Adoption of New Instruction Timetable Starting in the 2017 Academic Year (notice)
Jul. 23, 2015
July 2015
To all students
President, Meiji University
Kenichi Fukumiya
Subject: Adoption of New Instruction Timetable (notice)
Starting in the 2017 spring semester, Meiji University will adopt a new instruction timetable, which will replace the current setup of seven periods in a day (90 minutes per class) with a six-period (100 minutes per class) setup. In addition, the semester course term will be shortened from 15 weeks to 14 weeks.
Currently, each semester course is 15 weeks long, which is the length required by law. The law, which was amended in April 2013, now requires universities to rearrange class times. Furthermore, each university is held responsible for applying the law in a flexible manner.
In an effort to act in accordance with this amended law, we at Meiji University, upon much careful consideration, have decided to adopt a new instruction timetable (shown below). Our aim is to enhance the effectiveness of our teaching and learning by putting together a flexible academic calendar (while still providing the same number of required total course hours) as well as offering diverse and interesting classes which go beyond traditional teaching methods.
The new timetable will be implemented starting in the 2017 academic year and therefore will affect the current first and second year undergraduate students as well as first year doctoral course students before they graduate. Once the timetable is implemented, although the length of each semester course will be shorter, there will be more class hours per day. Therefore, it is expected that this change will have a significant impact on your learning environment as well as campus life.
We'd like to ask all of you to take a look at the outline of the new timetable (which is shown below) so that you will have a basic understanding of the changes ahead of time. We'd also like to ask for your understanding as we adopt the new timetable.
In implementing the new timetable, we will make every effort to enrich your learning environment as well as campus life.
[Outline of the New Timetable]
1. Aims of New Timetable and its Impact
(1) To make improvements to the current methods used for providing enough course hours for each semester. (The current methods include conducting classes during holidays and making vacations shorter.)
(2) To put together a flexible academic calendar that can be used for a 7-week term, which might be adopted in the future.
(3) To facilitate classroom instruction that will incorporate interactive learning activities that will allow each student to participate in the classes in an engaged manner, rather than simply making each class period 10 minutes longer.
(4) To enhance the effectiveness of our education by offering diverse educational programs that will contribute to raising students' motivation and increasing enthusiasm towards learning.
2. Year of Implementation and its Extent
To be implemented starting in the 2017 Spring Semester
The new timetable will be used on all campuses by all departments and students.
* The new timetable will not be used for classes held on weeknights by the Graduate School of Governance Studies and the Graduate School of Global Business.
3. Overview of Changes to the Instruction Timetable
(1) The division of each 100-minute slot into 50-minute modules
Each class, which is 100 minutes long, will be divided into two 50-minute modules (a & b). The 50-minute modules (a & b) can be utilized in the following way: a lecture is given in module (a) (the first half of the class). Then discussions or comprehension quizzes can take place in module (b) (the second half of the class). In the future, 50-minute units might also be used for special classes. An example might be a class that consists of a 100-minute long lab session and a 50-minute long practical training class period.
(2) Setting up supplementary modules
In order to take advantage of additional time such as early morning, lunchtime, and night time, modules can be used for instruction during those times, i.e., a morning module (Mm) in the early morning, a lunch module (Lm) during lunchtime, and a night time module (Nm) after the end of the sixth period.
As a general rule, faculty members should use the Mm as a reserve module, the Lm as a module for the lunch break, and the Nm as an after-school module for adult education. If necessary, however, the modules can also be used for supplementary classes. For example, they can be used for regular or supplemental instruction, or combined with ordinary class hours for intensive instruction.
(3) ≫Comparative Table of the Existing and New Instruction Timetables
