The State of Emergency that has continued for almost two months will finally be lifted. Therefore, at Sophia University, classes will basically resume the format originally taken at the beginning of the Spring Semester, taking preventive measures against COVID-19.

However, some courses may be continued to be given online for reasons including health issues of the faculty member in charge and characteristics pertaining to the course that make Hyflex classes difficult. We will continue to explore inventive ways to improve these classes, for example by having some classes in person.

Furthermore, English-taught classes that were basically taught online at the beginning of the semester will be given in person, online or a combination of both, depending on the characteristics of the course. Students who have not yet been able to come to Japan from overseas should be reassured that they will be able to attend class in a Hyflex format.

We acknowledge that lectures on campus and other various activities were very limited during the State of Emergency and that students were diligently engaged in their studies, voluntarily refraining from many activities that they would usually be involved in under these unnormal circumstances. We are very grateful for your cooperation.

With the start of COVID-19 vaccinations hosted by local governments and workplaces, there has been promising evidence of improvements in the social situation. Also, the status of infections among our faculty, staff and students has remained stably low. Yet, as we are faced with continued concerns over the impact of COVID-19 variants and the ratio of infected younger people, we will be committed to offer the best learning environment possible based on careful observations of the COVID-19 infection trends in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

We ask our students’ continued cooperation and understanding for taking preventive measures, including temperature checks and other health control routines, and for fully embracing the Sophia New Normal.

Classes

Please be sure to check how each class will be conducted on the bulletin board for course offerings on Loyola.

Students who opt to attend classes online are currently only required to contact their professors. However, we will conduct a questionnaire survey as we did at the beginning of the semester in April. Students who wish to attend classes online for reasons concerning COVID-19, including personal heath issues and those of family members, will be required to take the necessary procedures. Please check the Loyola bulletin for information.

As in the beginning of the Spring Semester, students will not be able to choose a particular course or class to attend online. Registration for online attendance will be apply to all registered courses throughout the Spring Semester (including the final exam period).