Regarding the rise in activity restrictions level on SFC and transition to online classes

Morohiro Tsuchiya, Dean of the Faculty of Policy Management
Akira Wakita, Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies
Fumitoshi Kato, Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance
Toshiko Hirota, Administrative Director of the Shonan Fujisawa Campus

The spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) is gathering momentum. Infections by a highly contagious variant strain is quickly spreading, and the number of infected people has been increasing at a fast pace approaching the peak of the previous declaration of a state of emergency. There are reports that the government is preparing to declare a state of emergency later this week. It is no exaggeration to say that we are facing an unprecedented situation.

In response to this situation, the Faculty of Policy Management, the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, and the Graduate School of Media and Governance has decided to revise the "Basic Policy for Maintaining Education and Research Activities" and raise the activity restrictions to a more stringent level.

All classes will be conducted online from April 30. However, the campus will not be locked down and students will still be able to use the Media Center and study rooms. Please take all necessary precautions to prevent infection and keep usage to the minimum amount of time.

This decision was made prior to the state of emergency declared by the government, to protect everyone's safety above all else. The number of reported infections among students at Keio University is increasing, and the spread of a variant strain among young people is also being confirmed. Compared to the other campuses, SFC has a relatively long commute time, therefore it is important to minimize travel as much as possible. Due to concerns of a major outbreak among students, we have decided to move our classes to an online format as quickly as possible.

Although this was an agonizing decision we were forced to make, we would like to urge all students to be highly aware of the danger and to prepare for the online classes that will start.

On-campus classes will resume when the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 in the Tokyo metropolitan area eases.

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