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Long-Range Planning
Grand Layout 2.0（2014－2023）

Grand Layout 2.0（2014－2023）

Sophia School Corporation
Grand Layout 2.0
2014 - 2023

I. Fundamental Principles and Guidelines
　A. Fundamental Principles
　B. Main Goals

II. Planning
　A. Plans to reinforce the foundation of school management
　B. Future Plans of Sophia School Corporation
　C. Future Plans for Sophia University Junior College Division
　D. Future Plans for Sophia School of Social Welfare
　E. Future Plans for Continuing Education

III. Organization for Implementation

Grand Layout 2.0 (pdf) (147.28 KB)

Note: This is a translation. The Japanese original is official.

I. Fundamental Principles and Guidelines

The year 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sophia University, the 40th anniversary of the Sophia University Junior College Division, and the 50th anniversary of the Sophia School of Social Welfare all in the same year. We owe this fulfilling year to the founders of Christian education through the last ten decades.

It all started in 1908 when the Holy Father entrusted three priests from the Society of Jesus to come to Japan to rekindle the unfulfilled hope of St. Francis Xavier to build a university in the capital city of Japan. It was the service and successful efforts of these three priests that finally made Xavier's dream a reality.

Looking toward this year's centennial celebration, the Board of Trustees of Sophia School Corporation officially announced the Sophia University 100th Anniversary of Foundation (A.D. 2013) Grand Layout for Renewal of Education, Research, and the Campus Facilities in May 2001, and has been making a steady progress on the plan ever since.

As we now stand on the threshold of the 101st year since our founding, we see that the entire situation in Japan has greatly changed. The birthrate is in decline while aging population is on the rise. Globalization and ICT (Information/Communication Technology) development have brought changes to industrial structures. On top of everything else Japan was recently struck by a human-impact disaster of great magnitude, the Great East Japan Earthquake. Within this rapidly changing situation, Sophia hopes to play a more active role in an effort to rise to the challenges of our future society and those of the world by helping to solve global problems of poverty, environment，education, and ethical commitment.

Sophia － Bringing the World Together: Under this banner Sophia University seeks to achieve a level of world recognition for "evangelical justice and truth that sets us free." Sophia believes in working to achieve freedom from all discriminatory actions based on nationality, gender, or age.

To ensure the development of our next 100 years, the Sophia School Corporation has officially announced the Grand Layout 2.0 as a reflection of the Board's belief that we must all work together to set a vision for the next 10 years.

A. Fundamental Principles

Fostering the educational ideals of our founders
1. (1) We will strive in our founding spirit and educational tradition, which we have upheld since the time of our establishment, to provide high-level academic research as an institution of higher learning based on Christian ideals. As implied by the school motto "Men and Women for Others, with Others," we aim at cultivating total human beings of independent mind and high sense of morality.
2. (2) Through its academic research and commitment to society, Sophia aims to help find solutions to problems that threaten human dignity in such areas as poverty,environment, education, and ethics.
3. (3) In pursuing their education and research activities and all other activities at Sophia, all the members of the Sophia family should think and act in accordance with our founding spirit. They will do the same when making contributions to society.
Striving to create a world-class university
1. (1) Sophia has formed and maintained the value of Jesuit institutions over the years, and will further promote its areas of excellence and special character in today's society.
2. (2) Sophia remains an institution of higher learning excelling in education, research, and commitment to society, and seeks to achieve a level of world recognition.
3. (3) Sophia recognizes its special character as a metropolitan university, and aims to play a central role in the effort to build networks of Catholic and Christian universities around the world.

B. Main Goals

Conforming the educational ideals of our founders with current ideas
1. (1) Conforming the educational ideals of our founders with current ideas
  1. ①Based on our founding spirit and educational principles, we will plan comprehensive guidelines concerning degree conferment, curriculum planning and implementation, and student admission.
  2. ②Sophia will consider ways to improve the organizational environment so that its founding spirit and educational principles can penetrate all the members of the Sophia family. We will also promote a campus ministry.
  3. ③Sophia will try to nurture the feeling of pride and joy among all the members of the Sophia family: students, faculty members, administrative personnel, and stakeholders, as being part of whatever they do for Sophia.
2. (2) Examining a new system for our educational program based on our founding spirit and educational principles
  1. ①Design the curriculum to emphasize Sophia's areas of excellence and special characteristics.
  2. ②Initiate reforms to improve the university-wide general studies program (全学共通科目).
Upgrading, globalizing, and networking our education and research
1. (1) Seeking international recognition as a top level university
  1. ①We will promote high-level academic research that enables our education to exert an influence on learning, the thought, culture, politics, and economy of the world. In this way, we can contribute to sustainable development of human society.
  2. ②We will cultivate people who can learn, think, and act independently, in other words, people who can play an active role in global society, solve global-scale issues, and bring about innovation.
  3. ③We will set up an education management system to accommodate shifts in the concept of quality education.
  4. ④We will promote networking with institutions of higher learning, research institutes and international organizations in Japan and abroad to develop exchange and mutual cooperation; thereby aim at the diversification and dissemination of an education and research environment.
2. (2) Improving the learning and campus life environments
  1. ①We will further improve the basic conditions for learning and the living environment to offer students a meaningful campus life in a happy atmosphere.
  2. ②We will support on and off campus extracurricular activities and promote a campus ministry to give students confidence necessary to become humane, highly moral, and self-reliant individuals.
University development and its sustainability
1. (1) Developing and improving governance and management
  1. ①Based on the aims set forth in the revised Basic Act on Education (for private schools), we will strengthen the administration and supervisory function of the Board of Trustees; give more executive power to President; and set up an education monitoring system. We will put more order in all positions of authority and responsibilities and monitor their activities.
  2. ②We will review ways to improve the quality of governance and school management with
    - More efficient systems of internal control
    - Refined decision-making process
    - Speedy decision-making process
    - Stakeholder's rights to accountability
    - Fast and appropriate information disclosure
    - Risk management
  3. ③All the information necessary for organs of education and research, school management, policy-making, and decision-making will be consolidated and made readily available for analysis and use by a reform-support Institutional Research (IR) system.
2. (2) Revising the organization of Faculties and Departments; developing and improving the personnel and wage system for both teaching and administrative personnel
  1. ①Sophia aims to reorganize the faculty to help teaching staff further develop their professional skills and abilities needed to improve teaching, research and administrative knowledge. Their voluntary contributions to society are highly encouraged.
  2. ②Sophia will strive to improve the job performance of all staff members. For this purpose, we will reorganize the administrative system.
  3. ③We will create an organizational culture in which people of diverse nationality, gender, and age can bring out their greatest assets through their different approaches to work. We will make sure that their work will be properly assessed.
3. (3) Securing financial foundations
  1. ①We will plan mid-term and long-term financial operations, combining income from student fees, support grants, donations, and income-generating activities. We will also set forth fiscal and investment plans. We will review all the income and expenditures and will be continuously looking at ways to improve our financial foundations by 2020 and work out a good balance of payments.
  2. ②We support projects that have the potential to receive a fair assessment of their outcome. We will clarify earnings and expenditures incurred by each project and thereby improve budget planning and fundamentally reexamine the financial management methods.
4. (4) Promoting plans for campus renewal
  1. ①To improve the education and research environment we must find ways to fully utilize the campuses that we currently own and carry out a plan to develop campus facilities and equipment.
  2. ②With an eye to the future, we will lay down strategies, including acquisition of new campuses on which we can build up our areas of excellence and our special characteristics.
5. (5) Improving the Information/Communication Technology (ICT) environment
  1. ①The use of ICT (Information/Communication Technology) will add new value to learning and research as well as to the student support system. We should explore the ICT strategies and tools that can be used effectively to work out an ICT investment plan or ICT-generated managerial system.
  2. ②We will restructure the system and decision-making body necessary to improve the ICT environment.
Building university identity
1. (1) Establish and strengthen university identity
  1. ①Guided by our school ideal "Sophia ? Bringing the World Together," we will review our areas of excellence and our special characteristics in a systematic and concrete way; and thereby, clarify Sophia's school image and activity guidelines. We will increase our efforts to bring Sophia's "University Identity" to a wide public.
2. (2) Create a sense of common identity
  1. ①We seek ways to disseminate faithfully a correct school image of Sophia through effective public relations activities in order to gain the trust and support of society and our stakeholders.
Thorough evaluation of "Scrap and Build"
1. (1) We must attempt to foresee the social, political, economic changes of the next 10 years and ensure that our fundamental strategies and future planning properly reflect the effect of those predictions on the management of Sophia School Corporation.
  1. ①Make a strategy for the total admission capacity of Sophia University, Junior College Division, School of Social Welfare and Seibo Nursing School for the year 2020.
  2. ②As facilities, equipment, organization, personnel, finance, and ICT (Information/Communication Technology) support education and research, we must clarify the goals each of these are expected to achieve in the year 2020.
2. (2) Take positive steps to select the most compelling project areas, including those in the newly proposed projects to concentrate on, reorganizing the existing project undertakings by either combining, discarding, or reforming them.
  1. ①We will implement an appropriate system of project evaluation by keeping two separate records, one for project accounting and one for segment accounting.
Establishing a programming organization for projects
1. (1) We will establish an organization to consolidate and improve the projects and create a system in which the Sophia School Corporation can systematically carry plans through to their main goals by making appropriate evaluation and improvements.
2. (2) All the members of the Sophia family should be aware of Sophia's social responsibility as an institution of higher learning and they should make every effort to improve the functions of governance, compliance, and accountability.
Participation by the whole Sophia family
1. (1) We call upon all university organs and individuals of the Sophia School Corporation to participate in the Grand Layout 2.0.
2. (2) We will guarantee "objective" suitability considerations of each project, asking stakeholders and other knowledgeable people outside the university to participate in the promotion of Grand Layout 2.0 to win their trust and support.

II. Planning

A. Plans to reinforce the foundations of school management

University-wide planning
⇒ Committee for governance
1. (1) Reexamine decision-making process of Sophia School Corporation to strengthen and speed up the processes of planning
  1. ①We will strengthen the administration and supervisory function of the Board of Trustees.
  2. ②In order to promote university reforms under the president's leadership, we will give more power to the President and also clarify the function and authority of faculty meetings.
  3. ③We will clarify the authority and responsibilities of managerial staff, and organize their regulatory system.
  4. ④We will clarify the function and authority of conferences and committee meetings; and review the organization and structure of all forms of meetings.
  5. ⑤Review procedures for nominating candidates for academic managerial positions such as President and Dean.
2. (2) Improve the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) Cycle
  1. ①Establish "academic management" based on an appropriate PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) Cycle under the president's leadership
  2. ②Establish academic inspection system
  3. ③Refine the system of self-evaluation to accommodate the certified evaluation and accreditation system for universities
  4. ④Attempt further refinement of risk management
3. (3) Improve IR (Institutional Research)
  1. ①All the information necessary for education and research organs, school management, policy-making and decision-making will be consolidated.
  2. ②We will create a model for the university, bringing together the outcome reports of educational and research activities. Such a model will be widely distributed at home and abroad, especially to our stakeholders. We will thoroughly consider the stakeholder's right to accountability, and thereby, ensure fast and appropriate information disclosure.
4. (4) Strengthen relations with stakeholders
  1. ①Establish long-lasting mutual relationships built on trust and cooperation between Sophia and all Sophia stakeholders, including students.
  2. ②Build up a network of exchange with students' parents, exchange information, and make every effort to increase the number of members of the Sophia Parent's Association.
  3. ③Strengthen partnership opportunities with the Sophia Alumni Association and the graduates. We will examine the role and function of the relationship between the Sophia School Corporation and the Alumni Association.
  4. ④Build stronger bonds with Sophia's benefactors, retired teachers and administrative staff.
  5. ⑤Join forces to strengthen our exchange with companies and local communities and exchange information with them.
Plans for school organization and staff personnel system
⇒ Committee for personnel plan
1. (1) Revise the Faculty and personnel management (administrative) system
  1. ①We will revise the faculty organization to enable the university to reach the fullest academic and research potential with its limited resources.
  2. ②We will revise the management system in such a way as to enable the organization to handle diverse and complicated business with speed and flexibility. We will also reorganize and improve the system of dividing duties in the administrative organization.
2. (2) Improve teaching performance
  1. ①Promote the Faculty Development (FD) program for improving teaching abilities of faculty members.
  2. ②The recruitment process and method of promotion will undergo changes so that the school can select candidates who are suited to carry out Sophia's mission.
  3. ③Encourage high-grade and in-depth research by faculty members and strengthen the system of research support.
  4. ④Develop the organization and system for improving the abilities of faculty members to carry out university administration.
3. (3) Implement an assessment and evaluation system for teaching personnel and educational organizations
  1. ①Improve teaching performance by setting up evaluation criteria in 4 areas: education, research, contribution to society, and school administration. We will look into the method of collecting and utilizing the data which will form the basis of our faculty assessment. We try to complete the faculty evaluation system by 2016.
  2. ②By 2016 examine and implement the evaluation system for educational bodies, i.e. Faculties and Departments, graduate programs, and research institutes.
4. (4) Improve the academic personnel and wage system
  1. ①Review the system of remuneration and retirement allowance of academic personnel to link it with the system of faculty evaluation by 2016.
  2. ②Improve overseas research programs and special faculty training Programs.
5. (5) Work out plans for performance improvement of staff members and put them into practice.
  1. ①We will look into improving remuneration system for office personnel as an incentive to improve their job performance: innovative ideas, leadership and managerial skills.
  2. ②We will improve training programs to build leadership and managerial skills and help staff members foster innovative ideas for efficient workforce.
6. (6) Improving personnel costs
  1. ①We will look into a reasonable number of full-time teaching and administrative personnel and try to bring down our budget's personnel costs to 75% in 2017 and 70% in 2020 (for both academic and administrative personnel).
  2. ②By outsourcing to third parties, we hope to achieve effective utilization of human resources in our management (administrative) system.
7. (7) Develop diverse human resources and revitalize the organization
  1. ①Promote gender equality in the workplace.
  2. ②Hire more foreign and elderly workers and persons with disabilities.
  3. ③Create an organizational culture in which individuals can build up their team spirit by strengthening their understanding and respect for each other's career background, the way each person thinks and acts at work.
  4. ④Promote and encourage our special project, "Collaborative Research on Innovation by Faculty and Staff."
  5. ⑤Introduce a system of working conditions in which individuals can choose their career prospects, child care strategies, and work-life balance.
  6. ⑥Expand mental health care consulting services to teaching and administrative personnel.
Financial planning
⇒ Committee for financial plan
1. (1) Strategies for strengthening financial base
  1. ①We will thoroughly examine each expenditure list and try to work out a good balance between income (student fees, subsidies, etc) and expenditures (personnel expenses, education/research expenses, etc) by thoroughly applying our "Scrap and Build," selection and concentration policies.
  2. ②We will plan and implement mid and long-term financial planning grounded on campus renovation and education/research enhancement. At the same time we will continue our efforts to raise funds to offset our debt.
  3. ③We will improve the balance of related income and expenses by securing substantial No. 2 and No. 3 endowments.
  4. ④By introducing new management-accounting methods, we will keep track of income and expenditures for each school and department, and thereby we will maintain their good balance.
  5. ⑤In consideration of the revised accounting standards for school corporation, we will distribute, especially to our stakeholders, financial information concerning our business management to facilitate appropriate business evaluation.
  6. ⑥We will ceaselessly review our investment policy for Sophia's assets to enable us to maintain our substantial purchasing power under any circumstances.
  7. ⑦We will start a business firm to optimize business administration and rationalize its operation, and thereby improve all kinds of service that we provide.
2. (2) Assurance of stable source of income
  1. ①We will attempt to increase income through student fees, donations, outside capital, and business returns.
  2. ②We will increase revenue from investment of assets under high-risk management, we will also attempt to expand scholarship funds and No.2 endowment.
  3. ③We will further expand the scholarship funds and incentives, scholarship funds to each Faculty and Department, and improve the system of raising donations and increasing the funds which will be distributed to each research center.
  4. ④We will develop means to encourage donations from philanthropists, companies, or other groups, improve methods and conditions for accepting donations, and offer the possibility of naming endowed lectures, facilities or equipment to be named after the donor.
3. (3) Improving effectiveness of expenditures
  1. ①Review our ordinary budget system for implementing the goal of our mission for enhancing education and research by means of setting up and implementing a new budget system that reflects results evaluation from previous years.
  2. ②Work out effective spending by implementing successful budget distribution.
  3. ③Work out cost reduction by reexamining and reviewing current spending.
Plans for facilities and equipment
⇒ Committee No.2 for physical plan
1. (1) Develop effective strategies for utilizing each campus and ensure its building and equipment maintenance
  1. ①Plan to promote the construction of new buildings and renovation of Building 2 and expand and improve the education and research environment.
  2. ②Plan to promote the renewal of existing facilities, especially the Department of Science and Technology; and expand and improve the education and research environment.
  3. ③Plan to create an environment-conscious campus, offer barrier-free services to the elderly and students with disabilities; improve fire prevention and safety measures; promote campus design and landscaping, e.g. along the "Main Street"; and emphasize ecological considerations and maintain harmony and beauty of the surroundings.
  4. ④Improve the quality of campus amenities, including student lounges, restaurants, and outdoor spaces.
  5. ⑤Develop effective strategies for utilizing the Ichigaya, Soshigaya, and Hadano campuses.
  6. ⑥Develop effective strategies for utilizing the Mejiro Seibo Campus and the Osaka Satellite Campus.
2. (2) Look into the possibility of acquiring a new campus
  1. ①Examine the possibility of acquiring a new campus which will serve as the basis of sustainable development for the Sophia School Corporation.
ICT (Information and Communication Technology) planning
⇒ Committee No. 1 & 2 for physical plan
1. (1) Attach new importance to the meaning of education, research, and student support through ICT (Information and Communication Technology)
  1. ①Strengthen the campus information (ICT) infrastructure to give effective and positive support to the learning and research activities of faculty and students.
  2. ②Create a portal system that will meet students' needs and organize student portfolios conducive to consistent and comprehensive student guidance.
2. (2) Use ICT (Information and Communication Technology) as an effective tool to plan the managerial strategy of the Sophia School Corporation
  1. ①We will develop an effective way to integrate every kind of university data to make them available for creating investor relations and a university model.
3. (3) Reorganize the system and decision-making bodies for the improvement of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) environment
  1. ①Through the reorganization-integration of infrastructure and existing application systems, we will plan a reasonable ICT (Information and Communication Technology) investment including the application of "outsourcing" and "cloud computing." The ICT environment and its management system will undergo improvement.
  2. ②We will implement an information security monitoring system for ICT cost effectiveness and information security.

B. Future Plans for Sophia School Corporation

Academic planning
⇒ Committee No.1 for academic planning
1. (1) Clarify the basic guidelines for academic reforms
  1. ①We will clarify to all university personnel the course of action Sophia University should take for planning educational reforms and shaping the future of our university in view of drastic changes in our society brought about by globalization and the decline in the birthrate.
  2. ②In accordance with our founding spirit and educational principles, we will redefine systematically and comprehensively by 2015 the educational goals of undergraduate and graduate programs such as, student admission, curriculum organization and implementation, as well as degree conferment.
  3. ③We will plan a course of action to reorganize the undergraduate and graduate programs by 2016.
2. (2) Guaranteed quality education
  1. ①We will promote reforms to guarantee quality education and to systematize the curriculum planning and implementation. Reform areas are as follows:
    - Give education emphasizing student's independence, experience, and practical skills.
    - Secure sufficient time for study.
    - Plan appropriate course content and course requirements for high-level education.
    - Make new rules for specifying the maximum number of credits students are allowed to take in one academic year → semester (quarter).
    - Implement a university-wide course numbering system.
    - Review grading systems and the grading standards.
    - Implement education portfolios.
  2. ②We will carry out fundamental reform of university-wide education as follows:
    - Provide humane education based on our founding spirit and educational principles.
    - Promote high-level academic education and practical education to meet the needs of globalization.
    - Provide education that focuses on student's individuality, experience, and ability to transmit knowledge into practice.
    - Reexamine numbers of credits required and their categories.
  3. ③We aim to upgrade our education and improve efficiency in the following ways:
    - Minimize course overlaps between Faculties and Departments.
    - Revise faculty placement.
    - Implement flexible curricula.
    - Plan new types of small class education.
    - Promote collaboration with institutions outside the university.
  4. ④Initiate fundamental reforms in the curriculum-related matters; such as, class schedules and class allocation.
  5. ⑤Promote faculty development (FD) activities to a greater extent and further improve competence and teaching skills of faculty members.
  6. ⑥Look into the possibility of implementing double-degree programs with institutions in Japan and abroad.
3. (3) Upgrading the graduate program and reconstructing its organization
  1. ①We will reexamine the true meaning and purpose of graduate education, and by promoting functionalization, individualization, and prioritization we will reorganize the entire graduate program, including the establishment of new graduate courses.
  2. ②We will review our admission capacity in consideration of the changes in the number of applicants, admitted students, and degrees conferred on students in graduate programs.
  3. ③We will make plans to revise the post-graduate curriculum in such a way as to help students make career decisions for the future. We will add new courses beyond the framework of existing framework.
  4. ④We will further promote joint graduate programs with institutions of higher learning in Japan and abroad, including academic exchange agreements, new graduate courses and joint degree curricula.
  5. ⑤We will support adult students in graduate programs to increase their enrollment.
4. (4) Promoting globalization
  1. ①We will consider the possibility of introducing a full semester system or even a quarter system to allow implementation of flexible admissions.
  2. ②We will further promote cooperation with industrial and international organizations.
  3. ③We aim to admit 2,600 overseas students including both degree-seeking and non-degree students by 2020. (This is the target set in the Global 30 Project blueprint)
  4. ④We will increase the number of foreign teachers and Japanese teachers with the degree acquired abroad.
  5. ⑤We will further increase the number of courses in which students can obtain degrees in English and the number of specialized courses taught in foreign languages. Moreover, we will expand Japanese language education and Japanese studies for full-time and visiting foreign students.
  6. ⑥We will introduce new study-abroad programs to send more students overseas to study.
  7. ⑦We will promote academic exchange and student exchange programs in Asian and African regions.
  8. ⑧We will encourage early graduation. We will also look into a system in which students can extend their period of enrollment.
5. (5) Strengthen collaboration with educational institutions at home and abroad.
  1. ①We will participate in networks of overseas universities, such as those in ASEAN countries and those of Catholic universities, especially ones founded by the Society of Jesus.
  2. ②We will strengthen our link with Catholic institutions of higher and secondary education in Japan and abroad, especially through the network of Jesuit institutions overseas.
  3. ③To promote globalization, we will explore the possibility to have affiliated institutions act as overseas offices to support our activities abroad.
6. (6) Appeal to highly-qualified students
  1. ①We have already used TEAP (Test of English for Academic Purposes) in our entrance procedures. We need to take further major measures to review the system of entrance examinations and procedures to make a comprehensive evaluation of student ability, suitability, and motivation.
  2. ②We will implement special admission procedures to select good candidates whose first choice is Sophia University. We will also consider ways to examine entrance applicants in the locations other than Tokyo. We will solicit applications from students overseas to enter Sophia University. We need to diversify the ways we examine applicants for entrance.
  3. ③We will plan strategically to secure a high percentage of accepted applicants to go on to enroll at Sophia University.
  4. ④We will plan and implement strategies to secure sufficient applicants to graduate schools.
Plans for research and academic exchange
⇒ Committee No. 2 for academic planning
1. (1) Promoting significant international level research
  1. ①We will select research fields in which Sophia has the potential to receive international recognition and give them priority in the distribution of various kinds of university resources.
2. (2) Promote academic exchange
  1. ①Promote collaborative research and personnel exchange through academic exchange with research organizations and universities in Japan and abroad.
  2. ②Sponsor international symposiums and academic conferences as well as promote academic and creative research through collaborative research within the university.
3. (3) Establish effective research and research support systems by rebuilding research organizations or research centers
  1. ①We will promote restructuring of research organizations and centers, and thereby strengthen and facilitate links among collaborative research project teams in various organs and research centers.
  2. ②We will establish an independent organization to promote research and provide administrative support to the researchers. In doing this, we can encourage researchers to carry out more in-depth research and help manage research organizations and centers.
4. (4) Preparing to secure funds for research
  1. ①We will strengthen and continue to secure outside resources for research funds by gathering information, disseminating information, encouraging applications for research funds from outside the university; strengthening administrative support, and expanding the systems for promoting research, and introducing a system of research assistance.
  2. ②We will increase the number of applications for grant-in-aid for scientific research and expand the acceptance rate.
  3. ③Increase funds to support research institutes and centers.
5. (5) Promoting industry-government-academia partnership
  1. ①We will assemble research proposals, study and make public how they match the needs of industry and society. We will thereby expand contract research with companies, collaborative research projects, and increase the number of contracts for technology transfer.
  2. ②We will build an organization adapted to industry-government-academia partnership and consider approaches to improve its management, strengthening cooperation with the program coordinators.
6. (6) Organize management and use of intellectual property
  1. ①Protect and manage intellectual property (patens) which result from research achievements and promote technological transfer through the industry-academia partnership.
  2. ②Carry out "incubation"(support of entrepreneurship) so that faculty and students can fully utilize their intellectual properties.
7. (7) Reporting research outcome
  1. ①We will reorganize and strengthen the university publication business as a medium of disseminating information about our research achievements.
  2. ②Through the network of our outreach and public relations activities (lectures, symposiums, events), we will make the research reports widely available to anyone who needs them.
Plans for learning and life support
1. (1) Promote study support
  1. ①We will improve the study environment for students by reinforcing our weak areas with:
    - longer opening hours for the library
    - more study space in the library
    - expanded amenity space
    - night-time services
  2. ②We will consider the establishment of a learning support center to provide consultation concerning freshmen's education, study plans, and extracurricular educational programs.
  3. ③Every member of the school staff will cooperate to create a reliable and safe environment in which students with disabilities can pursue their study and share their everyday moments with other students on campus.
2. (2) Promote life support
  1. ①We will explore the amalgamation of Student Center, Counseling Center, and Health Center to establish a counseling office where students can seek consultation. In this way we can establish a comprehensive student counseling system with the help of their "homeroom teacher." Such a campus health service can advise students on maintaining mental and physical health.
  2. ②We need to improve and expand the scholarship system, planning strategies to increase scholarship funds.
  3. ③We will expand programs to support job-seeking activities for students. We will also improve job-seeking activities for students with disabilities, study abroad students, and students returning to the campus after study abroad.
  4. ④Students, faculty, and staff will be encouraged to cooperate with on and off campus extracurricular activities with a greater variety of volunteer programs and support for student's voluntary participation in activities that will contribute to society.
  5. ⑤We will improve the management of boarding facilities for more efficient learning and better life support.

C. Future Plans for Sophia University Junior College Division
⇒ Committee for Sophia University Junior College Division

College-wide planning
1. (1) We will plan mid and long-term reorganization of the educational system of the Junior College Division.
2. (2) We will reinforce collaboration between the Junior College Division and its parent institution Sophia University.
Academic planning
1. (1) Promote human education based on our founding spirit and educational principles that meets new demands created by globalization.
2. (2) Develop and implement a quality assessment system based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, with accreditation standards set by Japan Association for College Accreditation, to improve and guarantee the quality of education.
3. (3) Promote every program in English education to enhance its merit and thereby strengthen English competency.
Student support
1. (1) We will look into the possibility of integrating education, stuent's life support system, and career-selection guidance into a single powerful system by retiring the Service Learning Center and overhauling the "Student Total Support Center."
2. (2) As part of a student support system, we will try to secure a financial base to improve our scholarship system.
Liaison with local communities
1. (1) We will strengthen our contribution to and liaison with local communities through our service learning programs in which volunteer students provide help in teaching English, Japanese and other subjects.

D. Future Plans for Sophia School of Social Welfare
⇒ Committee for Sophia School of Social Welfare

School-wide planning
1. (1) We will examine the future plan of Sophia School of Social Welfare by reviewing the possibility of combining and cancelling courses, and overhauling the total admission capacity.
2. (2) We will plan to improve the organization and educational system of Sophia School of Social Welfare.
Academic planning
1. (1) We will consider ways to meet the needs of the consortium of Christian social welfare facilities for those interested in attending our courses.
2. (2) We will strengthen collaboration with other universities that offer teacher training courses for kindergarten teachers. This will give our students an opportunity to obtain teaching certification for kindergarten.
3. (3) We will take the following steps to secure applicants for entrance to the school:
  - hold more information sessions for high school students.
  - plan lectures for welfare workers with no qualifications so that they can develop their skills.
  - plan lectures for adults to raise awareness of welfare work.
Student support
1. (1) Improve the school's capacity as a designated training institute for obtaining national qualifications.
2. (2) Promote support for workers with and without qualifications to improve career prospects in their profession.
3. (3) Consider ways to support people from abroad wishing to obtain Japanese national qualifications as care workers.

E. Future Plans for Continuing Education
⇒ Committee for Continuing Education

(1) We will evaluate courses that meet the diverse educational needs of adult learners and industries, and create a learning environment necessary to meet these needs through changing styles of life and learning.
(2) With the collaboration of Sophia's education/research organizations and full-time instructors, we will develop programs for continuing education based on our founding spirit and educational principles.
(3) We investigate how to chart the future of continuing education, which, as an institution of higher learning, will have three missions:
- Spread information to the public.
- Extend our academic resources to the public.
- Provide people in nearby communities with lifelong learning opportunities by taking full advantage of its favorable location.

III. Organization for Implementation

Programming organization
1. (1) Board of Trustees of Sophia School Corporation
2. (2) Senate
3. (3) Expanded Long-range Planning Committee
  1. 1) Chairperson: Chancellor of Sophia School Corporation
  2. 2) Vice Chairperson: Trustee for Academic Affairs(President of Sophia University)
  3. 3) Members: Trustees, Auditors, and Senators of Sophia School Corporation; Senators of Sophia University; Committee members recommended by the Chancellor of Sophia School Corporation and the President of Sophia University (including Sophia University Junior College Division, Sophia School of Social Welfare and Sophia Alumni Association, Members from outside the university)
  4. 4) Term of Office: Coincides with appointment to their pertinent bodies for the members of managerial staff, and as a rule two years for other members
  5. 5) Secretariat: Bureau of General Affairs
4. (4) Specialized Study Subcommittees for Long-range Planning
  1. 1) Members:
    1. ①Committee for governance
      (for the entire planning of Sophia School Corporation and supervising progress of individual committees)
    2. ②Committee No. 1 for academic plan
      (for the entire educational planning and undergraduate and post-graduate education)
    3. ③Committee No. 2 for academic plan
      (for research and academic exchange program)
    4. ④Committee No.1 for physical plan
      (for administration for education & research and for service to society)
    5. ⑤Committee No.2 for physical plan
      (for plan for campus facilities/equipment, buildings & their placement)
    6. ⑥Committee for personnel plan
      (for reorganization of faculty and administrative staff, personnel system)
    7. ⑦Committee for financial plan
      (for financial strategy and securing financial base)
    8. ⑧Committee for Sophia University Junior College Division
      (for reform and future plan of the Sophia Junior College Division)
    9. ⑨Committee for Sophia School of Social Welfare
      (for reform and future plan of the Sophia School of Social Welfare)
    10. ⑩Committee for Continuing Education
      (for redesigning and future planning of continuing education)
  2. 2) Close cooperation among committees
    1. ①The Committee for governance will supervise the entire project and follow the progress of projects promoted by each committee.
    2. ②Each committee will hold a joint meeting with other committees as it deems necessary and maintain close mutual collaboration for discussion.
  3. 3) Chairperson: Person appointed by Chairperson of the Board of Trustees
  4. 4) Members: Members appointed by Chairperson of the Board of Trustees
    Members and special members appointed by President of Sophia University
    Members appointed by President of Sophia University Junior College Division
    Members and special members appointed by Director of Sophia School of Social Welfare
    Members with official positions: Trustees, Vice-presidents, Deans, Directors of Graduate Programs, Bureau Directors, Center Directors
  5. 5) Term of Office: 2 years
  6. 6) Secretariat: Bureau of General Affairs
5. (5) Liaison settings
  University Senate, Deans' meeting, Committee meeting for Graduate Schools, meetings of administrative division heads, other meetings and committees
6. (6) Programming Secretariat
  Bureau of General Affairs will be the programming headquarters in cooperation with other administrative bureaus and divisions
Monitoring and evaluation system
1. (1) We will establish the Committee for governance under the auspices of the Board of Trustees to supervise the entire project of Sophia School Corporation and its progress.
2. (2) By establishing a monitoring and evaluation body that consists of knowledgeable people from outside the university, we will monitor and evaluate each year projects concerned with the management of Sophia School Corporation, and the future planning of Sophia University, Sophia University Junior College Division, Sophia School of Social Welfare, as well as our future relation with our stakeholders.
Schedule for Planning
1. (1) We will sketch out concrete ideas for the implementation plan for Grand Layout 2.0 during the first phase (from 2014 to 2018).
  1. ①During the period from August 2013 to March 2014, the "Expanded Long-range Planning Committee" and "Specialized Study Subcommittees for Long-range Planning" will investigate and discuss the plans to be implemented during the first phase of Grand Layout 2.0 (which spans 5 years from 2014 to 2018). We will plan concrete contents, times, systems, and budgets for each project classifying each strategy into either short or mid term implementation periods.
  2. ②The Board of Trustees will study the implementation plan for the first phase of Grand Layout 2.0 as drawn up by "Expanded Long-range Planning Committee" and "Specialized Study Subcommittees for Long-range Planning" in March 2014, and will formally finalize the plan.
2. (2) We will sketch out concrete ideas for Grand Layout 2.0 for the period after 2019
  1. ①The Board of Trustees will reinvestigate and study the points that came up during the first phase of implementation of Grand Layout 2.0, for example, they will report progress of development plans in consideration of the rapidly changing environment within and outside Sophia.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chairperson: Toshiaki Koso
Trustee of Academic Affairs: Tadashi Takizawa
Trustee of General Affairs & Trustee of Overseas Liaison: Sanji Yamaoka
Trustee for Personnel Affairs: Tetsuo Sugimoto
Trustee for Finance: Ichiro Zettsu
Trustee for Catholic Affairs: Tsutomu Sakuma
Trustee: Kensuke Hotta
Trustee: Yutaka Hasegawa
Trustee: Shigeru Ikeo
Auditor: Takahide Tsuchiya
Auditor: Chikahiko Honda
Auditor: Taisuke Kaneko

August 9, 2013

Grand Layout 2.0（2014－2023）