Ritsumeikan University Action Guidelines in Response to COVID-19 (Business Continuity Plan) Revised: December 15, 2021

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Activity levelClass formatsResearch activities(Faculty, researchers, graduate students, undergraduate students)Extracurricular and self-directed activitiesCeremonies/events (on-campus) and rental of facilities to non-university personnelFaculty and staff work arrangements, domestic official trips, and internal meetingsStudent entry to the campus
0No restrictionsNormalNormalNormalNormalNormalNormal
1Bare minimum (partial) restrictionsRegular face-to-face classes, seminars, and practicums will be held having enacted measures to prevent infection.Normal research activities will be conducted having enacted measures to prevent infection.Normal extracurricular and self-directed activities will be held having enacted measures to prevent infection.・Activities will be held having enacted measures to prevent infection. 
・Only outside organizations recognized as taking thorough measures to prevent infection will be permitted to rent facilities.
・Normal activities can be conducted having enacted measures to prevent infection. 
・No particular restrictions will be placed on domestic official trips and on-campus meetings.  
Entry to the campus will be permitted having enacted measures to prevent infection.
2Minimal restrictionsRegular face-to-face classes, seminars, and practicums will be held having enacted measures to prevent infection.Normal research activities can be conducted having enacted measures to prevent infection.Only organizations recognized as taking thorough measures can hold normal extracurricular and self-directed activities in accordance with the guidelines set by relevant organizations.  ・Activities can be conducted in accordance with the national and/or local government’s guidelines for holding events, having enacted measures to prevent infection. 
・As a rule, no restrictions will be placed on domestic official trips and on-campus meetings, but they shall be held online as deemed necessary.  
・Normal activities can be conducted having enacted measures to prevent infection. We will allow staff to work staggered hours or work from home. 
・As a rule, no restrictions will be placed on domestic official trips and on-campus meetings, but they shall be held online as deemed necessary.
Entry to the campus will be permitted having enacted measures to prevent infection. Adjustments will be made to the number of users for each facility as needed.
3Moderate restrictionsAs a rule, classes will be held using multimedia tools; however, having taken measures to prevent infection, face-to-face classes will be held for labs and practical subjects, subjects that require face-to-face classes in light of their academic characteristics, and subjects that require the use of facilities and equipment such as information classrooms.Activities that have been deemed highly necessary for research purposes can be held in faculty offices and other facilities having enacted measures to prevent infection; however, researchers are urged to reduce the time spent conducting these activities in their offices as much as possible and to work from home to prevent infection by aiming for Zero C.Only organizations recognized as taking thorough measures to prevent infection will be permitted to conduct activities in accordance with the guidelines set by relevant organizations, and the scope and content of said activities will be limited; however, decisions may be issued to postpone or cancel activities with a high risk of infection, such as retreats and excursions. ・Activities deemed highly necessary can be conducted in accordance with the national and/or local government’s guidelines for holding events, having enacted measures to prevent infection. Online events will be permitted. 
・As a rule, facilities will not be rented to non-university personnel.  
・Normal activities can be conducted having enacted measures to prevent infection. We will encourage staff to work staggered hours or work from home as needed. 
・ Domestic official trips that are deemed highly necessary are permitted, but online meetings shall be held as much as possible. 
・ The absolute minimum required number of face-to-face meetings will be held, but as a rule, meetings will be shifted online.  
Entry to the campus will be permitted having enacted measures to prevent infection. We will control the number of people entering the campus as needed.
4Severe restrictionsAs a rule, classes will be held using multimedia tools; however, having taken measures to prevent infection, face-to-face classes can be held only for labs and practical subjects, subjects where the need for face-to-face classes is high in light of their academic characteristics, and subjects that require the use of facilities and equipment such as information classrooms.Activities that have been deemed highly necessary for research purposes or for the maintenance of research functions can be held in faculty offices and other facilities having enacted measures to prevent infection.As a rule, face-to-face extracurricular and self-directed activities will not be held on or off campus; however, online activities will be permitted.・ As a rule, events will be postponed or cancelled. Online events will be permitted. 
・Facilities will not be rented to non-university personnel.
・ As a rule, staff will work from home, but the necessary staffing framework will be secured for operational needs and for campus security and maintenance, having enacted measures to prevent infection. 
・ As a rule, domestic official trips are not permitted. 
・ Meetings will be held online in principle.  
Entry to the campus may be permitted only for those cases deemed highly necessary having enacted measures to prevent infection. We will control the number of people entering the campus.
5Maximum restrictions (Full suspension in principle) Classes will only be held using multimedia tools. No face-to-face classes will be held.Entry to faculty offices will be limited to activities deemed necessary to maintain the minimum level of research functions having enacted measures to prevent infections; only faculty members and researchers will be permitted entry.Both on and off-campus face-to-face extracurricular and self-directed activities will not be prohibited; however, online activities will be permitted.・ All events will be postponed or cancelled. Online events will be permitted. 
・Facilities will not be rented to non-university personnel.
・ As a rule, staff will work from home, but the necessary staffing framework will be secured for operational needs and for campus security and maintenance, having enacted measures to prevent infection. 
・ As a rule, domestic official trips are not permitted. 
・ Meetings will be held online in principle.  
As a rule, entry will be prohibited.

NOTE: Normal classes include interview classes held in classrooms as well as classes conducted in places other than classrooms where said classes are conducted by making advanced use of various media in accordance with the Standards for the Establishment of Universities.

Notes Regarding Decisions on BCP Levels and Emergency Measures
1. The decision criteria for BCP levels can be found in Table 1, and decisions on the BCP level will be made by the Ritsumeikan Trust Crisis Response Task Force based and reported to the Executive Board of Trustees. The activity levels in the BCP only serve as a rough guideline. Detailed operations will be determined after a comprehensive review of the situation by the division(s) in charge.
2. Regardless of the matters listed in the BCP, in principle, we will refrain from allowing official trips to regions subject to a state of emergency and regions where requests to refrain from travel have been issued.
3. A decision on official trips outside of Japan to those regions for which Level 2 alerts have been issued by the government shall be made by the organization head in light of the situation in the destination region. In principle, travel to areas where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a Level 3 Infectious Disease Risk alert is prohibited; however, as an exception to this rule, the executive in charge may decide that travel is permissible after comprehensively considering the necessity of the official trip, the status of infections in the official trip destination, and the safety measures / security outlook at the time of travel and during the period of local activity. The handling of work arrangements for the overseas offices will be determined by the organization head based on the situation in the respective country or region and any requests issued by the government there.
 Infection Risk Level
 Level 1 Exercise caution
 Level 2 Cancel nonessential, non-urgent travel
 Level 3 Cancel all travel (Travel cancellation alert)
 Level 4 Cancel all travel (Evacuation alert)
4. Non-university personnel entering the campus and engaging in activities at the university shall be handled in the same manner as faculty, staff, and students, depending on the purpose of the visit.
5. If an infection cluster occurs on campus, we may need to issue a decision on measures, including a temporary ban on campus entry, in accordance with a request from the local government.
6. The criteria for deciding whether to dispatch students overseas on study abroad programs are those outlined in “Revisions to the Criteria for Deciding Whether to Allow Students to Participate in Study Abroad Programs Organized by the Ritsumeikan University Center for International Education and Partake in Other Overseas Travel” (approved by the Center for International Education Meeting on 2018.4.22; reported to the Executive Board of Trustees on 2018.6.13) and “Reorganization of Criteria for Deciding Whether to Allow Ritsumeikan University Students to Participate in Overseas Programs” (approved by the Executive Board of Trustees on 2021.5.19). 

Additional Information
〇 “Measures to prevent infection” as indicated in the BCP refer to the basic measures to prevent infection recommended by the national government’s Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters ((1) proper wearing of masks, (2) hand hygiene, and (3) Zero C / ventilation). Ritsumeikan University has issued a rule mandating the wearing of masks while commuting and on campus (Note: Nonwoven masks are recommended), but people who have a justifiable reason for not wearing a mask will not be asked to wear one.

Table 1: Decision Criteria for Setting the BCP Level to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Activity Level Level in the region where the campus is located based on government indicators / Details of national or local government requests
0 No restrictions Level: The WHO or the national government declares COVID-19 stamped out or the infection level in the prefecture where the campus is located has remained at Level 0 (no infected persons) for a certain period of time (around four weeks) based on government indicators.
Details of requests: The national and/or local government has issued no closure requests for universities and no requests to restrict various activities.
1 Bare minimum (partial) restrictions Level: The infection level in the prefecture where the campus is located is Level 1 (Aim to maintain) based on government indicators.
Details of requests: The national and/or local government has issued no closure requests for universities and no requests to restrict various activities; basic infection prevention measures are expected to be maintained.
2 Minimal restrictions Level: The infection level in the prefecture where the campus is located is Level 2 (Increase caution) based on government indicators.
Details of requests: The national and/or local government has issued no closure requests for universities, but has requested that some activities be restricted.
3 Moderate restrictions Level: The infection level in the prefecture where the campus is located is Level 3 (Strengthen measures) based on government indicators.
Details of requests: The national and/or local government has issued closure requests for universities and strong requests to restrict activities.
4 Severe restrictions Level: The infection level in the prefecture where the campus is located is Level 3 (Strengthen measures) but fast approaching Level 4 (Aim to avoid) based on government indicators.
Details of requests: The national and/or local government has issued closure requests for universities and extremely strong requests to restrict activities.
5 Maximum restrictions (Full suspension in principle) Level: The infection level in the prefecture where the campus is located is Level 4 (Aim to avoid) based on government indicators.
Details of requests: The national and/or local government has issued closure requests for universities and strong requests to restrict or suspend all activities.

NOTE: The national government’s level indicators are taken from “A New Approach to Level Classification” (issued by the Novel Coronavirus Infectious Disease Control Subcommittee on 2021.11.8).

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