Tohoku Community University, a publicly-founded, privately-run university with campuses in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, and other areas, is moving toward becoming a public university. The university corporation, Yamagata Prefecture, two cities and three towns, including Sakata City, signed a memorandum of understanding at the Yamagata Prefectural Office. Yamagata Prefecture and other areas aim to establish a public university corporation by April 2 and transition to a public university after receiving approval from the national government.
According to Tohoku University of Gakuin, the signing ceremony was attended by Yamagata Governor Yoshimura Mieko, Sakata Mayor Yaguchi Akiko, Tsuruoka Mayor Minagawa Osamu, Yuza Town Mayor Matsunaga Hiromi, Mikawa Town Mayor Abe Makoto, Shonai Town Mayor Togashi Toru, and Tohoku University of Gakuin President Nitta Yoshikazu, who signed the memorandum of understanding.
The Shonai Regional Administrative Association, which is made up of Yamagata Prefecture and two cities and three towns in the Shonai region, including Sakata City, will jointly establish a public university corporation. As a preliminary step, a preparatory organization will be set up by October 2.
設立団体が交付される運営費交付金については、国から地方財政措置として交付される額を上回る部分について、山形県が55％、2市3町が45％の割合で負担し、2市3町の負担割合は酒田市59.8％、鶴岡市30.1％、庄内町4.1％、遊佐町3.4％、三川町2.6％とする。
Tohoku Community University was established in 2001 with funding from 14 municipalities in the Shonai region at the time. Its undergraduate and graduate programs are the only ones in Japan that focus on community service, with the undergraduate program located in Sakata and the graduate program in Tsuruoka, and approximately 900 students are studying there.
The School of Public Interest has an enrollment capacity of 235 students, but there are only 2023 students enrolled in 204 and 2024 students enrolled in 181, so the enrollment capacity remains unfilled. The population of the Shonai region is rapidly declining, and local economic organizations have requested that the school become a public school as soon as possible in order to stabilize management.
Additionally, the university plans to establish a Department of International Communication in the Faculty of Public Interest Studies in April 2025, and a Faculty of International Studies from April 4.
reference:[Tohoku Gakuin University] Memorandum of Understanding signed regarding the university's publicization and functional enhancement
Regarding the transition from the establishment of the Department of International Communication in the Faculty of Public Interest (one faculty, two departments system) to the establishment of a new Faculty of International Studies (two faculty system)
[Tsuruoka City]Status of the review of Tohoku University of Liberal Arts and Sciences to make it a public institution (PDF)
