2-1　Education

2-1-1　Student enrollment

In the Sophia University Junior College Division, the quota of the Department of English Language is 250 for entrance, and the full quota is 500. The ratio of students to the full quota was below 100% from AY2012 to AY2015 owing to the influence of the social situation. Under these circumstances, the Department has carried out public relations for entrance examinations to make learning at our college visible since AY2016 in such a way as offering a class tour to give an opportunity for applicants to observe a usual class. Then, the number of new students has increased, and the quota for entrance has been fulfilled since AY2017. In AY2019, the number of new students was the largest of the past ten years. In AY2021 and AY2022, owing to the spread of COVID-19, the number of applicants decreased sharply and the ratio of students to the full quota remained significantly low. Because the number of applicants in AY2023 remained the same from previous year, the Division announced in April 2023 that the Sophia University Junior College Division will cease recruiting new students after the last recruitment in AY2024.
The number of registered students is decreasing with the decrease in enrollees, resulting in 304 registered students in AY2023.

(calculations conducted as of May 1 of each academic year)

2-1-2　Graduates

The number of graduates is changing according to the numbers of new students and dropouts and other factors every year.

2-1-3　Admissions trends

The number of students enrolled in AY2022 was 174, which was even lower than the previous year, and the number enrolled in AY2023 further decreased to 115, which is significantly below the entrance quota of 250. Changes in social conditions in recent years, such as women’s preference for coeducation and four-year universities, have a significant impact, and particularly during the three years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of applicants decreased sharply and the ratio of students to the full quota remained significantly low. Sophia School Corporation held various discussions on the future direction of the Junior College Division and continued efforts to fill the quota, but Sophia School Corporation finally decided at the board meeting held on March 22, 2023 that Sophia University Junior College Division will, after the last recruitment in AY2024 (entrance examination for students entering in April 2024), stop recruiting new students from AY2025 onward. Successful applicants for AY2024, the last enrollment, was 64.

2-1-4　Students on leave of absence and withdrawals

The number of students having left school or being absent from school varies from year to year and is changing at about 40 on the whole. In AY2023, the number decreased to 23 due to a drop in the number of registered students.
In AY2013, IR activities were launched to identify various issues connected with withdrawal and absence from school, and efforts, such as improvements to curriculums and classes and a support system, have been enhanced for their reduction. In addition, learning at our college is explained closely at “open campus” or the like to prevent a mismatch after entrance into the college. It has been decided to assign two sub-advisor faculty members to each student from AY2024 in addition to the existing Advisor system. Meetings are convened for students with unsatisfactory grades. The advisor faculty, guarantor and the student attend for thorough follow up.

2-1-5　Number of courses offered

The semester system was introduced in AY2005 and the number of courses offered has not largely changed since. In AY2012, the Sophia University Non-matriculated Student Program was introduced, allowing Junior College Division students to enroll in some courses offered at Sophia University, in addition to those offered at the Division, and students therefore enjoy increasingly wider course options now.

2-1-6　Sophia Community College : number of courses offered and student enrollment

The Community College of Sophia University Junior College Division utilizes the University’s language education know-how to provide English and Spanish language courses, as well as courses related to children’s English education, which is one of the characteristics of the University, and other courses. Since AY2021, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, all courses have been offered online and the number of participants increased every year. When courses were only offered face-to-face, the participants were mainly residents of the City of Hadano and nearby areas, but online courses are attended by students from all over Japan and even overseas.

2-2　Global Features

2-2-1　Study abroad programs

Participants in study abroad programs decreased in AY2011 and have remained at around 40 people, as a consequence of the Great East Japan Earthquake which occurred in March 2011. In AY2012 the Junior College Division changed its study abroad agent to a new agent with a strong overseas network and enhanced its study abroad support program. In AY2014, the destination of overseas short-term language courses was limited to the University of Gloucestershire and Bond University, which have established educational programs that ensure high quality teaching. In AY2015, the Division launched new overseas study tours, including the Federated States of Micronesia Inter-cultural Study Tour, jointly developed with Sophia University. In AY2020, owing to the spread of COVID-19, short-term overseas language programs and study tours were canceled. In AY2021, in light of the COVID-19 infection situation, overseas study tours were not conducted and instead changed to a program to allow students to attend an online language course held by the University of Auckland in New Zealand. In AY2022, a summer session of the short-term overseas language program and study tours were canceled, but a spring session of the short-term overseas language program (New Zealand) was held as travel restrictions have been eased in Japan and other countries. In AY2023, the summer session of the short-term overseas language program recruitment was resumed along with the spring session; however, both sessions were cancelled as the number of applicants did not reach the minimum number of participants.

2-3　Campus Life

2-3-1　Scholarships

The selection process for Tuition Support Scholarships was reviewed in AY2013, setting stricter criteria to define the level of financial difficulty so that scholarships can be delivered to students most in need of support.
In AY2016, more students applied for New Student Scholarships, resulting in an increase in recipients. In AY2017, recipients of Tuition Support Scholarships increased. However, as students on the scholarship awarded by the Japan Student Services Organization have increased since AY2018, both applicants for and recipients of Tuition Support Scholarship have decreased.
The student support system has been further enhanced by the establishment of Sophia Campus Support Scholarship for Single-parent Students in AY2019.
From AY2020, the national higher education study support system has been put into full operation, and the tuition and admission fees are exempted along with the Japan Student Services Organization scholarship. In AY2023, due to decrease in the number of students, the number of applicants to the higher education study support system has also decreased.

2-3-2　Percentage of students registered in an extracurricular student organization

Despite the increasing trend in the number of new enrollees, the number of students joining extracurricular student organizations has decreased, in line with the drop in the number of organizations. A large number of new organizations were established every year, but failed to continue to exist, because many of them could not find successors to manage the organization, resulting in a decreasing number of organizations. Long-established organizations are also being dissolved because of shrinking membership. The number of students joining organizations has been also decreasing since AY2017, but it seems that there are students who belong to organizations outside of the Division and students who are active mainly in volunteer activities.
In AY2020, owing to the spread of COVID-19, all classes in the spring semester were held online, all organizations struggled to secure new members, and their activities faced extremely difficult conditions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Under such circumstances, organizations that can continue their activities online have been active and were able to secure 44% enrollment of new students in AY2020. In AY2021, as classes were held in a high-flex format, the rate of students joining organizations dropped to 35%, probably because students were divided into those who came to the campus and those who took online classes at home. In AY2022, the number of students decreased, but the rate of students joining organizations slightly increased to 38%. In AY2023, all classes became face-to-face; however, the number of extracurricular activity groups decreased because of a decrease in the number of students.

2-3-3　Service Learning

Service Learning is an attempt to effectively connect what is learned from community engagement, through volunteer social service, with what is learned in the classroom. Participating students take a course on each activity and carry out the activity using the knowledge gained in the course. The College Friend and Community Friend were introduced as practical work of a curricular subject from AY2019. Starting in AY2023, English Friend is offering English activities to the 6^th grade students of public elementary schools (total of 13 schools) in the City of Hadano that visit the Hadano Campus.
The percentage of students participating in Service Learning was 10 to 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, in AY2023, the percentage was returning to somewhere around 30%, the level before the pandemic.

• Community Friend: Giving support for Japanese language learning and subjects study for children and citizens related to foreign countries at local public facilities.
• College Friend: Giving support for Japanese language learning and subjects study for children related to foreign countries at public elementary and junior high schools in the City of Hadano.
• English Friend: Offering English activities to the students of public elementary schools in the City of Hadano that visit the Hadano Campus.
• Kids English Friend: Reading English picture books to infants at the Hadano City Library or other places.

2-4　Career Options

2-4-1　Employment trends

Given high expectations for the English proficiency of Junior College Division students, they receive many job offers. Their performance has been highly evaluated in various industries, ranging from the manufacturing industry (clerical work) to the service industry. The Junior College Division offers more than 30 “Job Guidance” sessions a year, based on various themes such as “Self-analysis” and other basic matters, “SPI exercise,” “How to prepare a resume and entry sheet,” “Working experience report” by graduates, and “Company research seminar” by HR personnel, as well as comprehensive personal consultations and support.

2-4-2　University transfer trends

An average of 80 students transfer to four-year universities after graduating from the Junior College Division. It should be noted that more than 90% (on average in the last five years) of students who seek to pursue further studies at a university are successful. In AY2023, along with the decrease in registered students, there were only 58 student transfers; however, this number is 86.6% of students who apply for university transfer.
The Junior College Division offers guidance on university transfers multiple times a year, providing advice on how to select faculties and departments, the contents and schedule of transfer examinations, how to prepare for transfers, how to complete applications, etc. A majority of students transfer to Sophia University after passing the special transfer admissions examination for Junior College Division students (Types A & B) or the general transfer admissions examination. The number of students transferring to other universities varies from year to year, but there were transfers to Tokyo Women’s Christian University for 14 years from AY2010 through AY2023.

2-5　Library

2-5-1　Library collection trends

Gathering statistics on the number of books in the library collection was started from AY2012, in which computerization was completed. The computerization has allowed searching, sending for, receiving and returning of books in the Central Library of Sophia University and other libraries. Books that form the basis of academic research and technical books on humanities are mainly selected.

2-5-2　Library use trends

Considering differences in the number of the Library’s opening days from year to year, the numbers of both library users and borrowed books are relatively stable. The Department of English Language made efforts to increase the borrowing of Western books by holding exhibitions of Western books and other such events. Consequently, since AY2018, the number of borrowed Western books has continued to rise.
In AY2020, the number of borrowed books decreased because of the closure of the Library from April to June owing to the spread of COVID-19 and subsequent restrictions on admissions to the campus. However, a new postal lending service was implemented as a service to users, and flexible services were provided for users even when the Library was closed. In AY2020, the number of users decreased owing to the temporary closure of the Library amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but in AY2021, the number of students coming to the campus to attend high-flex classes increased, and accordingly the number of users recovered. In AY2022, full face-to-face classes were restored as before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the number of users accordingly increased from the previous year; however, the number of users decreased in line with the decrease in number of students in AY2023.

2-6　Faculty Members

2-6-1　Number of regular faculty members and Student-Teacher ratio

*Regular faculty members = full-time faculty members, specially contracted professors, specially appointed faculty members, and nonregular full-time faculty members

2-6-2　Faculty members by nationality

In the period shown above, an average of 24.1% of regular faculty members and 31.0% of part-time faculty members are foreign nationals. Some foreign national faculty members teach liberal arts courses and specialized courses in addition to language courses. By taking non-language courses taught in English, students can expand on their practical English skills and at the same time acquire expertise.

(calculations conducted as of May 1 of each academic year)

Countries and regions included in each region

2-6-3　Foreign faculty members and faculty members with a foreign degree

Little changes are observed in the number of faculty members of foreign nationalities or Japanese faculty members with degrees from foreign universities. Such faculty members collectively represent more than 50% of all regular faculty members and constitute a core factor of the multicultural campus of the Junior College Division along with the linguistically and culturally diversified student mix (10% of total enrollees are from non-Japanese backgrounds).

(calculations conducted as of May 1 of each academic year)

2-6-4　Percentage of female faculty members