Since late November, the novel coronavirus, which has caused serious damage throughout the world, has once again been spreading in Japan. The situation remains unpredictable even in Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, where the University’s campuses are located. The impact is expected to be prolonged, and uncertainty seems to continue into next year.

Rikkyo University has been considering the implementation of courses for Academic Year 2021 based on the status of the viral infection and course implementation for Academic Year 2020, discussing what can be done to enrich the students’ learning in the pandemic today.

We will need to continue monitoring the situation, but here let us announce you that we have just decided to proceed with the following Course Implementation Policy for Academic Year 2021:

1. Face-to-face classes will be held to the extent that we can take sufficient measures to prevent the viral infection, and online classes will also be provided. Basically, seminar courses, laboratory courses, and practical training courses will be conducted face-to-face. In addition, most of the compulsory language subjects for the first year of the university-wide liberal arts subjects will be conducted face-to-face. For specialized subjects in other departments, whether the course will be held either face-to-face or online will be determined by each department’s discretion based on educational appropriateness.

2. In face-to-face classes, the measures to prevent the viral infection will be thoroughly taken, including wearing masks and ensuring the classrooms with good ventilation.

3. Courses offered face-to-face are basically conducted in the classroom. However, such extra care as granting online participation will be considered for the students who are unable to physically attend the classes in accordance with the University’s criteria to enter campus (e.g. students who have been infected by the virus or at risk of infection by the virus) and the students who are at high risk of developing serious illnesses by being infected by the virus due to underlying medical condition or previous illnesses.

4. Face-to-face classes will be flexibly conducted by providing courses to be conducted face-to-face only or adjusted to be conducted either face-to-face or online.

Note that this policy is set as of December 2020, and the policy itself may be reviewed if social conditions change due to the viral infection during the period from now until the start of the classes in Academic Year 2021 or in the middle of the year. We will keep you updated as needed through the University’s website, etc. As in the past years, we plan to publish the syllabi with the details of courses for Academic Year 2021 in late March in regards to the course format.