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Plans for the Yoshida-Ryo

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In accordance with "the Basic Policy to Ensure the Safety of Yoshida-Ryo Resident Students" (hereinafter referred to as "the Basic Policy") which was determined on 19 December 2017, the University requested the Yoshida-Ryo Resident Student Association to cease accepting new applications for residence in the dormitory, and requested all 272 of the current Yoshida-Ryo resident students to leave the dormitory (both the Old and the New Buildings) by the end of September 2018. Following those requests, over 200 resident students left the dormitory, including those who graduated in 2017 and those who moved to alternative accommodation provided by the University. However, over 60 students are still living in the Yoshida-Ryo, and the University is unable to confirm which residents are living in the Old Building and which are living in the New Building.

The University has a responsibility to ensure the safety of its students, and was therefore unable to overlook the fact that students continued to live in the Yoshida-Ryo, parts of which (particularly the Old Building) are in a very dangerous condition. The University requested the Kyoto District Court to issue a legal order (a provisional disposition prohibiting transfer of possession) on 20 December 2018. The court order was executed on 17 January 2019, but despite this action, students still continue to live in the dormitory in dangerous conditions.

In the course of these procedures, the University also discovered that the dormitory was being inappropriately managed by the Yoshida-Ryo Resident Student Association. The University respects the long-standing autonomous management of the dormitory by the student association. However, its actual practices are currently far removed from the kind of responsible management that are required in our current society. As the University is responsible for the appropriate management of the Yoshida-Ryo, it cannot overlook such inappropriate management.

The University has formulated a plan to address these issues, proceed with the implementation of the Basic Policy, and ensure the appropriate management of the Yoshida-Ryo. The plan was formulated by the Deans and Directors Meeting and the Board of Executive Directors, in the same way as the Basic Policy.

A. The old Yoshida-Ryo building

Regarding the old Yoshida-Ryo building (including the old dining hall, hereinafter referred to as "the Old Building"), the following rules have been established to ensure the safety of resident students as per the Basic Policy.

(1)
All persons who still continue to live in the Old Building must move out of the building immediately. The Old Building and its surrounding area are closed to everyone except for authorized persons.
(2)
The University shall take the necessary measures to secure the Old Building's safety, increase the number of rooms, and improve facilities, and then make it available for use by students.
(3)
Through taking measures above, the University shall enhance the environment of Yoshida-South Campus, ensure that emergency vehicles can access the campus, and give due consideration to the Old Building as a historical University building.

B. The new Yoshida-Ryo building

(1)
In accordance with the Basic Policy, which states that "all Yoshida-Ryo resident students must leave the dormitory by the end of September 2018", the University has requested the students who continued to live in the dormitory after September 2018 to leave. To enable the appropriate management of the dormitory by the University, the University has decided to provide accommodation in the new Yoshida-Ryo building (hereinafter referred to as "the New Building") only to students who satisfy the conditions described in (a) and (b) below.
(a)
Students, who are Kyoto University students, whose names are recorded in the Yoshida-Ryo resident list submitted by the Yoshida-Ryo Resident Student Association on 9 December 2017, and who have not moved to alternative accommodation
(b)
Students who pledge to comply with the following rules:
  1. Inform the University of your name, faculty/department of affiliation, and room number in the new Yoshida-Ryo building. Respond to all inquiries and comply with inspections by University staff members while residing in the dormitory and when moving out.
  2. Personally pay the monthly provisional accommodation fee of 400 yen and the required utility charges to the University.
  3. Comply with inspections by University staff members if required in order to facilitate the appropriate management of the dormitory.
  4. Do not accept any new applications to reside in the dormitory. (This applies both to resident students and to the resident student association.)
  5. If instructed by the University due to an unavoidable reason in management, leave the New Building and move to alternative accommodation provided by the University.
  6. Do not access the Old Building.
(2)
The University will consider accepting new applications for the New Building and allowing students living in alternative accommodation, etc. to move to the New Building once the situation regarding students currently living there has been confirmed, and appropriate management of the dormitory by the University has been established.

C. Further details regarding the plan for Yoshida-Ryo

(1)
The plan for Yoshida-Ryo, as formulated by the University, is as described in A and B above. From now on, the University will continue to develop the plan, while taking opinions and requests from our students, staff, and faculty members into consideration.
(2)
As part of process of developing the plan, the University will consult with the student residents of the New Building who have satisfied the conditions of B. (1) above, and who are willing to assist with the responsible autonomous management of the dormitory.

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