「金城学院大学」共学化へ方針転換　理事長が学生に直接説明　現役学生の受け止めは (26/05/12 15:25)

In April, Kinjo Gakuin University, a leading women's university in Nagoya, announced its intention to consider becoming coeducational. This sudden and significant "policy shift" has sparked widespread reactions. Here's how current students are reacting: "This means our university has reached a basic agreement with Nagoya Gakuin University," (Naoko Komuro, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Kinjo Gakuin Educational Foundation) Regarding Kinjo Gakuin's announcement on April 29th about "the future of the university": From the 2028 academic year, the primary operator will change to Nagoya Gakuin University, and the university will consider becoming coeducational by the 2029 academic year. This represents a major policy shift for a university long known locally as a "women's university." Since the announcement, the Chairperson herself has held several meetings to directly explain the intentions behind the decision to current students. "We are now entering an era where we must seriously consider how to protect the quality of education and provide students with better learning opportunities," (Chairman Komuro) "Some voices say it's a management strategy to keep the university going." Current students have expressed concerns, saying, "It sounds more like a management strategy to keep Kinjo Gakuin going than something for the students." The Chairman responded: "We want to continue providing solid education as a women's university, but if we keep thinking about management every year, we'll end up neglecting education, even though we need to consider your education as well," (Chairman Komuro) Students who attended the information session said: "When I heard 'Kinjo Gakuin University,' I had a strong image of it being a women's university, so I was initially confused, but I think co-education is a good thing in this day and age." "Honestly, I can't imagine what it will be like to change midway through." The roots of Kinjo Gakuin University date back more than 100 years. In 1889, a girls' school was founded in Nagoya by an American missionary. "Higher education for women." With this philosophy, the university has supported women's education in the region for many years. The future of the "Kinjo brand"— A major decision for a historic university. We asked the Chairman of the Board again— "Some say the school will no longer be what it used to be, or that its brand power will decline, but we see this not as such; rather, we see this as a transformation to further enhance it," (Chairman Komuro). The background to this is securing students amidst a declining birthrate. The number of students enrolling relative to the capacity was 81.7% two years ago and 70.5% last year, repeatedly falling short of capacity. Although it has recovered to 97.8% this year, the declining birthrate is seen as a definite factor affecting future enrollment numbers. "There was a general perception of declining birth rates and a decrease in women's universities. As the number of children continues to decrease, I found it difficult to envision a clear future for Kinjo Gakuin. I wondered if it would become difficult to develop university education and send students out into society, and to secure future enrollments," (Chairman Komuro). Many people have studied and spent their time at Kinjo Gakuin with pride in the brand. How will that tradition be passed on to the future? "I was worried about how to address the feelings of graduates and current students as we merged with other schools. Kinjo Gakuin chose a path that would allow it to develop further as a university. While it might be tempting to reminisce about the good old days, we must look ahead. It's about how we live in this present moment," (Chairman Komuro).