Formulation and Implementation of the Basic Policy to Ensure the Safety of Yoshida-Ryo Resident Students

发表日期

UPDATE (20 April 2018): "Related links" added at the bottom

Kyoto University formulated the Basic Policy to Ensure the Safety of Yoshida-Ryo Resident Students on 19 December 2017. As described in preamble of the Basic Policy, the building referred to as "the old Yoshida-Ryo building" was constructed over 100 years ago, and a survey has verified that it has extremely poor earthquake resistance. If a large earthquake occurs while the building is in its present condition, it is at risk of serious damage or collapse, which may endanger the safety of the resident students. As the University is responsible for the provision and management of facilities for students, we have decided to urgently implement the Basic Policy.

The Basic Policy consists of four items, summarized below:

  1. Refusal of new applications for residence in the dormitory
    No new residents will be allowed to move in to the Yoshida-Ryo during or after January 2018. The University has already requested the Yoshida-Ryo Resident Student Association to stop accepting new applications for the dormitory. From now on, the University will not to allow any new residents to move in to the Yoshida-Ryo for a certain period of time.
  2. Current residents are required to move out of the dormitory
    All persons currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo (both in the old building and the new building) must move out of the dormitory before the end of September. The University will not allow the residents to continue to live in the dangerous building after the deadline. Unfortunately, as the University does not have a record of which residents are currently living in the old building and which are living in the new building, the residents living in the new building, which complies with the current Building Standards Act, are also required to leave.
  3. Provision of alternative accommodation
    Alternative accommodation (such as rooms in private apartments) from April 2018 onwards will be provided upon request to Yoshida-Ryo resident students who leave the dormitory and who are full-time students at the University as of April 2018. Such students are eligible for alternative accommodation with the same rent as their current accommodation. The monthly rent for the alternative accommodation shall be same as the current monthly rent at Yoshida-Ryo: 400 yen. However, residents living in the alternative accommodation must pay the charges for utilities that they use.

Please note that these measures are being taken to ensure the safety of our students, not to eliminate the Yoshida-Ryo. After implementing the measures described in the Basic Policy, we will make dormitory rooms in the new building available again. As described in item (4) of the Basic Policy, the University is also considering increasing in the number of dormitory rooms that it provides for use by its students. The University will take the necessary measures to address the issue of the old building, and begin providing dormitory rooms once again.

To facilitate the smooth implementation of the Basic Policy, we have requested the Yoshida-Ryo Resident Student Association to select a small group of members, and provide us with their names, so that we can hold a constructive discussion. We hope that they will agree to this suggestion to ensure the safety of resident students as soon as possible.

I hope that the Yoshida-Ryo residents, and all of the other students, faculty, and staff members of the University will understand the necessity for the Basic Policy.

19 December 2017
Shinsuke Kawazoe
Executive Vice-President for Student Affairs and Library Services

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