About Shonan Student Union
Overview
Organization Name
Shonan Student Union
Established
August 1, 2021
Representative
Executive Committee
Activity
The Shonan Student Union works at Keio University's Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) with the aim of establishing an organized entity that enables students (SFC students) to participate in campus self-governance. Our mission and goal are to enhance welfare services on the SFC campus and support SFC students in enjoying a better university experience.
Executive Committee Introduction
Veles Nakawaki Luna Julia
Yuki Tensaka
Yotaro Kamochi
Takahito Fujiwara
Keigo Abe
Vision & Philosophy
Completely New
UNION
What we are striving to create is none other than the SFC Student Union. A contemporary, innovative form of self-governance that fits the unique character of SFC—continuously exploring and challenging what self-governance should look like moving forward. To achieve this, we will listen attentively to everything and maintain a broad perspective, with the participation of a diverse range of stakeholders.
Empowerment
UNION
The Student Union exists to encourage each and every SFC student, who hatches in the Forest of Minerva and embodies true freedom. Within this society and on this campus, we aim to be a Student Union that helps everyone realize that no one is powerless and that each person is a respected individual.
A UNION Truly for “All of SFC”
The Shonan Student Union belongs to all SFC students. That's why we decide its direction together and create a Student Union that everyone desires. We strive for a universal and dialogic democracy where, in the truest sense, "all" SFC students can participate in self-governance. We believe this will make our academia richer and more vibrant.
Actually Helpful
UNION
We will continue to be a practical and public-minded Student Union that thoroughly engages with the current reality of SFC, delivering necessary support to those who need it. Rather than indulging in fantasies and ending up with impractical theories, one of our missions is to offer tangible merits and benefits to SFC students living in the real world. With this in mind, we practice a spirit of daily improvement.
Endless Progress
In an ever-changing society and a constantly evolving SFC, the quest for "SFC self-governance" is one that we must pursue endlessly. The Shonan Student Union is not something that, once created, is finished. It is a source of possibility precisely because it is always open to reflection and continuous improvement, allowing it to remain valuable and worth passing on to future generations of SFC students.
Characteristics
This refers to a system in which the people directly participate in the decision-making or execution of national policy. The reasons for adopting direct democracy are: (1) the total number of SFC students is about 5,000, which is considered too small for a representative system based on electing members, and (2) given the nature of SFC, it is difficult for a single individual to represent such a diverse student body. When we view the Shonan Student Union as an administrative body, SFC students (i.e., the citizens) play a role in monitoring, controlling, and approving its actions. According to the charter, the highest decision-making body of the Shonan Student Union is the SFC General Assembly. Every SFC student is a voter and holds the "right to propose agenda items" as well as the "right to vote," allowing them to directly participate in the decision-making process of the Shonan Student Union. Moreover, any SFC student can join the Shonan Student Union, and the Union cannot refuse their membership. Therefore, the structure allows SFC students to directly participate in the execution of the Shonan Student Union's activities.
Direct Democracy
The Shonan Residents' Association prohibits the establishment of a single representative. The reasons for this include the avoidance of placing responsibility on one individual and the inability of a single person to reflect the diversity of SFC. This system is also adopted by student unions in various countries. Therefore, regular decision-making is conducted through deliberation among the executive committee members. The group guidance system aims to distribute power among multiple leaders to prevent individual dictatorship. The executive committee is, in principle, elected through internal elections within the association. When opinions among the executive committee members are divided, they aim for a compromise as a second-best option; however, if necessary, the opinions of the SFC student assembly or a simple vote by SFC students may be conducted to gauge public sentiment.
Collective Guidance System
Here, it is defined as "the process of making policies and decisions based on consensus building." Although the Shonan Residents' Association has established a duty of dialogue in its charter, it adopts a direct democracy system, which has the disadvantage of fewer opportunities for discussion compared to a parliamentary system. To address this, "subcommittees" are formed by gathering stakeholders around specific topics to ensure venues for discussion. The term "subcommittee" is derived from the policy subcommittees of political parties that focus on specific areas for discussion and examination. On the other hand, the "Autonomy Research Subcommittee" is established as the only permanent subcommittee in the charter. In the Autonomy Research Subcommittee, discussions and policy proposals are made from the perspective of an individual citizen and an SFC student, without establishing any specific topics like other subcommittees. This approach aims to achieve consensus building while balancing the overall perspective and specialization that characterize SFC.
Consensus-based Governance
In addition to the three elements mentioned earlier, the following characteristics can be noted.
All of these are specified in the charter.
Information for each institution and department
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Executive Committee… It is the decision-making body of the Shonan Student Union. It consists of five executive committee members elected from within the association and approved by the SFC student assembly.
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Subcommittee… It is an organization established by the Shonan Student Union to gather the opinions of SFC students from various backgrounds and provide a venue for interaction among them.
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Union Institute Subcommittee…It is a subcommittee established to discuss the future of SFC.
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Secretariat… It is an organization that serves as the operational force of the Shonan Student Union. It carries out the necessary tasks to maintain the Shonan Student Union and engages in activities to realize the ideals of the union and the decisions made by the executive committee.
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Assistant General… It is a department that handles personnel management, capacity development, and the operation of regular meetings.
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Division of Finance… It is a department that manages the assets necessary for the activities of the Shonan Student Union.
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Division of Strategic Operation… It is a department that implements petition content, develops public relations strategies, manages social media and the website, and oversees planning and operations.
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General affairs department…This department is solely responsible for operations that cannot be covered by the public relations, finance, and secretarial departments. I handle a wide range of tasks, including personnel affairs, SFC student meetings, and public relations.
- Division of Administration… It is a department that records, stores, and manages the activities of the Shonan Student Union.
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Special Committee… It is an organization for conducting projects that require participation from individuals other than secretariat members or independence from the secretariat. Even those who are not members of the Shonan Student Union can participate.
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Special Committee on Gender Equality… It is a special committee that addresses gender issues at SFC.
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Auditor… It is responsible for auditing administrative and accounting matters, as well as crisis management tasks. It has the authority to convene the General Forum.
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Autumn 2020
2021.01-05
2021.07
2021.08.01
2021.08.14
2021.11.13
2022.01.06
2022.03-04
2022.04.29-30
2022.06.15
2022.07
2022.10
New Arrivals
From January to May 2021, the Shonan Student Union (Preparatory Shonan Student Union) Preparation Committee launched its first comprehensive welcoming activities. Many first and second-year students joined during this period. The previously held weekly preparation committee regular meetings were divided into the Secretariat Regular Meeting, which focused on administrative tasks, and the Research Department Regular Meeting (now known as the Union Institute Subcommittee Regular Meeting), which aimed to contemplate the
The Late-Night Preparation Committee Radio Launch
The preparation committee members initiated a freestyle talk project on Twitter Spaces, discussing topics related to self-governance as well as those unrelated to it. Some professors and notable figures, including All Student Council Representative Kenta Yamada, also participated as speakers. Interestingly, in the Late-Night Preparation Committee Radio, scripts were rarely prepared in most cases. The direction of the radio show was left entirely to the responsible preparation committee members, showcasing the free-spirited atmosphere within the committee.
Approval Vote for the Establishment of Shonan Student Union
A vote to determine the approval of the establishment of the Shonan Student Union was conducted on the website of the Keio University Election Management Committee, involving all SFC students, including graduate students. The Preparation Committee dedicated its efforts, launching a special website called "UNION AGORA" and actively engaging in promoting this vote. The final results showed 221 in favor and 14 against, leading to the approval of the establishment of the Shonan Student Union.
E-FES Event Held
An online event named "対話祭" (Taiwasai) took place, featuring a continuous 24-hour program. The event included performances by SFC student artists, dialogues, and a panel discussion with the deans of the Faculty of Policy Management and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies (Professors Tsuchiya and Wakita, respectively).
On this day, the "Preparatory Shonan Student Union" was reorganized, and the "Shonan Student Union" was inaugurated. After a provisional one-year membership, it became a fully affiliated organization with the All Student Council. From this point onward, the Shonan Student Union embarked on its journey as the student self-governing body of SFC.
A Special Committee on Gender Equality was inaugurated.
The General Assembly of SFC Students was convened. In the first assembly, topics included the election of the second executive committee for the Shonan Student Union, as well as the approval of the "SFC Gender Equality Declaration" presented by the Gender Equality Committee. Additionally, faculty members were invited for a "SFC DISCUSSION" session.
The second executive committee was appointed.
The Shonan Student Union organized its first welcoming event. It was not only the first welcoming event for the Shonan Student Union but also the first in-person welcoming event for the entire university in three years. Despite the circumstances, a significant number of individuals participated and joined the organization. Flyers and brochures introducing the Shonan Student Union were created and distributed, with a focus on reaching new students. Information on course registration and other relevant details were shared on social media platforms for the benefit of incoming students.
The "Startup Project" was held with the aim of fostering a sense of community among new students and acquainting them with the surroundings of SFC.
A lecture titled "The Crossroads of War and Peace: How Will You Live, SFC Students?" was held with the support of the SFC Arabic Language Research Laboratory, featuring Mr. Koichi Nakagawa from the Mitsubishi Research Institute. This marked the first lecture organized by the Shonan Student Union and it received positive feedback from a large audience.
We participated in the Tanabata Festival, and for the first time as the Shonan Student Union we showcased a classroom project. During the Tanabata Festival, we organized a radio project titled "#Midnight Student Union Radio Special Broadcast Edition" with the participation of members from the Tanabata Festival Executive Committee and professors.
We hosted an open study session on self-governance and had guests such as Mr. Kenta Yamada, representing the Yamada School, and the Student Council President of the International Relations Department at Ritsumeikan University.
Towards the end of the month, as part of the Knowledge Management Program (KMP), we conducted a "Research Society Joint New Member Welcome Event."
We held the second General Assembly of SFC Students. We also held an SFC DISCUSSION titled "SFC Design for SFC Students: Considering SFC Autonomy," and invited professors as guests. The voting booth was set up at SFC for the first in-person event, and we had a much larger turnout of SFC students than in the previous year.
A web application that summarizes available classrooms at SFC was released.
History
2019-2020.1
Spring 2020
Summer 2020
The Movement to Found Preparatory Shonan Student Union (PSSU)
In October 2019, a project to organize a student union in SFC was founded by a group of interested students. Not only SFC students but also All Keio Student Council claimed that SFC shall owe a student union, so as the other campus does. With this trend, we concreted this project. On 25th January, 2020, PSSU, the former organization of Shonan Student Union, officially started. The name of Preparatory Shonan Student Union was decided with the viewpoint that PSSU is to prepare for prospective SSU.
PSSU started its action online, with the covid-19 situation. In May, regular meetings started with new members. We discussed supporting measures for the clubs which had been in a difficult situation in covid-19. We joined the Tanabata festival held on 4th July by live broadcasting on twitter.
Although there was an idea of SFC touring for SFC20 students, we didn’t hold it as PSSU. since same event had been held by volunteering professors.
On 1st August, temporary membership of All Keio Student Council had been accomplished, and it became a first step to give student dues back to SFC. Though we were considering fresher’s orientation in Autumn festival, it was canceled due to the covid-19 situation.
In the fall semester of 2020, a new initiative known as the Kenkyukai Mora Project (KMP) was launched. Given the multitude of research societies at SFC, its purpose is to facilitate the matching of students with these societies by providing various information and organizing events. During the fall semester, efforts were made to support attendance at Kenkyukai lectures, host joint orientation sessions, and supplement the official university syllabus by collaborating with each Kenkyukai to publish an open syllabus.
*Note: The publication of the open syllabus is currently suspended.
2022.11
We participated in ORF held at SFC. We managed a broadcast project called "ORF BROADCAST." We were able to contribute to the excitement of ORF with the participation of professors, the SFC Administrative Director, people from Shonan Keiiku Hospital, Fujisawa City officials, the president of the Endo Community Association, and many other students.
A session entitled "Future 'Sustainable SFC'" was held with teachers and the student president.
2022.12
Following the results of the SFC Student Assembly, the revised constitution has come into effect. In order to enable more people to participate in self-governance in various ways, a "Co-student Organizations system" was introduced and "Subcommittees" were strengthened.
2023.01
The 3rd Executive Committee has been appointed.