Ritsumeikan University has taken the decision to resume classes from May 7 through online media.

In response to the declaration on April 7 of a state of emergency covering our campus locations, the university prohibited campus access to students and instructed teaching and administrative staff to return home until further notice and work from there if appropriate. This meant that the university’s on-site information classrooms and other facilities became unavailable, which made it difficult to provide support to student learning and to staff teaching activities. The university therefore took the simultaneous decision to cancel all classes for the duration of the state of emergency from April 8 until May 6.

Since then, some progress has been made with exploring and preparing ways of supporting students to put in place the telecommunications environment required to access online classes at home, and also of supporting student learning and staff teaching activities in the current situation where many staff are working from home. The university has therefore taken the decision to resume classes. Accordingly, even if the state of emergency is extended beyond May 7, classes through online media will take place throughout the spring semester.

Details of the arrangements will be communicated to students and teaching staff in a separate message.