To current students and those interested in "College of Community Studies"

My name is Toshifumi Yasui, and I will be assuming the role of General Manager from July 2023. I would like to extend my greetings to current students and all those interested in College of Community Studies.

This faculty was launched in April 2019, and the first class of students was able to enter society in March 2023. With the establishment of this faculty, we can say that the 11th faculty of our university and the second liberal arts faculty at Sagamihara Campus have finally taken their final form.

I am often asked questions about what to study in this faculty. The question is, how can I not get a clear understanding of the study of subjects expressed in words such as "community" and "human beings". In particular, "community" can easily be understood as "region", and this was much debated when deciding on the name of the faculty. This faculty was conceived as "a faculty for studying various activities in the local community". However, after much debate, it was decided to use "community" to convey the idea that the faculty will deal with communities not only from the perspective of "region", but also in both urban and rural areas, and that these exist. As a result, this is the first time that our university has used katakana spelling in the name of a faculty.

Furthermore, our faculty deals with human beings, which means that the community itself is centered on human beings. And because we regard the subject as an academic field and conduct scientific research, the word "science" is included in the faculty name.

College of Community Studies was established with these meanings in mind. Learning in this college places emphasis on asking and exploring various questions. It also places emphasis on deriving answers to these questions based on rational and objective grounds, or so-called evidence. To that end, courses dealing with the research methods and statistical techniques necessary to obtain evidence are compulsory. The college curriculum has been prepared so that students can present the results obtained from these courses accurately and effectively to others, leading to the discovery and development of new knowledge.

I believe that the above can be understood as the main curriculum policy of our faculty. The catchphrase of College of Community Studies is "Practical knowledge that utilizes the community and is active in the community." The university and the faculty will work together to educate students to utilize what they learn in this faculty and become people who can play an active role as servant leaders in their respective communities and regions.


We, the faculty and staff, will do our utmost to ensure that current students in College of Community Studies, as well as future students, have a fulfilling student life, working towards the goals of the school that I have mentioned so far. In order to achieve these goals, it is necessary not only for the students themselves to make an effort, but also for the support of their families and other related parties. Once again, we ask for your understanding, cooperation, and strong support. We sincerely hope that this school will develop and that we will be able to produce talented people who can play an active role in communities not only in Japan but also around the world.

Toshifumi Yasui, Dean of College of Community Studies

In April 2019, College of Community Studies opened at the Sagamihara Campus. It is Aoyama Gakuin University 's 11th college. This college embodies Aoyama 's school motto, "Salt of the Earth, Light of the World," and is strongly conscious of contributing to the community and society. The college has a capacity of 240 students.
We aim to support these students to become people who can "promote local activities," "revitalize the local area," "continue to preserve the local culture," and "continue to learn." Our goal is to turn the local community into a "community" made up of people who can act autonomously, to support people in this effort, and for the students themselves to become such people.

The type of person that College of Community Studies aims to produce is not a person who simply takes action, but a person whose actions are backed up by knowledge and thought. Across the nation, universities are now focusing on service learning, which connects learning with contributions to the community, and emphasizing education that utilizes active learning methods, which mean independent, proactive learning. In addition, the establishment of office hours where students can consult with faculty members individually is also attracting attention and being encouraged. At College of Community Studies, these things are not unusual, and the ideas are routinely incorporated into various subjects.

Educational and research objectives

We would like to introduce the educational and research objectives of Aoyama Gakuin University 's College of Community Studies.

The educational and research objective of College of Community Studies is to nurture individuals who have a broad education based on the Aoyama spirit, which is based on Christian faith, and who will play an active role as central figures in forming communities.
Based on the acquisition of methods for understanding the local community and the behavior of people who live and work in the community, this education aims to cultivate the knowledge to actively participate in solving problems in the local community and a sense of coexistence with others, to develop people with specialized knowledge and skills that form the basis of autonomous action, as professionals or members of the local community, and as active individuals who are always conscious of the school motto, "Salt of the earth, light of the world," and who contribute to society.

Mid- to Long-Term Plan

College of Community Studies Mid- to Long-Term Plan