[Message from the President] As we welcome the new school year
March 24, 2022
Dear our students, it snowed this week in Tokyo, but the cherry blossoms are about to bloom. We look forward to seeing them in full bloom when you return to campus. Our university finished the graduation ceremony yesterday and we sent out 921 students from the undergraduate programs and 126 students from the graduate school. I was really happy to see their bright smiles. And we will soon welcome our new students. Also, the long-awaited international students are now arriving in Japan. After two years of the pandemic, university life will finally begin in the post-pandemic era. We shall continue to be careful, but not overly afraid, and work together to create a true "new normal".
Here are 7 things to know about the new semester.
(1)Dear international students,
Those who have been enrolled in undergraduate and graduate schools but were unable to come to Japan for a year have finally begun to enter Japan. I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting. The conditions vary depending on where you are now and the type and number of vaccinations you have already received, so you won't be able to enter the country all at once, but you will be able to arrive in Japan one by one. Please keep close contact with the student exchange division. If you are a graduate student, we would appreciate it if you could contact your mentor (academic advisor).
(2)Assembling a timetable
As you can see in the syllabus already available on the Gakumu Academic Information System, regardless of the situation of infectious diseases, our university will offer lecture style classes for a large number of students online, and arrange classes such as major language classes for 1st and 2nd year students, foreign language classes, GLIP English classes, and seminars to be conducted face-to-face (Note that there are many exceptions…). We will continue to provide classrooms to take the online classes on campus, but we ask that you consider the amount of time it will take for you to come to school and create an optimal class schedule that is not too crowded.
In addition, the syllabus will be modified this time to add a function that search results can be displayed in a list by class subject category. This will also be released soon. Please make use of it.
https://gakumu-web1.tufs.ac.jp/portal/Public/Syllabus/SylSearchMain.aspx
(3)Space for online classes
Taking Online classes meant using room 101. Here, the chair was changed to the one that doesn't bang (You know what I mean?). The desk and chairs on the first floor of the Galleria, which we often use despite the cold and heat, were also replaced. In addition, 29 online private room boxes will be set up in the place where the lockers used to be. Please use it for presentations in online classes or job interviews. Basically, we plan to allow those to be used freely (First come, first served?), but we may consider otherwise by looking at the usage. However, due to the shortage of semiconductors, it is still not possible to increase the number of WiFi points, and for the time being, the connection will be wired.
(4)100 yen Breakfast
With the support of the Tokyo Gaigo-kai (Alumni association), the 100 yen breakfast program will start from the beginning of the new semester with an expanded menu. Starting on April 7, from 8:00 to 9:30 in the morning, 100 meals a day will be served. This is to hope our students to have a good breakfast and maintain a good rhythm of life. Please use it.
(5)Library hours
The library's opening hours will be simplified from April 7.
Throughout the year,
9:00 to 20:00 weekdays
Saturday 13:00 to 20:00
We are closed on Sundays and national holidays.
In the past, it was a bit complicated and you may have experienced that it was closed when you went there, but now it's easier, so remember (There are some exceptions during Obon holidays, New Year's holidays, and Gaigosai festival.). Please note that it will close at 8 pm in the evening. In consideration of the location of our university, we ask students to end their activities at 8:00pm at night and encourage them to return home. Your cooperation is highly appreciated.
(6)Club activities
I hope that you will continue to take measures against infection while actively engaging in circle activities. It is the time when new students are invited, but please refrain from setting up a place for eating and drinking for a long time with a large number of people for the purpose of welcoming new students. Online activities shall be the basic way of invitation. Once the infection spreads, the circles are forced to stop their activities. In order to allow continuing the normal activities, please be careful not to act excessively.
See below for a flowchart and information on extracurricular activities in case of COVID-19 infection.
https://www.tufs.ac.jp/NEWS/notice/202001virus.html
(7)Vaccination
A third vaccination is required. I think there are many people who already received it in their area, but following are also available.
A) Vaccination at the University of Tokyo
B) Vaccination at the Tokyo Institute of Technology
C) Vaccination at Tokyo Medical and Dental University
For (A) Anyone related to our university can apply. Please refer to the following.
https://www.tufs.ac.jp/NEWS/notice/220316_1.html
(B) and (C) are under preparation. Like (A), anyone can apply for (B). (C) is applicable only to those who got vaccinated at TUFS in July and August last year. We will let you know the details later, so please wait for a while.
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That's it for now. The new semester is just around the corner. Please take care.
President, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Kayoko HAYASHI