graduate employment support, information and communications infrastructure, libraries, and other facets of the educational environment. Tuition fees are thus also returned to students in the form of the university-wide environments and conditions for learning and student life shared by all students. (2) Financial Management under R2030 The R2030 Challenge Design envisions Ritsumeikan University as a wellspring of new forms of value and learning: a next-generation university that creates new forms of value, and a university that produces innovative and creative individuals. The primary financial management goal for the first half of R2020 is to financially support the R2030 Challenge Design and other academic improvements and quality enhancements, while aiming in the medium to long terms to redesign our revenue structures in light of the new forms of value that the university creates and delivers to society through its education and research. We aim to advance the Challenge Design with agility, establishing new budgets using revenue from non-academic activities such as earned interest and dividends, and monitor their effectiveness as we disburse them. The financial management basic plan for the first half of R2030 includes a new indicator: for student fees not to exceed 75% of ordinary revenue. While this indicator is designed to curb excessive reliance on student fee revenue, on the expenditure side we will promote DX that improves the quality and operational efficiency of our projects through proactive utilization of the Academy’s internal and external resources (networks, data, etc.) and digital technologies. (3) Tuition Policy for AY 2023-2026 At Ritsumeikan University, newly entering students are clearly informed of the tuition that will apply for the duration of their enrollment, and in principle, no changes are made to tuition for this duration. The proposals to be tabled at the Plenary Council relate to the tuition to be applied to students enrolling in the years from AY 2023 to 2026. Recently we have been engaging in ongoing discussions with the Student Union and other parties on the issue of private university financial structures and the achievements and challenges in the Academy’s financial management. At the first Plenary Council Representatives’ Meeting in AY 2021, the Student Union demanded a guarantee of opportunities to participate in the processes leading to the determination of tuition policies for AY 2023 and thereafter. We have responded to this demand by engaging the Student Union in discussion on an ongoing basis. As we work to give shape to the R2030 Challenge Design, a key prerequisite will be to secure financial soundness and balance through our regular and foundational activities. We will continue our efforts to diversify revenue other than tuition and to cut costs, but as mentioned above, the reality of private university financial management is that maintenance and development of the tuition fee revenue base remains essential in order to guarantee learning environments and opportunities, and to make ongoing improvements in education and research into the future. Here we propose Ritsumeikan University’s tuition policy to apply to students entering in AY 2023 through 2026, as a key measure to form and sustain the financial base in order to pursue academic development and value creation at the university on a sustained, continuous basis through R2030 and thereafter. The new tuition revision formula includes an Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee, to be applied in light of the status of revenue and expenditure related to educational activities. After spending time in extensive discussion and consideration, incorporating a wide range of opinions and suggestions, we have decided to propose this inclusion as an essential measure in order to sustain and improve educational conditions on an ongoing basis in response to changes in society, and to maintain the sound revenue/expenditure balance needed to do achieve this. In the event that the Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee needs to be applied, this will be explained to all students following deliberation by the Executive Board of Trustees. 1) Admission Fees Admission fees will remain unchanged. Category Amount Admission, transfer (university level and other educational levels), undergraduate degree holder admission 200,000 yen Re-admission 10,000 yen However, admission fees shall not be charged for the following students. (1) Students enrolled in the College of International Relations’ American University - Ritsumeikan University Joint Degree Program who begin studies at American University; students enrolled in the College of Global Liberal Arts who begin studies at Australian National University (2) Prior graduates of Ritsumeikan University or APU entering a Ritsumeikan University Graduate School (3) Students of Ritsumeikan University or APU continuing on to a Ritsumeikan University Graduate School (4) Students entering a Ritsumeikan University Graduate School who have previously completed a degree program at a Ritsumeikan University or APU Graduate School, or have withdrawn from a Doctoral program at said Graduate School after being enrolled for at least the standard completion period and fulfilling the credit requirements stipulated in university regulations 2) Regular tuition applicable to students entering in AY 2023-2026 Tuition revision formula applicable to new undergraduate students Tuition for the new academic year = Base tuition × (1 + rise in consumer price index) + Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee* ・“Base tuition” is the annual cost of tuition for students entering in AY 2022. ・“Rise in consumer price index” is the fractional increase in consumer price index (national combined) in the immediately preceding academic year, as against the average in AY 2020. However, this is not applied if the rise is less than 0.01%. ・In the event that tuition for the new academic year calculated using this formula is lower than the previous year’s tuition, an amount equal to the previous year’s tuition shall be applied. ・Tuition for the new academic year shall be halved (and rounded to the nearest 100 yen) to determine the per-semester tuition for that year. * “Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee” ・The Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee may be applied in light of revenue/expenditure conditions related to educational activities, for the purposes of maintaining and improving academic conditions on an ongoing basis. ・In the event that the Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee is applied, its value shall not exceed 50,000 yen, and for students entering in the years from AY 2023 through 2026, the value used in the first year of application shall be maintained for subsequent academic years. For students entering in AY 2023, taking into account societal conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tuition revision formula stated above will be applied without inclusion of the Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee, regardless of revenue/expenditure conditions. Calculation in accordance with the above approach means that tuition for students entering in AY 2023 will be the same as for students who entered in AY 2022. Tuition revision formula applicable to Master’s, Integrated Doctoral (Years 1-2) and Professional Graduate Degree Program students Tuition for the new academic year = Base tuition × (1 + rise in consumer price index) ・“Base tuition” is the annual cost of tuition for students entering in AY 2022. ・“Rise in consumer price index” is the fractional increase in consumer price index (national combined) in the immediately preceding academic year, as against the average in AY 2020. However, this is not applied if the rise is less than 0.01%. ・In the event that tuition for the new academic year calculated using this formula is lower than the previous year’s tuition, an amount equal to the previous year’s tuition shall be applied. ・Tuition for the new academic year shall be halved (and rounded to the nearest 100 yen) to determine the per-semester tuition for that year. In R2020, we made a decision to reduce graduate school tuition as part of the Graduate School Policies formulated at that time. The R2030 Challenge Design positions graduate students as practitioners of independent research toward the realization of a next-generation research university, and in order to advance initiatives for the expansive re-coupling of research and education, we will maintain the same tuition revision formula as currently applies. Calculation in accordance with the above approach means that tuition for graduate students entering in AY 2023 will be the same as for students who entered in AY 2022. The current approach to tuition in Doctoral programs and the third year and above of Integrated Doctoral programs will be maintained, with annual tuition unchanged at 500,000 yen. 3) Tuition in new colleges, graduate schools, etc. When newly establishing or reorganizing undergraduate colleges and the like, and undertaking large-scale curricular reforms, we will determine tuition in light of factors including faculty organization and facilities and infrastructure plans specific to the college involved. 4) Clarification of tuition for duration of enrollment Our policy is that tuition fees applicable for the duration of enrollment will be clearly stated to students at the time of their entrance. However, revisions may be proposed as an emergency measure in the event of sudden and dramatic price increases resulting from societal factors and the like, where there is no alternative in responding to the impact of such changes but to revise the tuition fee levels including for currently enrolled students. 5) Tuition applicable to students enrolled in AY 2022 and prior (colleges and graduate schools) Students who entered the university in AY 2022 and prior will continue to the subject to the tuition levels stated at the time of their entrance. Rtsumeikan University Tuition for AY 2023 Undergraduate (College) Enrollees (unit: yen) College, etc. Year level Year 1 Year 2 and Above April/September Entrants Spring Semester/ Fall Semester Fall Semester/ Spring Semester Spring Semester/ Fall Semester Fall Semester/ Spring Semester College of Law Department of Law 487,300 487,300 487,300 487,300 College of Economics Department of Economics 504,500 504,500 504,500 504,500 College of Business Administration Department of Business Administration 487,300 487,300 487,300 487,300 Department of International Business Administration 550,500 550,500 550,500 550,500 College of Social Sciences Department of Social Sciences Social Sciences Major, Media and Society Major, Sports and Society Major, Human Welfare Major 575,300 575,300 575,300 575,300 Children and Society Major 609,500 609,500 609,500 609,500 College of Letters Department of Humanities Area Studies Program 571,700 571,700 571,700 571,700 Human Studies Program Education and Human Studies Major Japanese History Program Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Major 560,900 560,900 571,700 571,700 Human Studies Program Philosophy and Ethics Major, Japanese Literature Program, Japanese History Program Japanese History Major, East Asian Studies Program, Global Studies Program, Global Communication Program, Language Communication Program 560,900 560,900 560,900 560,900 College of Science and Engineering Department of Mathematics 757,000 757,000 757,000 757,000 Dept. of Applied Chemistry, Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Dept. of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Dept. of Robotics, Dept. of Environmental System Engineering, Dept. of Architecture and Urban Design 785,400 785,400 785,400 785,400 College of International Relations Department of International Relations American University - Ritsumeikan University Joint Degree Program 633,800 633,800 633,800 633,800 College of Policy Science Department of Policy Science 584,700 584,700 584,700 584,700 College of Information Science and Engineering Department of Information Science and Engineering 785,400 785,400 785,400 785,400 College of Image Arts and Sciences Department of Image Arts and Sciences 930,800 930,800 930,800 930,800 College of Life Sciences Department of Applied Chemistry, Department of Biotechnology, Department of Bioinformatics, Department of Biomedical Sciences 800,900 800,900 800,900 800,900 College of Sport and Health Science Department of Sport and Health Science 609,500 609,500 609,500 609,500 College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences 905,400 905,400 905,400 905,400 Department of Pharmacy 1,123,400 1,173,400 1,173,400 1,173,400 College of Information Science and Engineering Department of Comprehensive Psychology 603,300 603,300 603,300 603,300 College of Gastronomy Management Department of Gastronomy Management 608,200 608,200 608,200 608,200 College of Global Liberal Arts Department of Global Liberal Arts 1,150,000 1,150,000 1,150,000 1,150,000 Ritsumeikan University Tuition for AY 2023 Graduate School Enrollees Master's Programs (unit: yen) Graduate School, etc. Year level Year 1 and Above April/September Entrants Spring Semester/ Fall Semester Fall Semester/ Spring Semester Graduate School of Law 381,400 381,400 Graduate School of Economics Other than Master's Program in Economic Development 381,400 381,400 Master's Program in Economic Development 457,700 457,700 Graduate School of Business Administration 381,400 381,400 Graduate School of Sociology 381,400 381,400 Graduate School of Letters Humanities 381,400 381,400 Informatics of Behavior and Culture 392,200 392,200 Graduate School of Science and Engineering Other than Advanced Mathematics & Physics Program 584,800 584,800 Advanced Mathematics & Physics Program 546,600 546,600 Graduate School of International Relations International Relations Program 381,400 381,400 Global International Relations Program (GIRP) 457,700 457,700 Graduate School of Policy Science 381,400 381,400 Graduate School of Language Education and Information Science 406,800 406,800 Graduate School of Technology Management 592,900 592,900 Graduate School of Sport and Health Science 432,200 432,200 Graduate School of Image Arts and Sciences 612,600 612,600 Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering 578,300 578,300 Graduate School of Life Sciences 578,300 578,300 Graduate School of Science for Human Services 432,200 432,200 Graduate School of Pharmacy 578,300 578,300 Graduate School of Gastronomy Management 401,800 401,800 *Tuition for students enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion is one half of the amount shown above. Integrated Master's/Doctoral Programs (unit: yen) Graduate School Year Level Years 1 and 2 Year 3 and Above April/September Enrollees Spring Semester / Fall Semester Fall Semester / Spring Semester Spring Semester / Fall Semester Fall Semester / Spring Semester Grad. School of Core Ethics & Frontier Sciences 406,800 406,800 250,000 250,000 *1 Tuition for students enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion is one half of the standard tuition. *2 Notwithstanding *1, tuition for students enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion who have completed all requirements stipulated in the Graduate School Regulations other than the Doctoral Dissertation shall be 100,000 yen per semester. Doctoral Programs (unit: yen) Graduate School Year Level First year and above April Enrollees/Sept. Enrollees Spring Semester / Fall Semester Fall Semester / Spring Semester All Graduate Schools 250,000 250,000 *1 Tuition for students enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion is one half of the amount shown above. *2 Notwithstanding *1, tuition for students enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion who have completed all requirements stipulated in the Graduate School Regulations other than the Doctoral Dissertation shall be 100,000 yen per semester. Professional Graduate Degree Programs (unit: yen) Graduate School Year Level Year 1 and Above April/Sept. Enrollees Spring Semester / Fall Semester Fall Semester / Spring Semester School of Law 664,800 664,800 Graduate School of Business Administration 634,300 634,300 Graduate School of Professional Teacher Education 457,700 457,700 *1 Tuition for students in the School of Law enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion (two years for the two-year program; three years for the three-year program) is one half of the amount shown above. *2 Tuition for students in the Graduate School of Business Administration enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion is one half of the amount shown above. *3 Tuition for students in the Graduate School of Professional Teacher Education enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion is one half of the amount shown above. Four-Year Doctoral Programs (unit: yen) Graduate School Year Level First year and above April Enrollees/Sept. Enrollees Spring Semester / Fall Semester Fall Semester / Spring Semester Graduate School of Pharmacy 250,000 250,000 *1 Tuition for students enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion is one half of the amount shown above. *2 Notwithstanding *1, tuition for students enrolled in excess of the standard period for completion who have completed all requirements stipulated in the Graduate School Regulations other than the Doctoral Dissertation shall be 100,000 yen per semester.