Circle Activities
●Basic Rules for Extracurricular Activities
●Becoming an Official Circle
●Establishment Requirements for Official Circles
●Support for Official Circles
Basic Rules for Extracurricular Activities
Waseda University, with its rich diversity, has long been engaged in a wide variety of extracurricular activities and has a huge number and variety of circles. Not only in classes and research, but also in voluntary circle activities, students with various values and backgrounds have achieved great growth through mutual understanding and friendly rivalry, and Waseda University actively supports such extracurricular activities. There are three types of circles: university “Official Circles,” of which there are about 500, “Registered (unofficial) Circles,” and “Unregistered groups”. Regardless of whether or not your circle is officially recognized by the university, it is essential that you observe social rules and manners when engaging in circle activities so as not to damage your credibility as a Waseda University student. Specific precautions are summarized in “Basic Rules for Circle Activities and Other Extracurricular Activities” below. Please check them carefully. While observing the rules and manners, please engage in circle activities to the fullest and develop yourself while fostering a spirit of independence and self-reliance.
Becoming an Official Circle
There are several types of official circles: “Student Associations”, “Student Tomonkai”, “Common Interest Associations”, “Circles Affiliated with NPO’s, etc.”, and “Faculty-Approved Organizations”. To become an official circle, you must meet the requirements listed below. Circles which have not satisfied the establishment requirements for official circles can receive benefits such as lending classrooms by notifying the Student Affairs Section of the circle name, student representative, and other information as a registered (unapproved) circle.
Establishment Requirements for Official Circles
1. Circle members must consist of at least 21 Waseda University students and two or more faculties.
2. The name of the circle to be established must have a record of activities on/off campus for at least one year (activities prior to enrollment shall not be considered).
3. The circle must have a financial report for at least one year with receipts attached. Receipts must be addressed to the circle’s name, with the details of the use clearly indicated in a note, etc., and must have the address, telephone number, and seal of the person issuing the receipt.
4. The circle must have one chairperson*, president, vice president, and accountant each.
Other matters shall be as determined necessary by the university.
- Regarding the chairperson of the official circle
- The chairperson for an official circle must be a Full-time Faculty, Professor, Professor (without tenure), Associate Professor (without tenure), or Full-time staff of Waseda University. However, the chair must be a Full-time Faculty, Professor, Professor (without tenure), or Associate Professor (without tenure) for circles whose purpose is research. The chairperson for an official circle must be a Full-time Faculty, Professor, Professor (without tenure), Associate Professor (without tenure), or Full-time staff of Waseda University. However, the chair must be a Full-time Faculty, Professor, Professor (without tenure), or Associate Professor (without tenure) for circles whose purpose is research.
- Requirements for the three representatives of the circle
- Please select the three representatives of the circle (President, Vice President, and Accountant) who meet the following requirements at the time of registration of the circle for each academic year.
1. Must be Waseda University students.
2. No more than two of the three roles can be held concurrently within a circle.
3. No three representatives of the circle may concurrently serve as three representatives of other official circle.
4. At least one of the three representatives must be a junior or younger. Graduate students are not allowed, except for circles approved by the Graduate School.
- Responsibilities of the three representatives of the circle
- The three representatives of the circle are in a position to lead the activities of students belonging to the circle and are responsible for guiding the circle members to ensure that the circle activities run smoothly.
- If an accident or danger is foreseeable during activities, you are required to take appropriate measures to prevent it immediately. In the event of an accident or incident, please immediately cooperate with the Circle chair and the Student Affairs Section to resolve the problem promptly.
- In recent years, we have received numerous complaints about the bad manners of Waseda students in parks, accommodations, public institutions, and on public roads. In the case of serious violations, the circle will have to take disciplinary action. It is essential that you abide by the rules and manners of society so as not to undermine your credibility as an Waseda University student.
Support for Official Circles
The main pillars of support are the use of circle rooms, meeting rooms, practice rooms, and other facilities in the student center, and subsidies for extracurricular activities. Of the official circles that apply for the subsidy, up to 300,000 yen is subsidized within a fiscal year, taking into consideration conditions such as the size of the activity and the number of years the circle has been in existence. This subsidy for extracurricular activity covers up to half of the direct expenses of official circles, including printing costs, equipment rental costs, and the cost of using facilities such as live venues. This subsidy helps students to enhance their circle activities.