Message from President Yuko Tanaka on the conducting of the 139th Graduation Commencement Ceremony (3/24/2021) (partially changed from the 11/13/2020 announcement)

February 26, 2021

To: All graduates scheduled to graduate in Spring 2021 and their parents/caregivers

Yuko Tanaka
President, Hosei University

Arrangements for Conducting the 139th Graduation Commencement Ceremony (3/24/2021)

On November 13, 2020, the University posted the “Notice of the 139th Graduation Commencement Ceremony for the 2020 Academic Year (3/24/2021).” However, after witnessing subsequent COVID-19 infection trends, we have reviewed some of the arrangements and decided to conduct the 139th Graduation Commencement Ceremony in the manner described below.

The new arrangements include some changes to the details issued in November, so we would ask you to check them carefully.

Our key focus throughout this process has been to hold the ceremony at the Nippon Budokan as long as the situation permits, so that we can give the students the send off they deserve from that impressive location. That’s because we judge a person’s university graduation ceremony will become an important memory for their future lives.

Needless to say, when we conduct the ceremony, it is essential that we carefully monitor the latest COVID-19 infection status, ensure we have sufficient on-site measures in place to prevent any potential infection at the venue, and do our utmost to avoid any potential infections occurring before and after the ceremony. As we prepare to hold the latest conferment ceremony, we would ask all graduating students and their parents/caregivers to work together with faculty members to ensure the ceremony can successfully take place as planned, and we ask for your cooperation and understanding so we can make absolutely sure the ceremony does not result in increased infections.

Please be aware that we may make further changes to the way the ceremony will be held and performed depending on latest infection trends, so please pay close attention to any announcements from the University.

We ask for your cooperation and understanding regarding the following items related to the holding of the degree conferment ceremony (Any significant changes compared to the previous announcement posted on November 13, 2020 are underlined).

1.    Only graduating students will be permitted to enter the venue.
        We regret that family members will not be allowed to enter, but we do plan to broadcast the ceremony online, details of which will be announced shortly.
2.    When they enter the venue, we will ask all graduating students to show their student ID and their participatory pledge (the email sent to your email address after submitting the Google form). Details of the pledge will be announced on the Hosei Hoppii portal site by March 5 (distance-learning course students will receive separate information from the School of Correspondence Education).
3.    Please arrive promptly to avoid congestion around the ceremony venue.
4.    Please use public transport as you cannot enter the venue in a private vehicle. Also, please do not arrange to meet others inside the station or near the ticket gate to avoid congestion.
5.    We have decided not to present the physical degrees in person after the degree commencement ceremony in order to prevent the spread of infection. Instead, degrees will be sent by mail to all students of both faculties and graduate schools. We will post the relevant details on the Hosei Hoppii portal site by March 5, so please be sure to check it (distance-learning course students will receive a separate communication from the School of Correspondence Education).

Requests for cooperation at the venue site:
1.    Please wear mask at all times inside the hall, refrain from talking, and avoid congestion by maintaining physical distancing in the aisles and toilets.
2.    Please do not come to the venue if you have any symptoms such as a fever, difficulty breathing, or a loss of taste and/or smell, if you are not in a good general physical condition, or if you have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
3.    Please use careful judgment to avoid spreading the virus.

Requests for cooperation following the ceremony:
1.    Please do not gather together to eat or drink under any circumstances.
2.    In order to prevent the spread of infection, please refrain from staying on campus for any length of time after the ceremony.
3.    We ask family member to refrain from visiting the campus.

Information on the 139th Graduation Commencement Ceremony (2021/3/24)

Reference:

• “Notice of the 139th Graduation Commencement Ceremony for the 2020 Academic Year (2021/3/24)” posted on November 13, 2020