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University of Tokyo Co-op Mission

University of Tokyo Co-op Mission

Introduction

The University of Tokyo Consumer Co-op (originally called Tokyo Imperial University Co-op, hereafter referred to as the University of Tokyo Co-op) was founded on June 7, 1946, and 70 years have passed since then. The Consumer Co-op Act (hereafter referred to as the Co-op Act) was enacted in 1948, and a new founding convention was held on February 23, 1949, to obtain legal status under the Act, a role that has continued to this day. Building on its history, the University of Tokyo Co-op's Vision 2025 aims to outline the future direction of the University of Tokyo Co-op

The mission of a university is research and education. Contributing to society through these activities is also an essential role of a university. However, university members are also human beings, and cannot concentrate on their studies or research without basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. The University Co-op aims to improve the lives of university members

Cooperatives began in the 19th century in Rochdale, England, when workers voluntarily contributed capital to form the Rochdale Pioneers Co-operative. The aims of the cooperative were to provide high-quality products, fair trade, and democratic management. The ideas born there still live on in Japan's current Consumers' Co-operative Law

The University of Tokyo Co-op is an economic organization whose members (students, faculty, staff, and other related parties) become members and contribute to the organization, with the aim of improving the cultural and economic lives of its members. In its University Charter, the University of Tokyo declares that its goal is to "maintain and develop the world's highest standards of education and research," and the University of Tokyo Co-op aims to achieve this goal through welfare benefits in accordance with the spirit of a cooperative

While this mission will remain unchanged, it is also true that the environment surrounding the University of Tokyo Co-op is changing. The Co-op's challenge is to adapt to new circumstances, including the incorporation of the university, the governance reform of the University of Tokyo due to the revision of the School Education Act, and the revision of the Co-op Act. The Co-op will continue to survive in an even more competitive environment by striving for self-examination and self-innovation, prioritizing health and safety, and striving to improve the cultural and economic lives of its members through sound management

The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) has established the following seven "Principles of Cooperatives": 1) Voluntary and open membership; 2) Democratic control by members; 3) Economic participation of members; 4) Self-governance and independence; 5) Education, training and public relations; 6) Cooperation between cooperatives; and 7) Community involvement

1. To enable members to live a fulfilling life at university

The University of Tokyo Co-op is an organization made up of members primarily consisting of students, faculty, and staff from the University of Tokyo, and together with co-op staff, it is engaged in a wide range of projects and activities to make the university life of its members more fulfilling. The mission of the University of Tokyo Co-op is to enrich the time members spend at university, and it works hard every day to achieve this

However, as society becomes more diverse, so too do the lifestyles members expect at university. This mission is becoming increasingly difficult for the University of Tokyo Co-op. This difficulty is likely exacerbated by a weakening of the sense of ownership among members of the co-op and the resulting weakening of the relationship between members and the co-op. As a result, the Co-op's management is becoming increasingly unstable. In fact, the Co-op's cumulative deficit, which it had aimed to eliminate by fiscal year 2015 (which ballooned to ¥260 million in fiscal year 2006 with the opening of the Komaba Communication Plaza and capital investments in the Kashiwa Campus store), has been recouped through management efforts over the period and reduced to ¥60 million (as of fiscal year 2016). However, the deficit has not yet been completely eliminated. The single-year financial statements show a surplus, and we have secured the necessary funds, including investments in the renovation of the central cafeteria in fiscal 2017. However, in order to eliminate the accumulated deficit and ensure the healthy operation of the Co-op, it is urgent that we overcome the current situation in which members are separated from the Co-op

The University of Tokyo Co-op is a non-profit organization, and its businesses and activities are not aimed at distributing profits. If we look at each of its businesses and activities individually, there are many entities that provide similar services. However, even if it does not anticipate a large profit, the ideal form of the University of Tokyo Co-op is to proactively provide the goods and services that members request. With this awareness in mind, we believe that by listening carefully to members' requests and actively responding to them, we can make members feel that "it's good to have a co-op" and make further efforts to encourage more opportunities for them to use the co-op

To fulfill the mission given to the University of Tokyo Co-op and to enable members to live fulfilling lives at university, this vision aims to be a "co-op that sincerely responds to the diverse needs of its members," a "co-op where members can feel truly included in their membership," and a "co-op that can contribute to the realization of a fulfilling life in cooperation with the University of Tokyo."

2. The future vision of the University of Tokyo Co-op

A consumer cooperative that sincerely responds to the diverse needs of its members

In recent years, the University of Tokyo has prioritized female students and international students, who make up a small proportion of the university's membership and have tended to be slow to respond to the Co-op's needs. Furthermore, society has also become increasingly demanding in accommodating individuals with disabilities and those with diverse religious backgrounds. As the membership becomes more diverse, so too do their needs. We sincerely address each of these individual member's desires for a fulfilling university life and strive to realize as many of them as possible. In particular, the majority of the University of Tokyo Co-op's members are undergraduate and graduate students, and at the University of Tokyo, ranked among the top universities in Japan, a high level of support for their studies and research is desired. To meet these needs, the University of Tokyo Co-op is actively engaged in projects to support the learning and independence of undergraduate and graduate students

In addition to listening to the voices of our members, we will also be more proactive than ever in publicizing the Co-op's activities so that as many members as possible will become aware of and use the Co-op's services

A consumer cooperative where members can truly feel that they are members

To ensure that each and every member has a fulfilling university life through the University of Tokyo Co-op's activities, the efforts of the University of Tokyo Co-op's staff and officers alone are not enough. We believe that it is only through the cooperation and participation of members in the operation of the co-op that we can improve the university life of each member and, ultimately, of other members. We aim to be a co-op that members are eager to cooperate and participate in

Furthermore, in order to realize the university life that members desire, a one-to-one relationship between a member and a Co-op store is not enough. We believe that strengthening the connections between members through the Co-op's business and activities and working together to find ways to enrich each other's lives, in other words, members helping each other, will lead to as many members as possible having a satisfying university life. We will fulfill our role as a community that connects members to each other in this way

A consumer co-op that contributes to the realization of a fulfilling life in cooperation with the University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo Co-op has been with the University of Tokyo for over 70 years, and we are proud to have supported its ideals and made tireless efforts to realize them. We will continue to work closely with the University of Tokyo, doing everything we can as a co-op to realize its ideals. Furthermore, rather than simply cooperating with the University of Tokyo, as an organization that plays a part in student self-governance, we will also lobby and seek cooperation from the University of Tokyo to realize the university life that our members desire. In particular, there are still many deficiencies and shortcomings in the university's welfare system, and many areas that require improvement, and the University of Tokyo Co-op hopes to be a presence that can complement these areas

3. Actions to ensure that members can lead fulfilling lives at university

1) Expand efforts to accurately understand the needs of our members and realize as many of them as possible [Related to Future Vision 1]

In order to accurately understand the requests of each and every member, we will strengthen our efforts in using "Message Cards" and "Member Surveys."
We will strengthen our response to international students, and in particular aim to make all publicity materials and in-store notices in English
We will continue to work on projects that support the studies and research of students and graduate students
We will strengthen opportunities to directly hear the opinions of members, including general meetings, and improve the system so that the opinions of many members can be collected democratically

2) Strengthen activities to raise awareness of the Co-op's business [Related to Future Visions 1 and 2]

We will effectively utilize public relations media such as store Twitter accounts, Coop News, and booklets published by each organizing committee
We will provide information to members so that they can realize the benefits of joining the co-op
We will establish a system that will allow the co-op to communicate how it understands the needs of its members and how it intends to realize them

3) Strengthening cooperation among members through the Co-op's business [related to Future Vision 2]

We will establish a system that allows members to convey information about their university life to Co-op stores
We will establish a system that allows members to come up with product and meal menu ideas
We will encourage members to actively participate in the management of the co-op and strengthen the provision of services from the member's perspective
As part of our new semester activities, we aim to strengthen interaction between seniors and juniors and alleviate the anxiety of as many new students as possible

4) Enhance on-campus employee benefits [related to Vision 1 and Vision 3]

We will communicate the opinions of our members to the university and work with the university to improve the environment on campus
We will proactively work to renovate the facilities at our Co-op stores in order to provide better service
Through our mutual aid business, we will expand our activities to protect the health of our members
We will improve the campus dining environment
We will enhance the welfare benefits at the Komaba campus so that new students can live their university life with peace of mind

5. Aiming for sound management, we will make appropriate and necessary investments [Related to Future Visions 1, 2, and 3]

We will make appropriate investments in necessary facilities, such as the Central Cafeteria and the Komaba Communication Plaza PFI project
We will review the working environment to achieve a work-life balance for all staff working at the University of Tokyo Co-op, regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time, and create a workplace where they can work with pride and a sense of purpose
In order to provide better services, we will review our staff development and training systems