ABEST21 Accreditation“Self-Evaluation Report”
Kwansei Gakuin University
Institute of Business and Accounting
Business School

June 27, 2014
ABEST21
THE ALLIANCE ON BUSINESS EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIPFOR TOMORROW, a 21st century organization

Table of Contents

I. An Outline of the Accreditation Plan
1. The School’s History and Profile······································································ 1
2. The School’s Mission Statement ······································································ 7
3. The School’s Strategies ················································································ 8
4. The School’s Educational Programs and the Scope of Accreditation ··························· 9
5. Uniqueness in the School’s Educational Programs ················································ 9
II. Self-Check/Self-Evaluation analysis
1. Self-Check/Self-Evaluation ················································································ 11
CHAPTER ONE: MISSION STATEMENT
Standard 1-MISSION STATEMENT ······································································ 11Standard 2-MISSION IMPERATIVES ···································································· 14Standard 3-OBJECTIVES FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ····································· 16Standard 4-FINANCIAL STRATEGIES··································································· 19
CHAPTER TWO: EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMSStandard 5-LEARNING GOALS··········································································· 22Standard 6-MANAGEMENT OF CURRICULA ··························································· 24
Standard 7-EDUCATIONAL LEVEL ······································································ 30
Standard 8-MESASURES TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL QUALITY ································· 38
CHAPTER THREE: STUDENTS
Standard 9-STUDENT PROFILE ········································································· 41
Standard 10-STUDENT ADMISSION ···································································· 46
Standard 11-STUDENT SUPPORT ······································································· 49
Standard 12-STUDENT INCENTIVE····································································· 52
CHAPTER FOUR: FACULTY
Standard 13-FACULTY SUFFICIENCY ··································································· 55
Standard 14-FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS ······························································ 60Standard 15-FACULTY SUPPORT ········································································ 63Standard 16-RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACULTY MEMBERS ·········································· 65
CHAPTER FIVE: SUPPORTING STAFF AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Standard 17-EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAFF········································ 67
Standard 18-INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT ···························································· 70

2. Improvement Issues ······················································································· 76
3. Improvement Initiatives ··················································································· 77
4. Action Plans for three years ·············································································· 79

Self-Evaluation Report
I. An Outline of the Accreditation Plan
1. The School’s History and Profile
Higher Education in Japan(1) School system
In Japan, higher education starts upon completion of a total of 12 years of primary education (6years in elementary school) and secondary education (three years respectively in both lower andupper secondary schools). Japanese higher education institutions include universities awarding
bachelor’s, master’s, doctor’s and professional degrees, junior colleges awarding associate’s degree,
and colleges of technology, where lower secondary school graduates are admitted and receive
practical and creative completion education throughout a five-year period, and specialized training
colleges (specialized schools) which offer specialized courses for the purpose of developing
professional or practical abilities or to foster culture.
Organization of the School System in Japan1

Academic degrees awarded by higher education institutions and the standard periods required toobtain such degree
University
Graduate School
Junior College

Bachelor’s degree

Four years

Master’s degree

Two years

Doctor’s degree

Five years

Professional degree

Two years

Associate’s degree

Two or three years※Of undergraduate courses, the standard period of those of medicine, dental surgery, pharmacy to nurture
pharmacists, and veterinary science is six years, while the standard period of doctoral courses based onsuch undergraduate courses is four years.

Degrees awarded by higher education institutions and standard periods required to obtain suchdegreesCollege of Technology
Associate’s degree
Five years
Specialized School

Specialist’s degree

Two or three years

High-level specialist’s degree

Four years※Degrees of specialist and high-level specialist shall be given to graduates of specialized schools that canmeet certain standards designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

(2) Percentage of students enrolling in higher education institutions
In Japan, the percentage of 18-year-old population bracket students enrolling in universities andjunior colleges has steadily increased since the Second World War to exceed 50% as of now. If thepercentages of students enrolling in colleges of technology and specialized schools are added, thetotal percentage exceeds 70%. Judging from this situation, it is assumed that Japan has alreadyentered the stage of universal access to higher education.

(3) Establishment type and number of higher education institutions
In Japan, universities are divided into following three categories by its founding basis: national
universities, which were originally established by the Japanese Government (currently establishedby national university corporations), public universities, which are established by local public
entities or public university corporations, and private universities, which are established byeducational corporations.
Both national government and local governments are members of the public sector. However, whilea national government represents the nation itself and is managed under the single national rule,
local governments are responsible for certain areas, and provide basic services for people living
there, responding to voices and situation of the local residents.
As for the system of school corporations, the system aims to assign a specific corporative status toany specific individual or organization attempting to manage a regular school. This system aims torender soundness to the management body of such individual or organizations. Corporations shall2

prevent school management from being exploited for the arbitrariness, interests and personal gainof a selected few, and shall possess the assets required for education, such as school premises andbuildings, in order to provide stable and continuous school education to enrich and improve theireducational conditions.
National universities, which have been established in all local prefectures as organizations targeting
the improvement and well-balanced development of Japanese higher education and academic
research, have played important roles as local research centers etc. In addition, national
universities have been reorganized as corporations since 2004, aiming to improve each university’s
independence and autonomy to enhance education and research activities.
Public universities, which have been established and managed by local public entities or public
university corporations, have also played important roles in providing higher education
opportunities to local people and as intellectual and cultural centers in the local community.
Private universities have accounted for about 80% of all universities and have had about 80% of all
university students on their registers. Each private university has promoted its own uniqueeducation and research activities based on the spiritual legacy of its foundation. They have played
important roles both qualitatively and quantitatively, and have greatly contributed to thedevelopment of Japanese higher education.
Presently, there are over 1,200 universities and colleges which have about 3.22 million students inJapan.
Number of universities(As of May 1, 2011)
Specialized
training

CategoryTotal

Of those on the
University

left,:Universities
with graduate

JuniorColleges ofcolleges

technology

colleges(withspecialized
courses)schools
Total

1,224

780

618

387

57

2,720

National

137

86

86

0

51

9

Public

122

95

75

24

3

185

Private

965

599

457

363

3

2,526

Source: FY 2011 Quick Report of School Basic Survey

3Number of students(As of May 1, 2011)
CorrespondCategory

Total

Graduate school

Subtotal

Universities

JuniorHigherence(Undergraduat

colleges

technical

educatione)(Regular Course)

colleges(Fourth andfifth years)

Total

3,200,199

272,451

2,736,439

2,569,716

145,045

21,678National

628,148

157,864

470,284

450,834

0

19,450Public150,589

16,463

134,126

124,502

8,159

1,465

Private2,421,462

98,1242,132,029

1,994,380

136,886763

191,309

191,309

Source: FY2011 Quick Report of School Basic Survey (excluding “major course” and “other courses”
students.)(Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, “Higher Education in

Japan”, <http://www.mext.go.jp/english/highered/1302653.htm>)
Kwansei Gakuin
Kwansei Gakuin was founded in 1889 in Kobe, Japan by Dr. Walter Russell Lambuth (later Bishop),a missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, USA. It was intended to be a small private
institution with 2 departments, a theological school and a middle school. In 1910 the Canadian
Methodist Church and the Japanese Methodist Church joined in the operation, and Kwansei Gakuin
could open a strong college with literary and commercial courses in 1912.
In 1929 a growing Kwansei Gakuin moved to the rural farmland which is the site of the present
campus in Nishinomiya Uegahara. 3 years later, it acquired the status of a full degree-granting
university and continued as one of 54 such institutions in Japan until the end of World War II. In
1948, the University embraced the new 6-3-3-4 school system (6 years in elementary school, 3 injunior high, 3 in senior high, and 4 in college), based upon the American educational framework.
Throughout its history, Kwansei Gakuin has had a strong international emphasis. A variety of
programs aim to develop internationally-minded people who understand other cultures andcountries of the world, being motivated to help others in the spirit of the school’s motto,“Masteryfor Service.”
Kwansei Gakuin’s school motto, “Mastery for Service,” was proposed by the Canadian missionary Dr.
C.J.L Bates (1877-1963) who was the fourth Chancellor. Since being first introduced in 1912, it
continues to be repeated to the present day as a truly descriptive expression of Kwansei Gakuin’s
stance. A “Master” usually means someone who directs or commands others, but at our school, itmeans a person who, in terms of humanity, learning, and daily life, has an accomplished character,4

or as Dr. Bates said, is a “Self-Master.” From that base, “service” is understood, in the School’s
Christian context, as “service to God,” the starting point for a life dedicated to serving neighbors,society, and others. A way of life that is devoted to creating a better world by utilizing one’s
inalienable gifts is the ideal that we members of Kwansei Gakuin continue to seek.
Chart 1 Kwansei Gakuin Educational Foundation

Kwansei Gakuin University is now an independent co-educational institution for higher education,offering Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. degrees in over 35 different disciplines to a student body ofapproximately 24,500. The University maintains academic standards that rank among the highestof all Japanese universities and colleges. The Nishinomiya Uegahara and Seiwa Campuses arelocated in the city of Nishinomiya, a residential city of 486,000 and situated between the cities ofOsaka and Kobe. The Nishinomiya Uegahara campus houses eight of the eleven undergraduate
schools, nine graduate schools and two independent professional graduate schools. The
Nishinomiya Seiwa campus opened in 2009 holds the School of Education. There are 11
undergraduate and 14 graduate schools as well as an attached Kindergarten, Elementary School,
Junior and Senior High Schools, Seiwa College and Seiwa Junior College.

5

Kwansei Gakuin University’s Schools
Undergraduate Schools

Graduate Schools

School of Theology

Graduate School of Theology

School of Humanities

Graduate School of Humanities

School of Sociology

Graduate School of Sociology

School of Law and Politics

Graduate School of Law and Politics

School of Economics

Graduate School of Economics

School of Business and Administration

Graduate School of Business and Administration

School of Science and Technology

Graduate School of Science and Technology

School of Policy Studies

Graduate School of Policy Studies

School of Human Welfare Studies

Graduate School of School of Human Welfare Studies

School of Education

Graduate School of Education

School of International Studies

Graduate School of International Studies
Graduate School of Language, Communication, andCultureLaw School
Institute of Business and Accounting

The Business School
The Business School, which is a part of Kwansei Gakuin University’s Institute of Business andAccounting, was established in April 2005; however, its roots can be traced to the Management
Course, which was offered by the Graduate School of Business Administration starting in April 1992.
The Management Course offered working adults the opportunity to attend classes in the evening
and on weekends over a period of two years. Since its establishment, the course has focused on
enabling working adults to continue their education—for example, through providing extension
classrooms at the Osaka Umeda Campus—at an early stage of its development. In its first year, thecourse accepted approximately 25 students, and gradually increased the number to 35 by 2004, bywhich time, 13 groups of students had completed the course.
The University then examined the possibility of establishing a Business School as a means ofextending its Management Course, and in April 2003, a planning committee was established tooversee its inauguration. In addition, it was decided that the Business School’s framework be akinto a “professional graduate school,” rather than as a regular graduate school, and efforts were
undertaken to increase the number of practice-based faculty and enhance the curriculum andphysical facilities. Two enrollment periods were established, providing students with an option to
begin studying either in spring or in fall and opening its doors to 100 students per year. The year
2014 marks the School’s tenth year of accepting new students.

6

2. The School’s Mission Statement
The School established its educational principles, objectives, and goals under Kwansei Gakuin
University’s missions, which are to impart knowledge based on Christian principles over a wide area,
provide in-depth education and research opportunities in the arts and sciences, and enlighten theindividual.

１）Principle
Europe and North America have business schools to train individuals who are involved inmanagement as specialists, and there are many such schools in Asian countries too. There is a highexpectation for the Japanese version of this business school, and there are increasing needs forgraduate schools where students can study business scientifically and objectively, and can be
educated based on the insight of specialists. This trend is associated with the globalization ofJapanese enterprises and human resources, and this need is an ongoing issue of high priority forJapanese companies. In order to respond to this request, the Institute of Business and Accounting’s
principle for establishment is “integration of Japanese and global management styles at a highly
professional level.”２）Objectives
The objective of the Corporate Strategic Management Course is to train specialists to meet thechallenges of globalized business environments in Japanese enterprises, by providing coursework
and practical exercises, such as “Individual Research”, during weekday evenings and weekends tobusinesspersons who are currently employed. The objective of the International Management
Course is to provide persons who seek to work overseas with the business knowledge and ability to
do business in a foreign language, especially in English. Therefore, both the Corporate Strategic
Management Course and International Management Course offer an MBA degree that meets global
standards, and they aim to cultivate in students the skills they will use in actual business situations
that involve decision making by focusing on case studies and group work.

３）Goals
The specialists trained in the Business School are expected to be global businesspersons who havea high sense of professional ethics as advanced specialists. The School therefore focuses ondeveloping in students the skills that will help them make use of expert scientific knowledge, and it
assigns classes on corporate ethics to all students as a compulsory subject. In particular, theCorporate Strategic Management Course aims to strengthen students’ abilities to identify and solve
problems that are strongly connected to their current business, or based on their own work
experience, instead of simply aiming for a theoretical understanding. The International
Management Course aims to enhance the foreign language skills, business knowledge, andapplication skills that will enable students to take a leading role in global business. Another one of7the School’s goals is to provide practical education that raises the awareness of employment
opportunities for new university graduates accepted into the School.
In addition, “education and research objectives concerning the development of human resourcesand other education and research objectives” are defined as follows in the Kwansei Gakuin
University Professional Graduate School Regulations.
The School will “nurture businesspersons with a high sense of professional ethics based on thefounding spirit of Kwansei Gakuin and with the capacity to engage in business on an international
level.” The School offers the Corporate Strategic Management Course and the International
Management Course. The Corporate Strategic Management Course aims to train specialists to meetthe challenges of globalized business environments in Japanese enterprises. The International
Management Course aims at fostering both the business acumen and the ability to conductbusiness in English.

3. The School’s Strategies
In April 2005, the Institute of Business and Accounting established its educational principles,
objectives, and goals based on the overall missions of Kwansei Gakuin, which are to impartknowledge based on Christian principles over a wide area, provide in-depth education and research
opportunities in the arts and sciences, and enlighten the individual. The School aims to train
businesspersons possessing high level of specialized knowledge in response to the globalization ofJapanese enterprises, based on the Institute of Business and Accounting’s goal of establishing“integration of Japanese and global management styles at a highly professional level.”
To “nurture businesspersons with a high sense of professional ethics based on the founding spirit ofKwansei Gakuin and with the capacity to engage in business on an international level,” both courses
require that students attend compulsory classes on business ethics. In addition, the Corporate
Strategic Management Course contains the required class on English Communication, and all
International Management Course classes are conducted in English.
A majority of students from the International Management Course are international students andthose of the Corporate Strategic Management Course have extensive practical work experience.
Thus, the School has established “hybrid” classes with the aim of developing in students the ability
to communicate specialized knowledge on the global level, where students in these programs work
together to discuss business issues in English. In addition, to prepare students for the age ofglobalization, the School offers classes in “International Business,” “International Marketing,”“Cross-Cultural Management,” “International Management,” “International Marketing Practice,” and“International Accounting.”
Furthermore, the School is committed to providing practical education, and it employs experts who
are at the forefront of the business world as practice-based faculty. At the same time, the School8also pays close attention to the latest theoretical trends and invests effort in educating its students
in business theory. In the compulsory “Individual Research” classes, students research on a chosen
topic and investigate and analyze contemporary business issues, which leads to their acquiring
in-depth knowledge and developing the ability to tackle practical problems.

4. The School’s Educational Programs and the Scope of Accreditation
The educational programs of the Business School have been established in accordance with the
School’s goal of “nurtur[ing] businesspersons with a high sense of professional ethics as advanced
specialists who can successfully engage in business on the global stage.” The School provides asuperior MBA program through its two courses: the Corporate Strategic Management Course,which targets part-time working adult students, and the International Management Course, an
all-English course for full-time students. In pursuit of Kwansei Gakuin’s school motto, “Mastery for
Service,” the School has placed emphasis on fostering ethical values by establishing compulsory
business ethics classes in both the Corporate Strategic Management Course and the International
Management Course.
The subject of this accreditation—the Business School—offers two courses, the Corporate Strategic
Management Course and the International Management Course. There are six and three programsin Corporate Strategic Management Course and the International Management Course, respectively.
Students enroll in one of the two courses, in which they deepen their expertise and develop theirnecessary abilities as highly specialized professionals. In addition, classes have been classified into
Core, Basic, and Advanced categories to enable students to acquire the fundamental knowledge
needed for management, develop this knowledge base, and conduct in-depth research within theirfield of specialization, respectively. To successfully complete their course, students must master theability to solve advanced problems and complete the compulsory “Individual Research” class.

5. Uniqueness in the School’s Educational Programs
In April 2014, the School expanded its Corporate Strategic Management Course by adding a sixth
program, Public/Medical/University Management, to its lineup of Management, Marketing, Finance,
Technology Management, and Entrepreneurship programs. The School is expanding the threeprograms available in its International Management Course, Management, Marketing, and Finance.
In addition, the quarter system, in which each year is divided into four academic periods, facilitateseffective learning by enabling students to intensively study a single course over a short period oftime. Furthermore, the School offers intensive class periods in the summer and winter, and it has
taken measures to accommodate working adult students in the Corporate Strategic Management
Course—for example, by offering classes on weekday evenings and weekends. To complete theircourse, students must complete compulsory classes and accumulate 44 credits in addition to
fulfilling the prescribed requirements.

9

The Corporate Strategic Management Course lectures take place at the Osaka Umeda Campus,
which is conveniently located in a central business district of Osaka. The International Management
Course lectures are held at both the Osaka Umeda Campus and the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus,
which boasts an excellent learning environment and one of the largest university libraries in Japan.

10II. Self-Check/Self-Evaluation analysis
1. Self-Check/Self-Evaluation
CHAPTER ONE: MISSION STATEMENT
Standard 1-MISSION STATEMENT
Basic Standard: “Any School which applies for management accreditation by ABEST21(hereinafter called “the School”) must define a mission statement for its educational andresearch activities that provides a framework for how decisions are made by the School’s
management.”
1) Self-Check
The School established its educational principles, objectives, and goals under Kwansei Gakuin
University’s missions, which are to impart knowledge based on Christian principles over a wide area,
provide in-depth education and research opportunities in the arts and sciences, and enlighten theindividual.
１）Principle
Europe and North America have business schools to train individuals who are involved inmanagement as specialists, and there are many such schools in Asian countries too. We have ahigh expectation for the Japanese version of this business school in our country, and there are
increasing needs for graduate schools where students can study business scientifically andobjectively, and can be educated based on the insight of specialists. This trend is associated withthe globalization of Japanese enterprises and human resources, and this need is an ongoing issueof high priority for Japanese companies. In order to respond to this request, the Institute ofBusiness and Accounting’s principle for establishment is “integration of Japanese and global
management styles at a highly professional level.”２）Objectives
The objective of the Corporate Strategic Management Course is to train specialists to meet thechallenges of globalized business environments in Japanese enterprises, by providing coursework
and practical exercises, such as Individual Research, during weekday evenings and weekends tobusiness persons who are currently employed. The objective of the International Management
Course is to provide persons who seek to work overseas with the business knowledge and ability to
do business in a foreign language, especially in English. Therefore, our Corporate Strategic
Management Course and International Management Course offer an MBA degree that meets global
standards, and they aim to cultivate in students the skills they will use in actual business situations
that involve decision making by focusing on case studies and group work.

３）Goals
The specialists trained in our business school are expected to be global businesspersons who
11have a high sense of professional ethics as advanced specialists. We therefore focus on developingin students the skills that will help them make use of expert scientific knowledge, and we assignclasses on corporate ethics to all students as a compulsory subject. In particular, the Corporate
Strategic Management Course aims to strengthen students’ abilities to identify and solve problems
that are strongly connected to their current business, or based on their own work experience,
instead of simply aiming for a theoretical understanding. The International Management Course
aims to enhance the foreign language skills, business knowledge, and application skills that will
enable students to take a leading role in global business. Another one of our goals is to provide
practical education that raises the awareness of employment opportunities for new university
graduates accepted into our School.
In addition, “education and research objectives concerning the development of human resourcesand other education and research objectives” are defined as follows in the Kwansei Gakuin
University Professional Graduate School Regulations.
The School will “nurture businesspersons with a high sense of professional ethics based on thefounding spirit of Kwansei Gakuin and with the capacity to engage in business on an international
level.”To this end, the School offers the Corporate Strategic Management Course and the International
Management Course. The Corporate Strategic Management Course aims to train specialists to meetthe challenges of globalized business environments in Japanese enterprises. The International
Management Course seeks to foster both the business acumen and the ability of students to
conduct business in English.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the basic standard; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must develop its mission statement with the aim ofnurturing highly skilled professionals in management who are able to meet the needs ofglobalization.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School’s “education and research objective” for the Corporate Strategic Management
Course is to “train specialists to meet the challenges of globalized business environments inJapanese enterprises.” The objective for the International Management Course is to “provide
persons who seek to work overseas with the business acumen as well as the ability to conductbusiness in English and other foreign languages.” The School has therefore clearly stated its
mission of training highly specialized professionals who can operate on the international stage.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the detailed standard; therefore, there are no
problems related to the standard.
12

Detailed Standard 2: “The School’s mission statement must be a statement that reflects theviews of its stakeholders.”
1) Self-Check
The opinions of stakeholders, such as enterprises, businesspersons, and external trustees, wereincorporated into the Business School’s objectives for education and research when they were
formulated at the time of establishing the Institute of Business and Accounting. The school listened
to the stakeholders, who expressed their expectations for business schools in Japan, and adopted
an “integration of Japanese and global management styles at a highly professional level” as theprinciple behind this institution. Furthermore, the School conducted a hearing to survey the needsof enterprises, and of individuals working within enterprises, before deciding to adopt “to train
specialists to meet the challenges of globalized business environments in Japanese enterprises byoffering coursework and practical exercises, such as a ‘Individual Research,’ on weekday evenings
and weekends for businesspersons who are currently employed” as the objective for the Corporate
Strategic Management Course.
In addition, the opinions of representatives of enterprises who sought highly specialized
professionals with the ability to conduct business in English in globalized business environments
was taken into consideration. Similarly, views of individuals who had a desire to acquire specialized
knowledge for conducting business in English were also heard. These were then reflected in ourdecision to adopt the objective, “provid[ing] persons who seek to work overseas with the businessacumen as well as the ability to conduct business in English and other foreign languages,” for theInternational Management Course.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the standard. The School will continue to listen to
the stakeholders’ opinions through class evaluation questionnaires, group interviews with students,
and the Advisory Board, which comprises representative directors of companies and graduatesworking in the field of business.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must establish its mission statement in line with theprovisions of the second Clause of Article 99 of the School Education Act by Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; which stipulates that
Professional Graduate Schools of Business Administration should aim to cultivate scholarshipand superior capabilities as required for highly specialized professions.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School has adopted the “integration of Japanese and global management styles at ahighly professional level” as its founding philosophy. The objectives of the Corporate Strategic
Management Course and the International Management Course are “to train specialists to meet thechallenges of globalized business environments in Japanese enterprises” and “to foster thebusiness acumen as well as the ability to conduct business in English and other foreign languages,”
respectively. These objectives correspond to Article 99 (2) of the School Education Act, which
stipulates that “Professional Graduate Schools of Business Administration should aim to cultivate
scholarship and superior capabilities as required for highly specialized professions,” and they havebeen approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.
132) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the standard; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must publish its mission statement in brochures, such as
its School code, student admission materials, syllabi, and program outlines, and post its
mission and goals on the School’s website.”
1) Self-Check
The School has made its “education and research objectives” public by publishing them in theInstitute of Business and Accounting brochure and posting them on the School website.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the standard; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

【Annex No. 6 Advisory Board Regulations】【Annex No. 21 Class Evaluation Questionnaire Sheet】

Standard 2-MISSION IMPERATIVES
Basic Standard: “The School’s mission statement must imply nurturing highly skilled
professionals in management and follow the larger mission of the parent university.”
1) Self-Check
The School has adopted the following principles and objectives:
Kwansei Gakuin University was founded on Christian principles in accordance with the Basic
Education Law and the School Education Act, and it aims to impart knowledge over a wide area,
provide in-depth education and research in the arts and sciences, and enlighten the individual.
Kwansei Gakuin’s school motto, “Mastery for Service,” was proposed by its fourth Chancellor, Dr.
C.J.L. Bates. The motto succinctly expresses the founding spirit of Kwansei Gakuin and reflects theideal that students should “master their inherent abilities to serve society.” Kwansei Gakuinemphasizes that the individual should use intelligence, compassion, and integrity to serve his/herneighbors. Moreover, the University values its internationality, which it has developed since its
founding, as well as its cultivation of world citizens with life missions to serve society. The University
therefore seeks to provide students with a well-rounded liberal arts education, as well as
specialized knowledge and skills, while fostering creativity, the ability to discover and solve
problems, and the capacity to put ideas into action. In addition, the University aims to strengthen
its unique basic research activity and enhance its applied and advanced research activity while
giving back to society through their research.
14

According to its “education and research objectives,” the highly specialized professionals who aretrained in the Business School are expected to become “businesspersons with a high sense of
professional ethics who can successfully engage in business on the global stage; therefore, theSchool focuses on fostering scientific understanding and the ability to utilize specialized knowledge,
while requiring that students take compulsory classes on business ethics.” These objectives
correspond to the broader objectives of the University, which aim to foster internationality and life
missions that involve serving society by “providing students with a well-rounded liberal arts
education, as well as specialized knowledge and skills, while fostering creativity, the ability to
discover and solve problems, and the capacity to put ideas into action.”
In view of the above, it can be concluded that the “education and research objectives” of the
School seek to nurture highly skilled management professionals and that these objectives are
consistent with the wider “education and research objectives” of the University.

2) Issues to be improved
It is necessary to regularly examine whether the School’s education and research objectives are
responding to the current needs of society in light of the progress in globalization occurring inJapan and the University’s emphasis on globalization strategies.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School’s mission statement must be a statement which includes
developing expert knowledge, fundamental knowledge and sophisticated expertise in therealm of management.”
1) Self-Check
To train managers who can work in corporate organizations, the School has identified the“integration of Japanese and global management styles at a highly professional level” as an
objective for the education and research opportunities that it provides. This objective, in turn,provides contents for the program that fosters specialized knowledge and skills and fundamental
knowledge in the field of corporate management.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the standard; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 2:“The School’s mission statement must be a statement that indicatesthe support of the students’ career development.”
1) Self-Check
The “education and research objectives” of the Business School focus on the acquisition of practicalknowledge and expertise that support career advancement in the field of global business. Insteadof simply concentrating on students’ learning of theory, the Corporate Strategic Management
Course aims to “strengthen students’ abilities to identify and solve problems that are strongly
15connected to their current jobs, or based on their own work experience,” thus developing abilities
and expertise that directly support their career development. The International Management
Course aims to develop in students the foreign language skills and business acumen required toengage in business on the global stage, as well as the practical skills needed to apply these skills. In
particular, the course seeks to provide practical education that will enhance occupational awarenessof students, many of whom enroll in the School after graduating from the University. As a specificexample, in the “Individual Research” classes, a significant number of students select themes
related to the enterprises to which they belong, or the industries or enterprises in which they areinterested, thus greatly contributing to the advancement of their careers.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the standard. The School will continue its efforts to
support students’ career development.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School’s mission statement must be a statement that indicatescontribution to the development of the educational and research activities of its faculty
members.”
1) Self-Check
The Institute of Business and Accounting established its educational principles, objectives, andgoals based on the overall missions of Kwansei Gakuin, which are to impart knowledge based on
Christian principles over a wide area, provide in-depth education and research opportunities in thearts and sciences, and enlighten the individual.
Based on the understanding that “the demand is increasing for graduate schools that conductbusiness research in a scientific and objective manner and provide education based on expert
knowledge,” the Business School aims to train specialists to meet the challenges of globalizedbusiness environments in Japanese enterprises. Because business environments, which form thefocus of this research, undergo transformations on a daily basis, the School promotes faculty
education and research activities that strive to capture the latest developments within the field of
business.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s mission statement is in line with the standard. The School will continue to support
education and research activities of its faculty members.

Standard 3-OBJECTIVES FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Basic Standard: “The School must review its mission statement continuously based on thedefined processes which ensure continuous improvement of its mission statement in responseto the changes in its educational and research environment.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School reviews its mission statement each year in accordance with the
University-wide self-evaluation process. During the review process, the mission statement is16

adequately discussed and necessary improvements are implemented.
Similarly, the School is subject to specialized certified accreditation by ABEST21. The School
steadily works at improving problematic areas that are indicated in the results of the accreditation,and these improvements are then confirmed by the Faculty Board.
To improve education and research in response to changes in the educational environment, it isnecessary to value the process of taking the stakeholders’ opinions into consideration. The School
widely gathers the opinions of its stakeholders through channels such as class evaluationquestionnaires, group interviews, and the Advisory Board, which comprises Business School
graduates who are employed as representative directors of companies, as well as graduatesworking in the field of business. It is necessary to consistently link the results of these
opinion-gathering exercises to improvements made by the School.

2) Issues to be improved
The School has the established review process in compliance with the standard. The School willcontinue to review according to the process to respond to the changes in educational and research
environment.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must have systematic decision-making processes forreviewing its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The mission statement is reviewed as part of self-evaluation process. Following a University-widecertified evaluation in the 2006 academic year, the University, starting in 2007, began to conduct a
self-inspection and evaluation every five years that includes an internal third-party evaluation. As
part of this self-inspection and evaluation, the Business School also conducts a self-evaluationaccording to the following process: (1) the Evaluation Promotion Committee—a University-wideorganization—determines the schedule and policy; (2) after the Institute of Business andAccounting receives the schedule and policy, its Self-Evaluation Committee gathers the documents
required for the inspection, analyzes and assesses these documents, and drafts a self-evaluation
report; (3) the draft is discussed by the Faculty Board; (4) the draft is discussed and approved by
the University-wide Evaluation Promotion Committee.
Similarly, the School is subject to specialized certified accreditation by ABEST21, which is
conducted according to the following process: (1) the School Committee creates a Self-Evaluation
Report according to the schedule and criteria determined by ABEST21; (2) the report is discussed
by the Faculty Board; (3) the report is discussed and approved by the University-wide Evaluation
Promotion Committee.

2) Issues to be improved
It is important to continue to follow the current decision-making processes for reviewing the
School’s mission statement.

17

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must form an operational control framework to gather
and file relevant information and data in order to review its mission statement on a continuous
basis.”
1) Self-Check
To review its education and research objectives, the Business School confirms that its objectives
correspond to those of its enrolled students and applicants by gathering and storing the following
information: (1) changes in the number of applicants; (2) applicants’ preferred field of study; (3)information about applicants and enrollees contained in their application forms (nationality; almamater; previous fields of study; reason for application; occupational category; position); (4)employment status of graduates.
In addition, as described in Basic Standard above, the Business School utilizes various opportunities
to listen to the stakeholders’ opinions, and information and data obtained through these channels isstored within the Institute of Business and Accounting.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to collect and analyze the information described above as well as to gather
the opinions of its stakeholders through channels such as class evaluation questionnaires, groupinterviews, and the Advisory Board; and will continuously review its mission statement.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must establish the framework for seeking the opinions ofstakeholders on reviewing its mission statement continuously.”
1) Self-Check
When reviewing its education and research objectives, the School utilizes the following
opportunities to listen to the stakeholders’ opinions.
Each quarter, the School conducts class evaluation questionnaires for all classes. Furthermore, theSchool selects several students and conducts group interviews to gather their opinions on theoverall curriculum and the physical facilities at the School. The results of the evaluations andinterviews are then analyzed by the Self-Evaluation Committee and published as the Report on
Evaluation Results.
In addition, the School gathers the opinions of stakeholders through the Advisory Board, which
comprises Business School graduates who are employed as representative directors of companies,
as well as graduates working in the field of business.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to collect the opinions of stakeholders using the framework it hasestablished.

[Annex No. 6 Advisory Board Regulations][Annex No. 21 Class Evaluation Questionnaire Sheet]18

Standard 4-FINANCIAL STRATEGIES
Basic Standard: “The School must have both short-term and long-term financial strategies tosecure necessary funds to realize its mission statement.”
1) Self-CheckIn March 2009, the Kwansei Gakuin Educational Foundation established the New Strategic Plan tocoincide with its 120th anniversary. The plan reconfirmed the contemporary meaning of themission statement and motto and clarified “Kwansei Gakuin’s ideals for its graduates” (World
Citizens embodying the spirit of “Mastery for Service”) and “Kwansei Gakuin’s ideals for the
University” (the creation of a learning community “without fences”). On the basis of the above
ideals, the plan incorporates six visions to be achieved within 10 years. The University is currently
reviewing its New Medium-term Plan in light of the New Strategic Plan.
A financial program to support the above plans was formulated by the Kwansei Gakuin Educational
Foundation, and budgets were allocated for the plans of individual departments. The Graduate
School’s budget is derived from general project funds based on guideline figures calculated
according to standard criteria and special project funds for financing individual plans. Generalproject funds are primarily used to maintain fixed, continuous Graduate School projects, while thespecial project fund is used to support new projects, one-year projects, and projects that are
expected to generate income.
In particular, it is necessary to secure a certain number of students to stabilize tuition revenue,
which forms the mainstay of education and research activities. Moreover, it is important to develop
strategies for maintaining student enrollment numbers in the medium to long term. Therefore,
starting in the 2012 academic year, the School began to examine the possibility of developing amore appealing curriculum. Based on this examination, the School began planning and establishedthe Public/Medical/University Management Program in 2014. Curriculum enhancements, such as
the establishment of the new program, are expected to result in an increase in the number ofstudents enrolled and to contribute to the stabilization of tuition revenue.

2) Issues to be improved
The Business School budget is determined based on the total number of faculty members andstudents, enabling the School to secure a fixed amount of funding for education and research. The
reason that the number of students is used as a basis for budget calculation is that a significant
portion of the budget is derived from tuition revenues. In the future, the School must therefore
strive to secure a stable financial base by meeting student enrollment quotas.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must have a financial basis necessary for realizing its
mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School budget is determined based on the total number of faculty members andstudents, enabling the School to secure a fixed amount of funding for education and research. The
reason that the number of students is used as a basis for budget calculation is that a significant
19

portion of the budget is derived from tuition revenues. Meeting student quotas is therefore a crucial
factor in securing a stable financial base.
Individual research allowances, book allowances, and conference travel allowances are allocated toindividual faculty members separately from the School budget, thus allowing them to secure theresources necessary for conducting research. Throughout the University, to support research
activities, collaborative research allowances and study abroad allowances are included in thebudget each year as fixed amounts.

2) Issues to be improved
It is necessary for the School to attract more potential students in order to secure a stable financialbase by meeting student enrollment quotas.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must develop financial strategies for securing the funds
necessary for realizing its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
In addition to the budget allocated by the Educational Foundation, the Institute and Business andAccounting receives external funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, andTechnology subsidies, training programs, and donations (see Table 4-2), and uses these funds tofinance education and research.
Table 4-2
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology(MEXT)
Grants‐in‐aid for Scientific Research

AY 2011
14,300Contracted Research
Corporate Training Programs
Donations (corporate)

15,179840
2,000

Unit: thousand yen
AY 2012AY 2013
12,63020,540

6,533
840
2,000

6,395
840
2,000

2) Issues to be improved
The Institute and Business and Accounting will seek opportunities to obtain more external funding.
In addition, it will support its faculty members’ applications for external grants in collaboration with
Kwansei Gakuin University’s Organization for Research Development and Outreach.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must take appropriate action to secure adequate budgets
necessary for realizing its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The general project fund budget allocated to the Institute of Business and Accounting as a
guideline figure is divided and appropriated for various purposes, such as research enhancement,
education enhancement and provision, books and materials, and student recruitment.
To secure applicants and increase awareness among potential students, the School operates aseries of Strategic Management classes that offer a taste of the programs available at the School20and offers classes in collaboration with external consulting firms. These classes have beenrecognized as a special project by the University.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its efforts to attract more potential students as well as to secure externalfunding.

[Annex No. 22 Introduction to MBA essentials]

21

CHAPTER TWO: EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMSStandard 5-LEARNING GOALS
Basic Standard: “The School must define its learning goals which imply innovation anddiscovery, global engagement, and diffusion of technology for realizing its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School clearly stipulates its goals that are related to new knowledge and globalization,and posts these on the School website.
Educational Goals of the Institute of Business and Accounting
Highly specialized professionals who are trained in the Business School are expected to become“businesspersons with a high sense of professional ethics who can successfully engage in businesson the global stage.” Therefore, the school focuses on fostering scientific understanding and theability to utilize specialized knowledge, while requiring students to take compulsory classes on
business ethics.
Specifically, instead of focusing on the acquisition of theory, the Corporate Strategic Management
Course aims to strengthen students’ abilities to discover and solve problems that are strongly
connected to their current jobs, or based on their own work experience. The International
Management Course seeks to develop in students the foreign language skills and business acumen
required to participate in business on the global stage, as well as the practical skills needed to apply
these skills. In particular, the course seeks to provide practical education to enhance theoccupational awareness of students, many of whom enroll in the School after graduating from the
University.

2) Issues to be improved
The School has clearly stipulated its learning goals in its curriculum policy and syllabi. It isnecessary to provide further academic support that considers the career development of students.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must clearly stipulate its learning goals in brochures suchas its syllabi and publicize them to its students.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School posts its learning goals on the School website, and stipulates and publicizes
the learning goals for each class in its syllabi.

2) Issues to be improved
The School has clearly stipulated its learning goals in its curriculum policy and syllabi; therefore,
there are no problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must provide academic assistance to students in choosing
the courses in line with their learning objectives in accordance with the guidelines for student
assistance.”
22

1) Self-Check
The Business School has established the following curriculum policy.
The Business School aims to train businesspersons with the various types of knowledge andanalytical abilities needed to respond to globalizing economic environments. The Business School
offers two courses. First, the Corporate Strategic Management Course targets adults who areemployed in enterprises and provides specialized business education. Second, the International
Management Course targets new university graduates and international students, and provides
education in English culminating in an MBA. In addition, the School offers hybrid classes, in which
students from both courses work together to exchange opinions and conduct discussions inEnglish.
The Corporate Strategic Management Course contains the following six programs (majors): in the“generalist career” division (for individuals with general management knowledge and skills),
Management;

Technology

Management;

Entrepreneurship;andPublic/Medical/University

Management, and in the “specialist career” division (for individuals with specialized knowledge andskills in a certain area of management), Marketing and Finance.
The International Management Course contains three programs (majors), Management, Marketing,and Finance, in which students can develop knowledge and skills related to international business.
The students, many of whom lack practical business experience, can develop essential
decision-making skills that can be applied in business by participating in practical activities, such ascase studies with specific themes, group work, and internships.
All programs comprise core classes (in which students study the foundations of management),
basic classes (introductory classes for individual programs and classes that provide basic instruction
for all programs and primarily focus on providing students a foundation in management, as well as
the intellectual tools for studying management), and advanced classes (which focus on specialized
program-specific content).
Students must complete a compulsory core class in business ethics to develop an understanding of
the school motto “Mastery for Service.” Furthermore, in the “Individual Research”, students pursue
in-depth research on a topic that links “practice and theory” and provides an overview of thecontent that is taught throughout the program.
In addition, to encourage students to select classes systematically, an outline of each program iscontained in the “Information for Students” guidebook, and faculty members are available todiscuss study plans with individual students at the Orientation.

232) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to provide strong academic support to students taking into account their
feedback.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must build a system to enhance communication among
students, faculty, and staff, and provide academic assistance to students to help them achieve
their goals.”
1) Self-CheckTo enhance communication, the School provides the email addresses of its faculty members andthe administrative offices to students. Faculty members hold regular office hours and schedule
appointments via email. Moreover, faculty members are available for individual consultations after
lectures, and the Osaka Umeda Campus is open until 10:00 PM on weekdays, enabling working
adult students to meet faculty members after work.
In addition, faculty members explain various aspects of course study and student life at theOrientation. In the Corporate Strategic Management Course, the faculty members in charge of the“Individual Research” hold a Research Project Information Session, as well as individual meetings
with students that also serve as a means of confirming students’ intended areas of study.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to provide academic support to students through the current system.

[Annex No. 1 Curriculum for Corporate Strategic Management Course][Annex No. 2 Curriculum for International Management Course][Annex No. 10 Office Hours in AY 2014][Annex No. 13 Schedule of Entrance Ceremony & Orientation for New Students (Spring 2014
Enrollment)][Annex No. 19-1 Information for Students in IMC]
[Annex No. 19-2 Information for Students in CSMC]

Standard 6-MANAGEMENT OF CURRICULA
Basic Standard: “The School must design its curriculum systematically to realize its mission
statement.”
1) Self-Check
Classes in the Corporate Strategic Management Course are divided into core, basic, and advanced
categories, and the School offers 90 classes that cover content ranging from basic to applied andadvanced, enabling students to systematically and gradually expand their knowledge. Students
must complete at least five of the six core classes, including three compulsory classes; however,the School recommends that students study all core classes. The School offers the following
specialized study programs: Management; Marketing; Finance; Technology Management;24Entrepreneurship; and Public/Medical/University Management.
Similar to the Corporate Strategic Management Course, classes in the International Management
Course are divided into core, basic, and advanced categories. The School offers 56 classes thatcover content ranging from basic to applied and advanced. Except for the English class names, theInternational Management Course is organized in the same way as the Corporate Strategic
Management Course, offering classes in three programs: Management, Marketing, and Finance.
Table 6-0 Number of Credits required for Completion
Compulsory
Core Courses

Selected Compulsory

4

Elective

6

2
Basic Courses

Specialized

8

Study Programs
12
Advanced Courses

6

Specialized

6

Study
Programs（Subtotal）

（12）

（26）

Total

（6）

44

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to pay attention to design its curricula systematically taking into accountthe mission statement.

Detailed Standard 1: “In designing its curriculum, the School must pay attention tocombining theory and practice effectively in line with its mission statement and following thecurrent trends in management education and research.”
1) Self-Check
The core and basic classes focus on theory, while the advanced classes focus on content such ascase studies. Moreover, the School employs a good balance of “academic faculty,” that is, research
specialists who possess a doctoral degree, and “practice-based faculty,” that is, instructors who
possess a wealth of practical experience. The School also employs fixed-term practice-based
faculty who operate at the forefront of the business world. Therefore, students are able to acquire
solid theoretical and practical knowledge.
Furthermore, the “Individual Research” classes, in which students complete an essay on actual
business issues using knowledge that they acquire in their studies at the School, directly link25

theoretical and practical instruction. The “Creating High-Technology Ventures” class, which isadministered in collaboration with the Graduate School of Science and Technology, is a
representative example of a class that combines theory and practice. In addition, “Topics in Corp.
Strategic Management ” and “Advanced Topics ” examine the latest developments in the businessworld.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will maintain its good balance of academic faculty and practice-based faculty in order tokeep providing education that combines theory and practice.

Detailed Standard 2: “In designing its curriculum, the School must aim at helping students
acquire expertise, advanced professional skills, advanced levels of scholarship, high ethicalstandards, and a broad international perspective which are necessary for management
professionals.”
1) Self-Check
The Corporate Strategic Management Course offers comprehensive instruction ranging from basic
to applied content in the following six programs: Management; Marketing; Finance; Technology
Management; Entrepreneurship; and Public/Medical/University Management. The core class“Business Ethics” helps students develop a sense of professional ethics, while “English
Communication” focuses on working within a global society; both of these classes are compulsory.
“Cases in Business Ethics,” “International Business,” and “International Marketing” also contributeto the cultivation of professional ethical values and international perspectives. The basic classes lay
the foundation for advanced instruction, while the advanced classes—many of which introduce thelatest knowledge and skills—enable students to deepen and refine their specialized knowledge andpractical skills.
The International Management Course offers comprehensive instruction that spans basic to applied
content within three programs, “Management,” “Marketing,” and “Finance.” Furthermore, theSchool has established a compulsory “Business Ethics” class, and it also offers ethics instruction
with a more practical focus in its “Making Ethical Decisions” class. Many of the advanced classes
use case studies to introduce the latest developments and knowledge in the field of global business,enabling students to deepen and refine their specialized knowledge and practical skills. The School
hosts international students from all over the world. Considering this diverse student body, the“Japanese Economy,” “Japanese Business,” and “Cross-Cultural Management” classes offer
knowledge and analysis through a comparative approach that encompasses Japan, Asia, and theWest. Furthermore, students whose native language is not English can further improve theirEnglish communication skills for global business by attending “English Communication”, “Advanced
English for Business Studies” and “Advanced English for Business Practice.”
In addition, the hybrid classes, which students in the Corporate Strategic Management Course and26the International Management Course attend together, focuses on fostering specialized knowledge
and developing international perspectives as adult students working in business enterprises, newJapanese graduates, and international students participate in discussions in English.

2) Issues to be improved
It is important to offer curricula and class schedules that respond to changes in the social
environment and to the needs of students and business enterprises. In particular, the issue of
training global individuals has recently gained importance in the field of management, and English
communication skills have become more necessary in the business world. In addition, as
companies in neighboring Asian countries begin to catch up with their Japanese counterparts, thecreation of new products and services is a pressing issue even for Japanese companies. Moreover,there is a growing tendency for Japanese companies to employ international students in Japan,
leading to an increase in the number of international students choosing to work in Japan. The
School recognizes the need to respond to such changes, and it therefore plans to offer several of its
all-English classes in the International Management Course on weekday evenings, Saturdays, andSundays and encourage working adult students from the Corporate Strategic Management Course
to attend these classes. The classes will contribute to improving the students’ abilities as global
businesspersons, while the individuals and enterprises are enabled to participate in the classes asbusinessperson training programs using the credited auditor system. In addition, the School willcontinue to offer the hybrid classes, in which highly experienced working adult students who areenrolled in the Corporate Strategic Management Course and international and Japanese students
who are developing their business skills in the International Management Course conductclassroom debates in English. The cross-cultural debates on contemporary business issues thattake place in the hybrid classes greatly contribute to improving the students’ abilities as global
businesspersons, which is considered as one of the distinctive features of the School.
In the Corporate Strategic Management Course, the School will examine the possibility of creatinga class that cultivates design thinking—a conceptual framework that influences the way in whichorganizations develop new products and services.
In the International Management Course, the School will make an effort to recommend students forstudy abroad programs. In addition, it is necessary to respond to the needs of international
students who wish to study Japanese by coordinating the timetable to accommodate Japaneseclasses that are offered to international students at the University.

Detailed Standard 3: “In designing its curriculum, the School must include core courses toprovide a foundation necessary for management education and research.”
1) Self-Check
The School offers six core classes: “Economics,” “Management,” “Accounting for Decision-making,”“Business Ethics,” and “English Communication,” as well as “Statistics,” in which students acquire a27

grounding in scientific thought. Specialized classes are divided into Management, Marketing,
Finance, Technology Management, Entrepreneurship, and Public/Medical/University Management
programs; they cover content from basic to applied. Similarly, the International Management
Course contains the following as the core classes: “Business Economics,” “Management,”“Statistics,” “Accounting for Decision Making,” “Business Ethics,” and “English Communication.” Itsbasic and advanced classes are also systematically organized.
After studying research methods in “Introduction of Individual Research” or doing the “Group
Research Project,” students complete the “Individual Research” on their chosen topic. To make thecurriculum more systematic, both compulsory classes and required elective classes are included incore, basic, and advanced categories.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to offer compulsory core classes to provide a foundation necessary for
management education and research in consideration of changes in the social environment and of
the needs of students and business enterprises.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must set a process to review its curriculum systematicallyand update its curriculum periodically.”
1) Self-Check
The Curriculum Committee convenes each fall, and all faculty members attend this meeting. The
Committee investigates curriculum issues such as classes to address the needs of students andchanges in the social environment.
The Committee examines the “student class evaluations,” which students complete during the finalclass session of each course. In addition, the School conducts group interviews of students at theend of each academic year. Depending on the interview results and the number of students
attending each class, the Associate Dean and Assistant Dean of the Institute of Business andAccounting and the Director of the Business School examine the required classes and classnumbers. After discussion at the Business School Committee, a draft amendment of the submitted
curriculum is determined.
Recently, the School reorganized its basic and advanced classes for the Corporate Strategic
Management Course beginning in the 2013 academic year and for the International Management
Course beginning in the 2014 academic year. In addition, in 2014, the School established a newprogram for the Corporate Strategic Management Course titled “Public/Medical/University
Management.”

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to follow the above process every year to review its curricula.
28

Detailed Standard 5: “The School must design a system which enables its students to takerelated courses in other departments at the same university and at other universities, a credit
transfer system with other schools, and a system to allow students to receive academic credit
by completing an internship program.”
1) Self-Check
The school has established a credit transfer system in conjunction with other graduate schools
within the University and with four other universities in the Kansai region, as well as an academic
exchange system with Hosei University.

2) Issues to be improved
The current credit transfer system with other graduate schools meets the standard. The School will
examine the possibility of introducing a credit-bearing internship program for students in theInternational Management Course.

Detailed Standard 6: “The School must utilize appropriate educational methods, includingcase studies, site surveys, debates, discussions, and question and answer sessions between
faculty members and students and/or among students.”
1) Self-Check
Classes are conducted using a combination of instructional methods, including lectures, seminars,
case studies, group work, fieldwork, and individual and group instructions. In all of the above cases,
students are taught in small groups. To develop substantial, interactive lectures, the School
maintains small class sizes wherever possible by providing multiple sections for classes in which ahigh number of students are enrolled.

2) Issues to be improved
The current educational methods meet the standard. The School will continue to utilize current
methods while at the same time being open to new methods.

Detailed Standard 7: “When the School provides distance education, it must aim to
maximize its educational effect by utilizing various media.”
1) Self-Check
The School does not provide distance education.

2) Issues to be improved
N/A[Annex No. 1 Curriculum for Corporate Strategic Management Course][Annex No. 2 Curriculum for International Management Course][Annex No. 3 Faculty Organization][Annex No. 7 Class Syllabi][Annex No. 8 Agreement on Graduate Student Credit Transfers within the Kansai Four-University
29Consortium][Annex No. 9 Agreement on Reciprocal Auditing with Hosei University]Standard 7-EDUCATIONAL LEVEL
Basic Standard: “The School must set the quality level of educational content so as to enable
students to achieve their learning goals.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School has established the following educational goals to maintain the standard of its
educational content.
The highly specialized professionals who are trained in the Business School are expected to become“businesspersons with a high sense of professional ethics who can successfully engage in businesson the global stage.” Therefore, the School focuses on fostering scientific understanding and theability to utilize specialized knowledge, while requiring that students attend a compulsory class on
business ethics.
Specifically, instead of focusing on students’ learning of theory, the Corporate Strategic
Management Course aims to strengthen their abilities to discover and solve problems that areclosely related to their own work experience in their current jobs. The International Management
Course aims to develop in students the foreign language skills and business acumen needed toengage in business on the global stage, as well as the practical skills necessary to apply these skills.
In particular, the course seeks to provide practical instruction that will enhance the occupationalawareness of students, many of whom enroll in the School after graduating from the University.

2) Issues to be improved
It is important that the School reviews the quality level of educational content periodically. The
School will make every necessary effort to maintain its quality level of educational content.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must provide an environment and a guidance system thatis conducive to learning and teaching in order to maintain the quality level of educational
content.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School has established a learning environment that enables students to enjoy afulfilling learning experience. The Corporate Strategic Management Course is primarily
administered at the Osaka Umeda Campus, while the International Management Course is offeredat both the Osaka Umeda Campus and the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus. The School maintains
an environment that is conducive to learning at both campuses, including facilities such as a library
and a study room that can be used at both campuses. In addition, the University operates ateacher–student learning support system called “LUNA (Learning Unlimited Network for
Academia).” The system enables faculty members to post lecture materials online that, in turn,30

encourages students’ independent learning and enables students to write reports and score them.
The study room and classrooms are equipped with Internet connections and power sources, andstudents can borrow laptops or bring their own. The above facilities are used for a wide range of
purposes, such as obtaining materials, writing reports, and accessing class information. The
University has established an interlibrary loan system that enables students at the Osaka Umeda
Campus to order library materials from and return them to the University library at the Nishinomiya
Uegahara Campus. Furthermore, the University maintains a rich web database, which enables
students to access information, such as academic papers, various statistics, and newspaper articles,
online.

2) Issues to be improved
In response to the needs of Corporate Strategic Management Course students who wish to attend
most of their classes on weekends, the School will examine the possibility of increasing the numberof core and basic classes offered on Saturdays and Sundays.
In addition, the International Management Course responses to the needs of international students
who wish to study Japanese by considering coordination of its class schedules to include Japaneseclasses offered by the University.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must secure adequate classroom hours necessary forcompleting one credit of each course in order to maintain the quality level of educational
content.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School has adopted the quarter system. Most classes carry two credits and consist of
two sessions (known as koma) per week over a seven-week academic quarter. One session consistsof one 90-minute lecture and 30 minutes of pre- or post-study. In addition, final examinations
constitute one session. Accordingly, a two-credit class amounts to 30 hours of study (2 × 2 hoursessions per week × 7 weeks + 1 × 2 hour session = 30 hours), and one credit amounts to 15
hours of study.
Table 7-2-1 Credit System at IBA
Two Credit Hour
Lectures & Seminars

30 hours( 2 x 2 hours x 7 weeks + 1 x 2 hours )The “Individual Research” and intensive classes follow different schedules from the regular classes
described above. In the “Individual Research”, students earn four credits in the spring (quarters
one and two) or fall (quarters three and four) academic period. The intensive classes are held after
the second and fourth quarters in August and February/March, respectively. Both classes offer thesame number of credits per hour and the same supplementary lecture time as regular classes.
31

Table 7-2-2 2014-2015 IBA Schedule of Classes, Makeup Lectures and Final Examination
Spring Semester
Sunday
April
1Q

May

MondayTuesday
Entrance
Ceremony

WednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNotes

5 1st week * Classes / Makeup on
6 1st week 7 1st week 8 1st week 9 1st week 10 1st week 11 1st week 12 2nd week conducted holidays
13 2nd week 14 2nd week 15 2nd week 16 2nd week 17 2nd week 18 2nd week 19 3rd week (Spring Semester):
20 3rd week 21 3rd week 22 3rd week 23 3rd week 24 3rd week 25 3rd week 26 4th week Tue., April 29
1

2

3

4

27 4th week 28 4th week 29 *4th week 30 4th week 1 4th week 2 4th week 3
4

Public Holiday

5

Public Holiday

Public Holiday

Tue., May 6

6 *5th week 7 5th week 8 5th week 9 5th week 10 5th week Mon., July 21

11 5th week 12 5th week 13 6th week 14 6th week 15 6th week 16 6th week 17 6th week
18 6th week 19 6th week 20 7th week 21 7th week 22 7th week 23 7th week 24 7th week
25 7th week 26 7th week 27

Tue. Makeup
Written exam

28

Wed. Makeup
Written exam

29

Thu. Makeup
Written exam

30

Fri. Makeup
Written exam

31

Sat. Makeup
Written exam

June

1

2Q

8 1st week 9 1st week 10 2nd week 11 2nd week 12 2nd week 13 2nd week 14 2nd week

Sun. Makeup
Written exam

Mon. Makeup
Written exam

2

3 1st week 4 1st week 5 1st week 6 1st week 7 1st week

15 2nd week 16 2nd week 17 3rd week 18 3rd week 19 3rd week 20 3rd week 21 3rd week
22 3rd week 23 3rd week 24 4th week 25 4th week 26 4th week 27 4th week 28 4th week
July

29 4th week 30 4th week 1 5th week 2 5th week 3 5th week 4 5th week 5 5th week
6 5th week 7 5th week 8 6th week 9 6th week 10 6th week 11 6th week 12 6th week
13 6th week 14 6th week 15 7th week 16 7th week 17 7th week 18 7th week 19 7th week
Tue. Makeup
Written exam

23

Wed. Makeup
Written exam

24

Thu. Makeup
Written exam

25

Fri. Makeup
Written exam

26

Sat. Makeup
Written exam

29

Intensive

30

Intensive

31

Intensive

1

Intensive

2

Intensive Summer Intensive ：７ /29 ～ 8/24

5

Intensive

6

Intensive

7

Intensive

8

Intensive

9

Intensive

12

Intensive

13

SummerHoliday

14

SummerHoliday

15

SummerHoliday

16

SummerHoliday19

SummerHoliday20

SummerHoliday21

SummerHoliday

22

Intensive

23

Intensive

20 7th week 21 *7th week 22
August 27

Sun. Makeup
Written exam

3

Intensive

10

Intensive

Su m m e r In te n s i v e

September

28

Mon. Makeup
Written exam

4

Intensive

11

Intensive

17

SummerHoliday

18

SummerHoliday

24

Intensive

25

26

31

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Public Holiday

27

28

29

30

Graduation
Ceremony

Fall Semester
SundayMondayTuesday

Wednesday

3Q

Thursday18

21

22 1st week 23

Public Holiday

Entrance
Ceremony

Friday19

Saturday
20

Notes* Classes / Makeup on

24 1st week 25 1st week 26 1st week 27 1st week conducted holidays

October 28 *1st week 29 2nd week 30 1st week 1 2nd week 2 2nd week 3 2nd week 4 2nd week (Fall Semester):
5 2nd week 6 3rd week

7 2nd week 8 3rd week

3rd week 10 3rd week 11 3rd week Sun., September 28

912 3rd week 13 *4th week 14 3rd week 15 4th week 16 4th week 17 4th week 18 4th week Mon., October 13
19 4th week 20 5th week 21 4th week 22 5th week 23 5th week 24 5th week 25 5th week Mon., November 3
November

26 5th week 27 6th week 28 5th week 29 6th week 30 6th week 31 6th week 1 6th week Mon., November 24
2 6th week 3 *7th week
9 7th week 10

4Q

16

Sun. Makeup
Written exam

Mon. Makeup
Written exam

4 6th week 5 7th week 6 7th week 7 7th week 8 7th week
11 7th week 12

17 1st week 18

Tue. Makeup
Written exam

Wed. Makeup
Written exam

13

Thu. Makeup
Written exam

14

Fri. Makeup
Written exam

15

Sat. Makeup
Written exam

19 1st week 20 1st week 21 1st week 22 1st week

23 1st week 24 *2nd w eek 25 1st week 26 2nd week 27 2nd week 28 2nd week 29 2nd week
December

30 2nd week 1 3rd week
7 3rd week

2 2nd week 3 3rd week

8 4th week 9

4

3rd week

5 3rd week

6 3rd week

3rd week 10 4th week 11 4th week 12 4th week 13 4th week

14 4th week 15 5th week 16 4th week 17 5th week 18 5th week 19 5th week 20 5th week
21 5th week 22 6th week 23
January 28

WinterHoliday4

WinterHoliday

Public Holiday

WinterHoliday31

WinterHoliday

25

WinterHoliday1

WinterHoliday

26

WinterHoliday

27

WinterHoliday2

WinterHoliday3

WinterHoliday29
5WinterHoliday

6 5th week 7 6th week 8 6th week 9 6th week 10 6th week

Public Holiday

13 6th week 14 7th week 15 7th week 16 7th week 17 7th week

11 6th week 1230

WinterHoliday

24

WinterHoliday

18 7th week 19 7th week 20 7th week 21

Wed. Makeup
Written exam

22

Thu. Makeup
Written exam

23

Fri. Makeup
Written exam

24

Sat. Makeup
Written exam

25

Sun. Makeup
Written exam

26

Mon. Makeup
Written exam

27

Tue. Makeup
Written exam

28

Intensive

29

Intensive

30

Intensive

31

Intensive Winter Intensive Teaching Period 1 ：February

1

Intensive

2

Intensive

3

Intensive

4

Intensive

5

Intensive

6

Intensive

7

Intensive

W int er I nt ens iv e

8Intensive

9

Intensive

10

Intensive

11

Public Holiday

12

Intensive

13

Intensive

14

Intensive Winter Intensive Teaching Period 2 ：15Intensive

16

Intensive

17

Intensive

18

Intensive

19

Intensive

20

Intensive

21

Intensive

22

Intensive

23

Intensive

24

Intensive

25

Intensive

26

Intensive

27

Intensive

28

Intensive

1

Intensive

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

March

Graduation
Ceremony32

１ /28-2/10

2/12-3/1

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to follow the current quarter system which requires 15 classroom hours for
one credit.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must design adequate time schedules and set a limit to
the number of credits which students can take to assure students’ learning efficiency in orderto maintain the quality level of educational content.”
1) Self-Check
When designing the class schedule, the School ensures that related classes—including core, basic,
advanced, and compulsory classes—are not held at the same time on the same day. Furthermore,because students can begin taking a course in either the spring or fall, the School offers more than
one class per academic period for core classes.
The School limits the number of credits for which students can register to 22 credits per semester.
To provide students with advice about classes, the School conducts individual consultations at
Orientation, holds an “Individual Research” information session, and allocates office hours during
which students can speak with faculty members.

2) Issues to be improved
In addition to the current 22-credit-per-semester cap, it is important to provide class selection andsequencing advice in order to improve students’ learning efficiency and satisfaction.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must establish clearly defined standards for calculating
grades and for evaluating the academic performance of its students, state them in its Schoolcode, and inform the students of them in order to maintain the quality level of educational
content.”
1) Self-Check
The School clearly stipulates its standards for the student assessment in individual classes in the“Assessment Methods and Standards” section of the syllabus. The standards are not based on
abstract descriptions, and they specify concrete assessment methods (such as attendance,
contribution to classes, reports, regular tests, and final examinations) for determining overall
grades. Information concerning grade assessment is contained in the “Information for Students”
guidebook. The School assigns grades based on a seven point scale of A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, and F,
which denotes Fail. The systems used for converting raw scores into grades are clearly stipulated in
the Rules and Regulations section.
Below is an excerpt from the “Information for Students” guidebook about assessment methods.

33

M ethods of Grade Evaluation
Method of Assessment

Grading Method

Written or Report
Final
Examination*There is no final examination for the courses‘GroupResearch

Project’and‘Individual

All courses will be gradedon a criterion-referenced

Research’.
The Business School evaluates students’ grades strictly.

(absolute) basis.

The following rules have been set for thegrade evaluation.
(1) Grade evaluation criteria are to be set out clearly in the Net Syllabus.
(2) Evaluation will not be based on final examinations alone, but will take into account attendance,
assignments, quizzes, participation, etc.
(3) A final examination (written or report) will be set for all courses except ‘Group Research Project’and ‘Individual Research’.
(4) Achievement criteria for each course shall be clearly stated in the Net Syllabus and evaluation
carried out on a criterion-referenced (absolute) basis, whereby students who have failed to achieve
the specified standard will receive a failing grade.
(5) Students will be graded on a six-step scale: A+, A, B+, B, C+, C for passing grades. ‘F’
indicates a failing grade.
The criteria for completing a course are determined based on the requirements stated in the
curriculum tables and Article 18 of the Graduate School Regulations. These criteria are made clear
to students in the Requirements for completing the MBA degree and Early graduation sections of
Chapter 1 of the “Information for Students” titled “Curriculum.”2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which meets the standard.

Detailed Standard 5: “The School must take measures that ensure that the completion of
the program and the academic performance of students are evaluated fairly, and that grades
are calculated in an objective and standardized way in order to maintain the quality level of
educational content.”
1) Self-CheckTo ensure that students achieve the School’s learning goals, the Institute of Business andAccounting has established rigorous and impartial assessment standards. First, to maintain the
School’s educational standards, it has introduced compulsory written examinations and reportwriting examinations in all classes except “Introduction of Individual Research” and “Individual
Research” (in the Corporate Strategic Management Course) and the “Group Research Project” and“Individual Research” (in the International Management Course). Moreover, in all of its classes, theSchool assesses students based on a system of absolute evaluation. Furthermore, instead of34

assessing students based on a single criterion, the School conducts a comprehensive assessmentthat takes into account a variety of criteria, such as attendance, reports, regular tests, and final
examinations. In addition, the School has introduced a grade point average (GPA) system forevaluating overall student performance and formalized the system through the “Rules andRegulations for Grade Assessment and Examination.” Grades are assigned on a seven-point scalefrom A+ to F, and the grade points and raw scores for each grade are shown in Table 7-5 below.
Table 7-5 also shows the percent distribution of students across grades A+ to F for the Corporate
Strategic Management Course and the International Management Course. (However, the data does
not include grades for the ”Introduction of Individual Research” and the “individual Research”
classes in the Corporate Strategic Management Course, and the “Individual Research” and the“Group Research Project” classes in the International Management Course)
Table 7-5: Grade Point Average System and Distribution of Students across Grades

Grade

GP

Raw score
Conversion

Corporate Strategic

International Management

Management Course

Course

AY 2012AY 2013

AY 2012AY 2013A+

4.0

90 - 100

17.3%

15.1%

24.0%

26.4%

A

3.5

85 - 89

23.8%

21.6%

32.6%

31.5%

B+

3.0

80 - 84

22.3%

23.8%

23.7%

17.5%

B

2.5

75 - 79

16.4%

18.6%

11.3%

13.4%

C+

2.0

70 - 74

8.3%

8.5%

3.3%

4.1%

C

1.5

60 - 69

6.6%

5.6%

1.8%

4.1%

F

0.0

0 - 59

5.3%

6.8%

3.3%

2.9%

2) Issues to be improved
At present, the content of “Introduction of Individual Research” and the “Group Research Project”
varies between classes, which are assigned to multiple faculty members. Because these classes arecompulsory and are a prerequisite for the “Individual Research,” it is necessary to ensure that thesame content is introduced in all classes, even if this content is taught by different faculty
members.

Detailed Standard 6: “The School must set a quota on the number of students registered toa course in accordance with its educational methods, the availability and condition of its
facilities, and other educational considerations in order to maintain the quality level of
educational content.”
1) Self-Check
To maintain small class sizes, the School has established a cap of 30 students per class for core andbasic classes in the Corporate Strategic Management Course. When the number of students
enrolled in a class exceeds 50 (for example, in the case of the compulsory “Business Ethics” class),
the school maintains appropriate class enrollment numbers by offering a second section of the class.
35

It is expected that students will primarily attend the advanced classes related to their programs ofstudy; therefore, we expect that each class will have 10–20 students. Table 7-2 shows the average
number of students per course for each type of class.
Table 7-6 Average Number of Students per Course
International Management
CourseInternational
CourseManagement

2013

2013

Core classes

20.8

5.7

Basic classes

17.1

4.7

Advanced classes

12.2

4.0

2) Issues to be improved
The School will maintain the student number cap system in order to practice small-group
instruction which is expected to contribute to the quality of education.
Detailed Standard 7: “The School must provide adequate registration guidance, learning
guidance and academic and career guidance to respond to the needs of diversified student
body including foreign students, and also provide sufficient support for the students taking
distance education programs in order to maintain the quality level of educational content.”
1) Self-Check
Faculty members provide office hours to offer individual consultation on a variety of matters
including academic study. Instead of establishing fixed office hours, the majority of faculty
members are flexible with regard to arranging appointments via email.
To ensure that appropriate support is offered to students enrolled in the International Management
Course—particularly to international students—the School employs students who are fluent in both
English and Japanese as teaching assistants (TAs).

2) Issues to be improved
In addition to the current academic guidance, it is important to provide career guidance tointernational students enrolled in the International Management Course who wish to work inJapanese companies after completion of the course. The School will consider a way to provide
guidance on Japanese business practices as well as instruction of Japanese language to its
international students.

Detailed Standard 8: “The School’s faculty members should share information about
students’ course records, attendance rates for each program, total credits earned andacademic grades, and develop initiatives to improve students’ learning in order to maintain thequality level of educational content.”
1) Self-Check
36

The School shares student performance statistics for all semesters, and all questions contained in
final examinations, with its entire faculty for a given period of time. This is to enable the faculty
members who are responsible for each class to refer to this information when making decisions
about future class plans, examinations, and examination and assessment standards. The above
information is available during the next semester following each final examination. Furthermore,
faculty members are notified of overall academic trends (such as GPA distribution) on a timely basis
through the School Committee. In addition, information regarding the learning situation ofindividual students is shared among the concerned faculty members on a timely basis.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will maintain its current practice of sharing student performance statistics among
faculty members in order to continue to improve students’ learning.

Detailed Standard 9: “In case of providing shortened programs, the School must ensurethat the educational methods and time schedules enable the students to achieve its learning
goals in order to maintain quality level of education.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School offers an “Early Completion Program,” which enables students to finish theirprograms in 18 months instead of the standard two years. Students must apply and receive
approval upon entering the School before enrolling for the Early Completion Program. The School
has adopted a yearly schedule that takes into account the situation of students who wish tocomplete their programs early by providing a range of daytime and evening classes on weekdays
and weekends during class periods, by offering classes throughout the year rather than inconcentrated periods, and by providing intensive study classes during the summer and wintervacations.
In the spring semester of the 2013 academic year, the average GPA of students who completed
their programs in 18 months was 3.04, while that of those who completed their programs in two
years was 2.97, indicating no significant difference between the two groups.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to offer the “Early Completion Program”, while keeping track of academic
performance of those in the program in order to provide support if the need arises.

[Annex No. 5 Floor Maps][Annex No. 10 Office Hours in AY 2014][Annex No. 13 Schedule of Entrance Ceremony & Orientation for New Students (Spring, 2014
Enrollment)][Annex No. 19-1 Information for Students in IMC]
[Annex No. 19-2 Information for Students in CSMC][Annex No. 20 LUNA English Manual (Blackboard Learning System)]37

Standard 8-MESASURES TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL QUALITY
Basic Standard: “The School must improve its curriculum in a systematic manner to realize
its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The School analyzes the results of student class evaluations as its primary means of systematically
improving the curriculum to achieve its educational and research objectives. The results of student
evaluations administered at the end of each academic quarter are examined by the Self-Evaluation
Committee. This analysis is then made available for viewing at the Nishinomiya Uegahara andOsaka Umeda campuses and posted on the School website. On the basis of the Self-Evaluation
Committee’s analysis, the Associate Dean of the School and the Convener of the Business School
prepare a draft amendment of the curriculum. Following discussion of the draft amendment at the
School Committee, the Faculty Board and the Curriculum Committee then revise the curriculum
regulations.

2) Issues to be improved
It is necessary to consider ways of ensuring the quality of classes offered throughout the Business
School. The School will therefore examine ways of improving as an institution—for example, byintroducing a quality assurance system in which full-time faculty members employed on permanentcontracts assume responsibility for curriculum programs.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must prepare syllabi which state its educational goals,
course contents, course plans, educational methods, class materials, faculty office hours, andstandards for evaluating academic performance, ensure that the course content is aimed atachieving the learning goals, and publish the syllabi to be examined through peer reviews.”
1) Self-CheckAt the start of each academic year, the School issues a standard-form electronic syllabus that
contains the class objectives, individual lecture plans, teaching methods, textbooks and referencematerials, and assessment methods and standards, as well as specific instructions regarding
preparatory study and information about the relationship between individual classes. Students canview this syllabus throughout the academic year. Since the 2008 fall semester, the electronic syllabi
have also been made widely available to individuals outside of the School and University. Faculty
members prepare syllabi based on the Syllabus Design Guide, which are then checked by the
Associate Dean of the School. One section of the student class evaluations examines whether
lectures have actually been conducted in accordance with the syllabus.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which fully meets the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must review its curriculum by both examining students’38

course records, total credits earned, academic grades and career options, and reviewing
opinions from stakeholders.”
1) Self-Check
To improve the curriculum, the Self-Evaluation Committee examines the results of student(stakeholder) class evaluation questionnaires. On the basis of its investigation of student course
enrollment, credit acquisition, and academic performance, the School reorganized the basic andadvanced classes in the Corporate Strategic Management Course (for AY 2013) and theInternational Management Course (for AY 2014).

2) Issues to be improved
It is important to continue the current practice in order to link students’ needs to the curriculum.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must do periodic self-check/self-evaluations and publicize
the results.”
1) Self-Check
Each year, the School prepares a report on the results of student class evaluations, faculty
self-evaluations, and group interviews and posts this report on its website. In addition, individuals
affiliated with the School, such as faculty members and students, can view detailed results ofstudent class evaluations for individual classes at the counter of the Administrative Office.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which meets the standard.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must conduct faculty development in a systematicmanner in order to ensure the high quality of education and research.”
1) Self-Check
The School provides feedback on student class evaluations to faculty members in the form ofanonymous copies of student questionnaires. Faculty members can thus view all of the feedback
given by students who attended their classes—including the free description sections of thequestionnaires.

2) Issues to be improved
In addition to the current approach, it is important to find a new way of conducting school-wide
faculty development programs such as faculty development seminars.

Detailed Standard 5: “The School should establish a system for awarding faculty members
who achieve distinguished teaching and research results in order to ensure high quality ofeducation and research.”
1) Self-Check
39

The School publishes a journal titled Business and Accounting Review, records the researchachievements of faculty members, and publicizes these achievements in its online researchachievements database. In addition, the School honors faculty members who receive awards fromsocieties or Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Grants-in-aid for
Scientific Research.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice.

[Annex No. 1 Curriculum for Corporate Strategic Management Course][Annex No. 2 Curriculum for International Management Course][Annex No. 7 Class Syllabi][Annex No. 21 Class Evaluation Questionnaire Sheet]40CHAPTER THREE: STUDENTS
Standard 9-STUDENT PROFILE
Basic Standard: “The School must specify the target student population and profile of its
students to realize its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
Table 9-0-1 Number of Students enrolled
2011

2012

2013

Full-time students enrolled

76

81

73

Part-time students enrolled

71

94

104

147

175

177

2011

2012

2013

Foreign students enrolled

13

18

12

Local students enrolled

134

157

165

147

175

177

Total number of students
enrolled

Table 9-0-2 Number of Foreign Students enrolled

Total number of students
enrolled

The education and research objectives of the Business School are to nurture “businesspersons who
apply scientific methods and a global perspective to management,” “global businesspersons withthe capacity to engage in business on an international level,” and “businesspersons with a highsense of professional ethics, based on the founding spirit of Kwansei Gakuin.”
In view of the above goals, the Corporate Strategic Management Course primarily targets working
adult students and aims to train management professionals who have the qualities needed toachieve these goals. Therefore, the School defines its model students as “working adults who value
practical experience in society and possess a strong desire to apply theory to the examination ofbusiness issues in the Business School, based a variety of experiences in the field of business” and,in its “Entrance Examination Information,” it specifies that students who fit this description will be
eligible for admission to the School.
For the International Management Course, the School ensures fairness in providing opportunities
for suitable applicants to participate in the selection process. The International Management
Course provides all-English MBA instruction to students who wish to work in the global businessworld. Therefore, the School defines its model students as “graduates, international students, or
working adults with excellent English communication skills and a strong desire to engage in global
business,” and clearly stipulates that it also welcomes new graduates who do not have long-termwork experience.
When recruiting students, the School holds information sessions for prospective applicants several
41

times per year. In addition, the target student profiles described above are clearly specified andfully explained in the “Entrance Examination Information” and on the School website.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which meets the standard.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must make efforts to secure students with target profiles
through its selection processes.”
1) Self-Check
Applicants to the Corporate Strategic Management Course are required to have at least three years
of practical experience. In addition, as shown in Tables 9-3 9-4, the course accepts students ofdiverse ages and professional backgrounds and targets working adults who wish to strengthen
their ability to discover and solve problems related to their current jobs based on their personal
work experience.
Table 9-1-1: Number of New (Full-time) Students in the Corporate Strategic Management Course
by Age GroupAY 2011

AY 2012AY 2013

Twenties

5

12

5

Thirties

31

31

30

Forties

17

16

20

Fifties53

5

Sixties

3

0

1

Total

61

62

61

Table 9-1-2: Number of New (Full-time) Students in the Corporate Strategic Management Course
by Professional Background
Manufacturing

AY 201123

AY 201223

AY 2013
29

Other Services

15

16

15

Wholesale3

50Realty/leasing

2

5

0

Electricity/gas/heat

0

0

1

Retail4

4

3Mass media

1

1

0

Medical/welfare

2

1

2

Transport

1

1

1

service/water42

Education/learning support

2

4

3

Finance/insurance

1

0

2

Construction

3

1

0

Civil service

2

0

0

Information-communication

2

0

1

Lodging/restaurant

0

0

1

Unemployed

0

0

2

Other

0

1

1

Total

61

62

61

The International Management Course aims to foster in students the English language skills andbusiness knowledge needed to operate on the global business stage, as well as the ability to apply
these in practice. As shown in Tables 9-5 and 9-6, the course enrolls students from a diverse rangeof nationalities and, through its all-English lectures, promotes global communication that crosses
linguistic and cultural barriers.
Table 9-1-3: Number of New Students in the International Management Course by Age Group
2011

2012

2013

Twenties

13

16

12

Thirties

2

3

0

Total

15

19

12

Table 9-1-4: Number of New Students in the International Management Course by Home Country
2011

2012

2013

Japan

5

4

2

Saudi Arabia

2

5

5

Indonesia050Canada

1

1

2

China

1

1

1

America0

1

1

Thailand110South Korea

0

0

1

Taiwan0

1

0

Argentina

1

0

0

Yemen

1

0

0

Iran

1

0

0

Ivory Coast

1

0

0

Brunei

1

0

0

Total

15

19

12

43

2) Issues to be improved
In addition to the current practice, the School will make more efforts to attract students withdiverse backgrounds including international students.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must provide opportunities for the candidates to takeentrance examinations in a fair and unbiased way.”
1) Self-Check
Students can choose whether to begin their course in the spring or fall semester. The School
provides two opportunities for students to take the spring-start entrance examination and one
opportunity to take the fall-start entrance examination. In addition to these entrance examinations,due to the high number of overseas applicants to the International Management Course, the School
selects applicants living overseas based on their academic records. Furthermore, for theconvenience of applicants, all documents required for applying and enrolling are downloadable.
Thus, it can be concluded that the School ensures fairness in providing a range of opportunities forapplicants to take entrance examinations.
Table 9-2-1 Schedule of Entrance Examination Fall 2014
Entrance Examination Fall 2014
Business School
International Management Course

Corporate Strategic
Management Course
Student Intake

About 30 persons

Pattern A(In Japan)

Pattern B(Overseas)

About 10 persons

About 10 persons

Application Period[Applications must arrive at IBA
office within this period]

Wednesday, June 11th
Wednesday, June 18th

Tuesday, April 1st
Wednesday, June 18th

Examination Date

Written Examination, Interview
Saturday, July 5th

Result Announcement

Friday, July 11th

Screening of Application
Documents
As soon as the evaluation has
been completedDeadline for admission procedureⅠ（Payment of admission fee）

Friday, July 11th
Friday, July 18th

Examinatio
n schedule

Ⅱ（Tuition & other fee payment andsubmission of required documents）

Payment should be madewithin 2 weeks from the dateof notification of acceptanceFriday, August 29th in 2014
(except for IMC Pattern B)

44

Table 9-2-2 Schedule of Entrance Examination Spring 2015
Entrance Examination Spring 2015

Business School

1st Intake

Student Intake

Corporate Strategic
Management Course
About 30 persons

International Management Course
Pattern A(In Japan)

Pattern B(Overseas)

About 10 persons

About 5 persons

Application Period[Applications must arrive at IBA officewithin this period]

Wednesday, November 12th
Wednesday, November 19th

Monday, September 22th
Wednesday, November 5th

Examination Date

Written Examination, Interview
Saturday, December 6th

Screening of Application
Documents

Result Announcement

Friday, December 12th

As soon as the evaluation has
been completed

Friday, December 12th
Friday, December 19th

Payment should be made within 2
weeks from the date of
notification of acceptanceExaminatio
n schedule

Deadline for admission procedureⅠ（Payment of admission fee）
Ⅱ（Tuition & other fee payment andsubmission of required documents）

Friday, March 13th in 2015
(except for IMC Pattern B)

Business School

2nd Intake

Student Intake

Examinatio
n schedule

Corporate Strategic
Management Course
About 30 persons

International Management Course
Pattern A(In Japan)

Pattern B(Overseas)

About 5 persons－

Application Period[Applications must arrive at IBA officewithin this period]

Wednesday, January 28th
Wednesday, February 4th－

Examination Date

Interview
Saturday, February 21th－

Result Announcement

Friday, February 27th－

Deadline for admission procedureⅠ（Payment of admission fee）

Friday, February 27th
Friday, March 6thⅡ（Tuition & other fee payment andsubmission of required documents）

Friday, March 13th in 2015
(except for IMC Pattern B)

2) Issues to be improved
The school provides fair and unbiased opportunities for potential applicants to take entrance
examinations.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must update its target student profile to meet therequirements of the School’s admission policy on a continuous basis.”
1) Self-Check
When selecting students for admission, the faculty members who are responsible for the screening
process carefully examine students’ basic academic ability, learning plan, background, academic
achievement, motivation, abilities, and attitude. Then, the Entrance Examination Committee, the45

Dean’s Office Committee, and the Faculty Board discuss the results of this screening process andcontinuously examine and update the target student profile based on the School’s admission policy.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice of updating its target student profile to meet therequirements of its admission policy on a continuous basis.

[Annex No. 11-1 Entrance Examination Information IMC-A Spring 2014][Annex No. 11-2 Entrance Examination Information IMC-B Spring 2014][Annex No. 11-3 Entrance Examination Information CSMC Spring 2014][Annex No. 26 Class Visit at IMC]
[Annex No. 27 Curriculum of School of International Studies]Standard 10-STUDENT ADMISSION
Basic Standard: “The School must clearly stipulate its admission policy in its selection
processes.”
1) Self-Check
The School has established the following admission policy:
The Business School seeks to nurture “businesspersons who apply scientific methods and a global
perspective to management,” “global businesspersons with the capacity to engage in business on
an international level,” and “businesspersons with a high sense of professional ethics, based on thefounding spirit of Kwansei Gakuin.” In view of the above goals, the Corporate Strategic
Management Course primarily targets working adult students and aims to train management
professionals who have the qualities needed to achieve these goals. Therefore, the School seeks toadmit working adults who value work experience in society and who possess a strong desire to
apply theory to the examination of business issues in the Business School, based on a variety ofexperiences in the field of business. With the aim of selecting students who are compatible withand meet these goals, the entrance examination comprehensively evaluates whether applicantspossess the basic academic ability and motivation required to achieve them.
The International Management Course aims to nurture global businesspersons who have thequalities needed to achieve the above goals. On the basis of the course’s aim to nurture highly
capable individuals who can achieve success in Japan and overseas, the entrance examination
comprehensively evaluates whether applicants possess the character, basic academic ability, andmotivation needed to do so. Because all classes are conducted in English, the International
Management Course places particular importance on English ability. Applicants must possess
sufficient English skills to participate in all-English at the graduate level. The entrance examination
for this course assesses students’ overall English ability (using the following scores as a guide:
TOEFL iBT: 85+; TOEFL PBT: 570+; TOEIC: 780+).
46

2) Issues to be improved
The School clearly stipulates its admission policy in its “Entrance Examination Information”;
therefore, there are no problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School’s admission policy must be developed in line with its
mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School’s education and research objective is to “nurture global businesspersons witha high sense of professional ethics based on the founding principle of Kwansei Gakuin and with thecapacity to engage in business on an international level.” Furthermore, the Corporate Strategic
Management Course aims to “train specialists to meet the challenges of globalized businessenvironments in Japanese enterprises,” while the International Management Course aims to“cultivate business knowledge and the ability to conduct business in English.” The admission policy
states that, to achieve these objectives, the School will provide admission in its Corporate Strategic
Management Course to working adults who value work experience in society and possess a strong
desire to apply theory to the examination of business issues in the Business School, based on avariety of experiences in the field of business. Moreover, the policy states that, for the International
Management Course, the School seeks applicants who possess the character and basic academic
ability needed to operate as global businesspersons, as well as strong motivation and excellent
English skills. Therefore, the content of the admission policy is conducive to the School’s education
and research objectives.

2) Issues to be improved
The School’s admission policy is in line with its mission statement; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must clearly articulate its admission policy and selection
criteria in brochures such as student admission materials and show them to all prospective
candidates.”
1) Self-Check
The School clearly outlines its admission policy and selection criteria in the “Entrance Examination
Information” and posts these on its website.

2) Issues to be improved
The School clearly articulates its admission policy and selection criteria in the “Entrance
Examination Information” brochure and its website; therefore, there are no problems related to thestandard.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must evaluate the scholastic abilities and aptitudes ofcandidates in a consistent and objective fashion through its selection processes.”47

1) Self-Check
When selecting students, two faculty members who are responsible for the screening process
objectively evaluate students’ basic academic ability, learning plan, background, academic
achievement, motivation, abilities, and attitude. The results of the screening are then discussed indetail by the Entrance Examination Committee, the Dean’s Office Committee, and the Faculty
Board.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to follow its current screening procedure while analyzing students’
academic performances after admission to the School.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must match the actual number of student enrollment withthe required enrollment through its selection processes. If the actual enrollment does notmatch the required number, the School must take corrective action to balance the actual andthe required enrollment appropriately.”
1) Self-Check
As shown in Table 9-0-1 above, over the past three years, the number of full-time students enrolled
in the School has averaged 76.7% of the student quota of 100. In April 2014, to attract more
students, the School began to expand its applicant base by introducing a new program entitled“Public/Medical/University Management.”

2) Issues to be improved
It is important to maintain a consistent number of students. As the Japanese economy recovers
from effects of the Lehman Brothers collapse, Japanese business enterprises have once again
begun to invest in human resource development. It is thus necessary for the School to increase thenumber of visits it makes to companies, local governments, and medical institutions and to seek
enterprises that can continuously supply students to the School. The School will improve its
dissemination of information related to the International Management Course within Japan andoverseas, for which the School will attempt to attract more international applicants by actively
participating in the MBA Tour and increasing the number of visits it makes to Japanese language
schools in Japan. In addition, to expand the number of applicants from within the University, theSchool will strengthen its efforts to disseminate course information to other schools by regularly
arranging class visits and increasing the number of information sessions held within the University.

Detailed Standard 5: “The School must take measures to attract through its selection
process a diverse student body that possesses a wealth of knowledge and background to meetthe needs of globalization.”
1) Self-Check
As shown in Tables 9-1-1 to 9-1-4, the School admits students with a wide range of experiences,knowledge, and backgrounds. To further promote globalization, the School will strengthen its
48

efforts to publicize information regarding entrance by screening documents of overseas students
who wish to apply to the International Management Course.

2) Issues to be improved
It is necessary to implement a stronger publicity campaign in order to reach out to more diverse
potential students, especially overseas students as described in Detailed Standard 4 above.

[Annex No. 11-1 Entrance Examination Information IMC-A Spring 2014][Annex No. 11-2 Entrance Examination Information IMC-B Spring 2014][Annex No. 11-3 Entrance Examination Information CSMC Spring 2014][Annex No. 26 Class Visit at IMC]
[Annex No. 27 Curriculum of School of International Studies]Standard 11-STUDENT SUPPORT
Basic Standard: “The School must have appropriate student support systems that help
students concentrate on their academic work.”
1) Self-Check
Regarding the payment of tuition fees, the School has established deferred payment andpayment-by-installment systems, as well as a range of scholarships. The University has set up a
wealth of specialized departments to support students in various aspects of their student life. These
include the Center for Career Planning and Placement; the Student Support Center, where students
can receive counseling; the Health Care Center, which offers health examinations andconsultations; and the Center for International Education and Cooperation.

2) Issues to be improved
The Institute of Business and Accounting also offers a PhD program. Therefore, the School will
examine the possibility of employing PhD students as TAs to improve the level of academic support,
which is currently provided by students studying in professional degree programs.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must take various measures to provide financial support
to students who need it.”
1) Self-Check
Students who are unable to pay their tuition fees before the deadline can defer payment of thesefees or pay in installments. A variety of scholarships are available to students. The University offers
the C.J.L. Bates Special Scholarship, which covers all tuition fees, as well as the C.J.L. Bates Type-1
Scholarship, which offers a 50% reduction of fees. In addition, the Kwansei Gakuin University
Scholarship for International Students offers a reduction of either 50% or 35% of tuition fees.
Students can apply for scholarship loans through the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)
scholarship system. In addition, the University has established an emergency student loan system
to provide financial support to students who need it. The system is also available to students whose49

financial situation has undergone sudden change.
Table 11-1: Number of Scholarships Awarded in AY 2013
Kwansei Gakuin University scholarships
Bates
Bates Type-1 Scholarship forSpecialInt. students
Number of40
16
applicants
Number of1
27
16
recipientsJASSO Scholarship Loan
662) Issues to be improved
The School provides sufficient financial support to students; therefore there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must have administrative offices which collect andprocess relevant information and provide consultation for the students concerning academic
guidance, career development and studying abroad.”
1) Self-Check
Students are able to obtain academic guidance from administrative staff members at the Instituteof Business and Accounting Office on the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus and at the administrative
office on the Osaka Umeda Campus in both of which English-speaking staff members are available.
Also, Students can receive career guidance from specialist faculty members at both the
Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus and the Osaka Umeda Campus. In addition, the University
organizes job fairs for graduate students.
Furthermore, Center for International Education and Cooperation (CIEC) is available to provide
information and guidance on study abroad opportunities including exchange programs with partner
universities around the world.
Table 11-2 Graduate Studnent Exchange Partner Universities(University-wide student exchange program)
ASIA

University of Augsburg
Friedrich-Alexander University ofErlangen-Nurnberg

Fudan University

China

Indonesia
Korea

Jilin University

Germany

Johannes Gutenberg University
Mainz

Sichuan University

Ruhr University Bochum

Soochow University

European University Viadrina

Sun Yat-Sen University

Iceland

University of Iceland

Satya Wacana Christian University

LatviaUniversity of Latvia

Chung-Ang University
Dongguk University

Netherlands

50

Radboud University Nijmegen
Hanze University of Applied SciencesEwha Womans University

NorwayHanyang University

Norwegian University of Scienceand Technology
University of Oslo

Konkuk Univeristy

PolandKyung Hee University

Sweden

Methodist Theological University
Sogang University

U.K.

University of Lodz
Linköping University
Linnaeus University
University of London School ofOriental and African Studies

Yonsei University

OCEANIA

Malaysia

University of Malaya

University of Adelaide

Philippines

Ateneo de Manila University

University of New South Wales

Singapore

Nanyang Technological University

Australia

University of Sydney

National Chengchi University

The University of Western Australia
THE AMERICAS

National Taiwan University
TaiwanNational Taiwan Normal University

BrazilSoochow University

ThailandFranceUniversity of Sao Paulo
University of British Columbia

Assumption University

University of Calgary
CanadaPayap University

EUROPE

Finland

Rio de Janeiro State University

Tunghai University

Memorial University of
Newfoundland
University of Toronto / Victoria
University

Rangsit University

Denmark

University of Queensland

National University of Singapore

MexicoUniversity of Monterrey

Aarhus University

University of Hawaii at Manoa

University of Southern Denmark

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Helsinki Metropolia University ofApplied Sciences

U.S.A.

North Carolina State University

University of Vaasa

San Francisco State University

Lille 1University

Stetson University

Lumiere University of Lyon 2

University of Washington Bothell

Lyon Institute of Political Studies
Normandy Business School2) Issues to be improved
It is expected that the School provides career guidance to its English-based international students
who are interested in obtaining a job in Japan after completion of their course. Currently the
University’s Center for Career Planning and Placement does not provide career guidance toEnglish-based international students in a way that is satisfactory to them. The School will explore
the feasibility of improving such guidance to them in collaboration with the Center for Career
Planning and Placement51

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must establish support systems to provide academic
counseling and any other support that students require.”
1) Self-Check
Academic support is primarily provided by full-time faculty members during their office hours. In
addition, the email addresses of full-time and fixed-term faculty members are made available tostudents, and support is also provided via email. Office staff provide support with administrative
procedures in person as well as via email. In addition, the University provides a Counseling Roomwhere students can discuss their worries and concerns.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to provide necessary academic and non-academic support to students incollaboration with related organizations within the University.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must provide appropriate academic support and lifestylesupport to international students and disabled students.”
1) Self-CheckTAs and staff in the Institute of Business and Accounting provide support to international students
in collaboration with the Center for International Education and Cooperation (CIEC), a specialized
department responsible for dealing with the needs of international students. The Student Support
Center is responsible for coordinating the provision of support to students with disabilities.

2) Issues to be improved
Though the School faculty and staff provide academic advice to international students in theInternational Management Course where instruction is given in English, the students sometimes
face various non-academic problems that they may need to consult with a professional counselor.
Currently the University doesn’t provide counseling service in English. The School will continue toappeal the necessity of an English-speaking professional counselor to the University.

[Annex No. 10 Office Hours in AY 2014][Annex No. 12 Kwansei Gakuin University Graduate School Scholarship Regulations][Annex No. 23 Career Support Activities/Job Search Schedule in 2013 / 2014][Annex No. 28 Handbook for International Students 2014][Annex No. 29 Center for Japanese Language Education Class Registration Guide]

Standard 12-STUDENT INCENTIVE
Basic Standard: “The School must take measures to enhance the academic progression of its
students to realize its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The School determines which students receive scholarships and exemptions from scholarship loan
repayment based on academic performance. In addition, to encourage students’ academic
performance, the School selects the highest-achieving student as the valedictorian.
522) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which meets the standard.
Detailed Standard 1: "The School must have a system that rewards students who achieve
excellent academic results."
1) Self-Check
The School determines which students receive scholarships and exemptions from scholarship loan
repayment based on academic performance. The School awards diplomas at its graduation
ceremony and selects the highest-achieving student as the valedictorian. The Associate Dean andAssistant Dean are available for consultations with students who have performed poorly or who
wish to discuss their academic progress.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which meets the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must have a system for providing academic support to thestudents who face difficulties with continuing their studies.”
1) Self-Check
As mentioned in Detailed Standard 1 of Standard 11, the School has taken measures to work withstudents who require financial support. In addition to providing support during faculty office hours,
the School has established a system that enables students to request academic assistance fromother faculty members, such as the Associate Dean and Assistant Dean.

2) Issues to be improved
To maintain and strengthen students’ motivation to continue studying—with particular reference tointernational students who are studying in a different culture—the School will examine ways ofcomplementing the existing channels of student–teacher communication (group interviews, officehour consultations, and class evaluations) with opportunities for students and faculty members tointeract as peers on an informal basis.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must hold orientation programs either at the time
students enter the School or before the new academic year begins, to provide incentives forstudents to achieve high standards of academic work.”
1) Self-Check
The School organizes a two-day orientation period to coincide with the April and September
admission ceremonies during which students are informed about the curriculum, course study, thescholarship system, library use, and campus facilities. Students may also request information fromteaching or nonteaching faculty members, either in person or via email, before or after theorientation period.

53

Table 12-3 Schedule of Entrance Ceremony & Orientation for New Students

Schedule of Entrance Ceremony & Orientation for New Students(Spring, 2014 Enrollment - International Management Course)
Date

Time

ActivityCampus

10:30 - 11:40 Spring term entrance ceremony
11:45 - 11:55

IBA students

Greeting from Dean & Executive
Committee of IBA

Nishinomiya
Uegahara

BA302

14:00 - 14:50 IMC Student Orientation Ⅱ
Explanation of scholarship
For Japanese Students

IMC students
Prof.Yutani
TA (Teaching Assistant)

BA302

IMC students
IMC faculty

203, Building B

IntendingapplicantsNishinomiya
Uegahara

IMC Student Orientation Ⅲ
15:00 - 16:00
by TA for non-Japanese students
IMC Student Orientation Ⅳby TA
16:00 - 17:00 (those who need guidance on KG
computer network, course registration)
5
(Sat)

BA304

Lunch breakTA(teaching assistant) will take new students to a canteen.

13:10 - 14:00

15:00 - 15:40

Attendees

Central auditorium

12:00 - 13:10 IMC Student OrientationⅠ

1
(Tue)

Place

Uegaharaor Umeda

1st quarter begins
Course Registration & Amendment for
Spring Semester Courses (April 1 - 15
4:50 pm)

BA303

IMC students(Non-Japanese)
TAs

BA303

IMC Students
TAs

See thetimetable forclassrooms
Web

IBA students* Classroom name begins with BA is for Uegahara Campus and OUC for Osaka Umeda Campus

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which meets the standard.

[Annex No. 12 Kwansei Gakuin University Graduate School Scholarship Regulations][Annex No. 13 Schedule of Entrance Ceremony & Orientation for New Students (Spring 2014
Enrollment)]54

CHAPTER FOUR: FACULTY
Standard 13-FACULTY SUFFICIENCY
Basic Standard: “The School must maintain an adequate faculty organization to realize its
mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The founding principle of the Institute of Business and Accounting is “high-level integration ofJapanese and global management.” As described below, the School maintains sufficient faculty toachieve this objective.
Table 13-0 Number of (Full-time) Faculty members
Capacity for
Required number ofStudents
faculty members
2013
200
14

Current number offaculty members
16

+/+2

2) Issues to be improved
The School maintains sufficient faculty; therefore there are no problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must have a number of full-time faculty members that is
adequate for its educational programs.”
1) Self-Check
The Standards for Establishment of Universities require the School to employ 14 faculty members.
The School employs 16 faculty members on a full-time basis alone. In addition, the School employs
six fixed-term practice-based faculty members who meet the minimum criteria set by thesestandards, and a total of 22 faculty members; therefore, the number of faculty members employed
greatly exceeds the number required.

2) Issues to be improved
The School has a sufficient number of full-time faculty members; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must maintain a sufficient number of full-time Professors
and/or Associate Professors necessary for realizing its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
Table 13-2 Current view of Faculty Organization
Associate
Assistant
Professor
Lecturers
Others
Total
Professor
Professor
Full-time
10
6
0
0
0
16
Faculty members
Approximately 60% of the full-time faculty members are employed as professors, reflecting abalance of the types of faculty members.

552) Issues to be improved
The School maintains a sufficient number of full-time Professors and Associate Professors
necessary for realizing its mission statement; therefore, there are no problems related to thestandard.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must secure adequate number of practically qualified
faculty members to realize its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
Table 13-3 Number of Practically Qualified Faculty members
Type
Academically Qualified
Practically Qualified
Total
Faculty members
Faculty members
Participating Faculty members
101222
Supporting Faculty members
31
33
64
Total
41
45
86
Approximately 48% of faculty members are academic-based faculty, while approximately 52% arepractice-based faculty, demonstrating a balance between the two types.

2) Issues to be improved
The School has sufficient numbers of academic-based and practice-based faculty members atnearly one-to-one ratio; therefore, there are no problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must ensure that the ratio of full-time and part-time
faculty members in its faculty organization is appropriate for realizing its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
Table 13-4-1 Participating Faculty members
Name of
Position
Number of
Number ofParticipating faculty members
courses
credits
KAI, Yoshitaka
Professor
8
20
KAMIYA, Yuji
Professor
3
6
METHE, David
Professor
9
23
MORI, Kazuhiko
Professor
3
6
NISHIMOTO, Ryo
OKADA, Katsuhiko

Professor
Professor

3
8

6
20

SADATO, Shigeki
SATO, Yoshinobu
SUZUKI, Osamu

Professor
Professor
Professor

7
8
9

18
16
22

TAMADA, Schumpeter

Professor

4

10

TANAKA, Masamitu
TASHIRO, Chikara
YAMAMOTO, Shoji
YUTANI, Hiroshi

Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor

7
3
7
9

18
6
18
23

AHMAD, Norlia

Associate Professor

8

21

HAIDER, Mohammad

Associate Professor

7

18

56

HAMURO, Yukinobu
Associate Professor
0
KODAMA, Hironori
Associate Professor
4
MAEDA, Yuji
Associate Professor
6
ODAKA, Kuniko
Associate Professor
6
OUCHI, Akiko
Associate Professor
6
OKADA, Miho
Assistant Professor
4
Total
129
※Associate Professor Hamuro is on a sabbatical leave in 2014

0
8
16
16
16
8
315

Table 13-4-2 Supporting Faculty members
Name of
Position
Supporting faculty members
Professor
FUJISAWA, Takeshi

Numbercourses1

FUKUI, Yukio

Professor

2

4

HOUNG, John

Professor

2

4

ITO, Hidekazu

Professor

1

2

KODAMA, Fumio

Professor

1

2

KOJI, Kojima

Professor

1

2

KOTABE, Masaaki

Professor

1

2

MATSUMOTO, Takashi

Professor

1

0.58

MIYAMOTO, Matao

Professor

2

4

NAKANISHI, Masao

Professor

3

10

OGAWA, Koichi

Professor

1

0.29

MIKI, Junichi

Associate Professor

2

4

NISHIMOTO, Akihiro

Associate Professor

1

2

BOBROVE, Michael

Lecturer

1

2

DELGADO, Pabel

Lecturer

1

1

FUJIMOTO, Hisao

Lecturer

1

2

FUJITA, Kimikazu

Lecturer

1

0.15

FUJITA, Toshihiro

Lecturer

1

0.15

FUNAKOSHI, Tomoko

Lecturer

1

0.29

FURUSHO, Hiroomi

Lecturer

1

2

FUYUNO, Katsunori

Lecturer

1

2

GENBA, Kiminori

Lecturer

1

2

GRUBEL, M.J.

Lecturer

1

2

HARADA, Setsuo

Lecturer

1

0.29

HASHIZUME, Kenji

Lecturer

2

4

HONGE, Shinji

Lecturer

1

0.29

HUSSAINEE, Jaffer

Lecturer

2

4

ISHII, Ryoma

Lecturer

1

2

ITADO, Shiro

Lecturer

1

2

57

of

Numbercredits
2ofKAJIWARA, Akira

Lecturer

1

0.29

KANAI, Kazuyori

Lecturer

1

2

KATO, Naoki

Lecturer

1

2

KAWASHIMA, Takashi

Lecturer

1

0.29

KITAHIRO, Kazuo

Lecturer

1

0.15

KITAI, Akira

Lecturer

1

2

KOMINAMI, Noriko

Lecturer

1

2

KUWATA, Masayoshi

Lecturer

1

0.15

MUKAI, Kotaro

Lecturer

1

0.15

MUNEHIRA, Toshimi

Lecturer

1

2

MURAKAMI, Michikazu

Lecturer

1

2

NAKAHARA, Takanobu

Lecturer

3

6

NAKANISHI, Noritsugu

Lecturer

1

2

NOBORISAKA, Kazuhiro

Lecturer

1

0.58

OTABE, Yuzuru

Lecturer

1

0.15

OTSUKI, Misato

Lecturer

1

1

SAWA, Amane

Lecturer

1

1.72

SEKIGUCHI, Tomoki

Lecturer

1

2

SENIOR, Mark

Lecturer

8

16

SHEEHAN, Joseph

Lecturer

5

10

SHINJO, Koji

Lecturer

1

2

SHISHIDO, Harunori

Lecturer

1

0.58

SUGAWARA, Toshiko

Lecturer

1

0.29

SUMI, Kenzo

Lecturer

1

2

TAKAHASHI, Hiroyuki

Lecturer

1

1

TAKEZAWA, Naoya

Lecturer

1

2

TAKIGAWA, Masayuki

Lecturer

1

0.15

TANIMURA, Mari

Lecturer1

1.5

TOMIOKA, Shinichi

Lecturer

1

0.15

TOMITA, Yoshikazu

Lecturer

1

2

UEDA, Toshihiro

Lecturer

1

0.15

YAMANOUCHI, Minoru

Lecturer

1

2

YAMATO, Masashi

Lecturer

1

2

YOSHIDA, Hitoshi

Lecturer

1

0.15

YOSHIHARA, Hideki
Total

Lecturer1

2

85

135.492) Issues to be improved
The majority of classes are taught by participating faculty members, about half of whom are58

practicing professionals in their fields. The School will continue to pay attention to maintain thecurrent ratio of classes taught by participating faculty members.

Detailed Standard 5: “The School must maintain faculty diversity in terms of age, gender,and nationality in its faculty organization.”
1) Self-Check
Table 13-5-1 Age Group of the Participating Faculty members
years old
29 & under
30-39
40-49
50-59
60 & above
Total
Participating
0
2
5
8
7
22
faculty members
Table 13-5-2 Gender of the Participating Faculty members
Type
Number of Men
Number of Female
Participating
18
4
faculty members
Table 13-5-3 Nationalities of the Participating Faculty members
Type
Number of
Number ofhome Nationality
foreign Nationalities
Participating
19
3
faculty members

Total
22

Total
22

To maintain an active and dynamic faculty body, the School will continue to employ a diverse facultyin terms of age, gender, and nationality.

2) Issues to be improved
To maintain an active and dynamic faculty body, the School strives to employ a diverse range of
faculty. There are no particular problems with meeting the standard.

Detailed Standard 6: “The School must maintain qualified full-time faculty members foreach of the majors it offers in accordance with the following criteria:(1) Faculty members recognized as possessing outstanding accomplishments in research or
education(2) Faculty members recognized as possessing outstanding skills in their field of study(3) Faculty members recognized as possessing outstanding knowledge and experience in theirfield of study.”
1) Self-Check
Table 13-6 The Degreed held by Faculty members.
Type
PhD
Masters
Others
Total
Participating Faculty members
14
8
0
22
*Participating Faculty members include full-time faculty members on permanent contracts andfixed-term practice-based faculty members.

592) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to pay attention to maintain qualified faculty members in accordance withthe criteria specified in the standard.
[Annex No. 14 Professional Graduate School Faculty Appointment Regulations][Annex No. 15 Regulations for Fixed-term Practice-based Faculty][Annex No. 16 Procedures of Employment and Promotion of IBA Faculty]Standard 14 -FACULTY QUALIFICATIONSBasic Standard: “The School must hire faculty members who possess intellectual
qualifications, relevant expertise and teaching skills necessary for realizing its mission
statement.”
1) Self-Check
Table 14-0-1 Research Achievements by Participating Faculty members
Name
DegreeTitle
Field AQ/
Research Achievements of last 4yrs
PQ
Class /
Academic/
Professional
Educational
Theory
PRJ
OIC
PRJ
OIC
PRJ
OIC
KAI,
PhD
Professor
FIN
PQ
0
1
0
0
0
0
Yoshitaka
KAMIYA,MA
Professor MGT
PQ
0
0
0
0
0
0
Yuji
METHE,
PhD
Professor MGT
AQ
0
0
4
6
0
0
David
MORI,
MA
Professor MKT
PQ
0
0
0
0
0
0
KazuhikoNISHIMOTO,
MA
Professor MGT
PQ
0
0
0
0
0
0
Ryo
OKADA,
PhD
Professor
FIN
PQ
0
5
10
3
0
1
Katsuhiko
SADATO,
MA
Professor MGT
PQ
0
0
0
0
0
5
Shigeki
SATO,
MA
Professor MKT
AQ
0
5
6
4
0
5
Yoshinobu
SUZUKI,
PhD
Professor MGT
PQ
0
0
11
0
0
0
Osamu
TAMADA,
PhD
Professor MGT
AQ
0
1
0
4
0
0
Schumpeter
TANAKA,
PhD
Professor MGT
AQ
0
0
0
1
0
0
Masamitu
TASHIRO,
PhD
Professor MGT
PQ
0
1
1
1
1
1
ChikaraYAMAMOTO,
PhD
Professor MKT
AQ
0
0
1
4
0
4
Shoji
60

Total

1
0
10
0
0
19
5
20
11
5
1
5
9

YUTANI,
PhD
Professor
FIN
PQ
0
0
0
4
0
0
HiroshiAHMAD,
Associate
PhD
MKT
AQ
0
0
8
0
0
0
NorliaProfessor
HAIDER,
Associate
PhD
ACT
AQ
0
0
10
0
0
0
MohammadProfessor
HAMURO,
Associate
MA
MKT
AQ
0
0
5
29
0
1
Yukinobu
Professor
KODAMA,
Associate
MA
MKT
PQ
0
1
0
0
0
0
HironoriProf.
MAEDA,
Associate
FIN
PQ
0
5
4
6
1
1
PhD
Yuji
Professor
ODAKA,
Associate
PhD
MGT
AQ
0
0
1
2
0
0
KunikoProfessor
OUCHI,
Associate
MGT
AQ
0
1
0
8
0
1
PhD
Akiko
Professor
OKADA,
Assistant
O
PQ
0
0
0
0
0
0
MA
Miho
Professor
Note*1 Last degreed earned (PhD or MA)*2 Title (Professor, Associate Professor, and others)*3 Field: Management (MGT) Finance (FIN) Marketing (MKT) Accounting (ACT) Operation and MIS(OIS) Others (O)*4 AQ/PQ = AQ: Academically Qualified faculty member, PQ: Professionally Qualified faculty
member
*5 Research achievements of the past 4 years - for the academic year
-Class/Educational = mainly for or related to their class taught or to the business school- Academic/Theory = highly technical academic and theory for expert field- Professional Achievement = Research of the professional and practical matters related to the fieldof expertise-PRJ = Peer Review Journal – number of published articles-OIC = Other Intellectual Contributions – number pf published articles other than those included as
PRJ2) Issues to be improved
The School hires faculty members adhering “Professional Graduate School Faculty Appointment
Regulations” and “Regulations for Fixed-term Practice-based Faculty”, both of which stipulate theprocesses of reviewing the qualifications of candidates. The School organizes a personnel
committee and the members of the committee are responsible for reviewing qualifications ofcandidates. The Committee recommends candidates to the Faculty Board and the Board makes the
final decision concerning the employment of its faculty members.
The current practice meets the standard; therefore, there are no problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must set rules and standards for recruiting and promotionof faculty members.”
61

4
8
10
35
1
17
3
10
0

1) Self-Check
Rules and standards for the appointment and promotion of faculty members are stipulated in the“Professional Graduate School Faculty Appointment Regulations” and the “Regulations for
Fixed-term Practice-based Faculty.”2) Issues to be improved
The School has rules and standards for recruiting and promotion of faculty members; therefore,
there are no problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must have a promotion system for faculty members andevaluate each faculty member fairly and objectively through this system.”
1) Self-Check
The School has clearly set out its faculty evaluation processes in the “Procedures of Employment
and Promotion of IBA Faculty.” Candidates are objectively evaluated according to the following
process: Personnel Committee screening; Faculty Board vote on the establishment of a Review
Committee; receipt of Review Report from Review Committee; Faculty Board vote on appointment
or promotion.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to follow the established system described above.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must periodically assess its faculty members by reviewing
their educational and research performance during the last five years.”
1) Self-Check
The School requires that the instructional and research performance of faculty members during thepast five years be recorded in the “Database of Researchers” and updated every year.

2) Issues to be improved
It is essential to examine what types of teaching abilities are required to achieve the necessary
education and research objectives. The School will consider introducing a system whereby full-time
faculty members employed on permanent contracts examine the class evaluations for eachprogram.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must disclose information about the educational andresearch performance of full-time faculty members during the previous five years.”
1) Self-Check
The instructional and research performance of participating faculty members is recorded in the“Database of Researchers,” which is available on the Kwansei Gakuin University website:
http://researchers.kwansei.ac.jp/. In addition to instructional and research achievements, faculty
members can also use the database to record and publicize their current activities.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to encourage its faculty members to consistently update their data on the62website.

Detailed Standard 5: “The School must evaluate academic performance of professional
faculty members periodically, and assign the courses which they teach appropriately.”
1) Self-Check
The School renews the contracts of its fixed-term practice-based faculty members every year basedon the results of the class evaluations. Evaluations of fixed-term practice-based faculty members
are examined by the School Committee under the direction of the Associate Dean before theFaculty Board votes to determine whether their contracts should be renewed.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue its current practice which meets the standard.
[Annex No. 14 Professional Graduate School Faculty Appointment Regulations][Annex No. 15 Regulations for Fixed-term Practice-based Faculty][Annex No. 16 Procedures of Employment and Promotion of IBA Faculty][Annex No. 21 Class Evaluation Questionnaire Sheet]Standard 15-FACULTY SUPPORT
Basic Standard: “The School must have an educational and research environment necessary
for promoting educational and research activities of its faculty members.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School maintains an education and research environment that enhances the
instructional and research activities of its faculty members.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to pay attention to maintain an environment that enhances the
instructional and research activities of its faculty members.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must limit the number of courses its faculty members
teach so that faculty members can secure time to develop their educational and research
activities.”
1) Self-Check
The Business School follows the quarter system. Classes generally carry two credits, and students
attend 180 minutes of lectures (two koma sessions) per week over a seven-week quarter before
taking a final examination (report). The “Individual Research” classes, which are the final steps inthe curriculum, carry four credits each, and require students to attend 180 minutes of lectures (twokoma sessions) per week over a fourteen-week period. Full-time faculty members are responsible
for teaching a minimum of four koma sessions per week (16 credits) over a one-year period.
To enable faculty members to develop their instructional and research activities in an appropriatemanner, the School Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Faculty Board ensure that63

appropriate amount of lecture time is assigned for each faculty member.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to pay attention to ensure that appropriate amount of lecture and isassigned for each faculty member so that they are able to secure time to develop their educationaland research activities.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must have a support system to secure the research funds
necessary for promoting faculty members’ educational and research activities.”
1) Self-Check
An individual research allowance of 340,000 yen per year is provided to participating faculty
members to cover expenses directly related to their research activities. In addition, the University
provides a conference travel allowance of 225,000 yen per year, which faculty members can use tocover the costs of attending association meetings in Japan and overseas. Moreover, the University
operates a system through which faculty members can apply for funds to cover additional researchexpenses.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to support its faculty members’ applications to for external grants incollaboration with Kwansei Gakuin University’s Organization for Research Development andOutreach.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must have a support system including administrative andtechnical support staff necessary for promoting faculty members’ educational and research
activities.”
1) Self-Check
The School employs three Administrative Assistants and three TAs to support its educational
activities. The Organization for Research Development and Outreach provides specialized support
in obtaining Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research and conducting collaborative research withbusiness enterprises.

2) Issues to be improved
The School employs International Management Course students as TAs; these assistants provide
support with administrative procedures. The School will examine ways of improving the level ofadministrative and academic support it offers, for example, by employing PhD students as TAs.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must take appropriate steps to vitalize its curricula so as
to promote the educational and research activities of its faculty.”
1) Self-Check
To maintain an active and dynamic curriculum in which the instructional and research activities offaculty members are reflected in lectures, the School offers, in addition to its standard classes,
64opportunities for students to explore case studies and theories that are at the forefront of thebusiness world through a variety of “Case Studies” classes and “Advanced Corporate Strategic
Management” and “Advanced Topics in Business.”2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to pay attention to maintain an active and dynamic curriculum in which
theory and practice are effectively combined.

[Annex No. 17 Guidelines for International Conference Presenter/Convener/Manager Subsidy 2014][Annex No. 24 For Female Researchers Research Assistants]

Standard 16-RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACULTY MEMBERS
Basic Standard: “The School’s faculty members must strive to communicate with its
stakeholders and ensure that their research and teaching activities are aimed at achieving the
School’s mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
Faculty members conduct in-depth discussions with students, both in person and via email (theemail addresses of faculty members are available to students), concerning class content andstudent learning needs. Graduates also discuss the issues and needs of actual business situations
with faculty members through Institute of Business and Accounting Research Forum activities. In
addition, faculty members frequently exchange views with business managers and executives who
work in their specialized area of teaching and research. Through such activities, the School strives
to develop courses that incorporate the stakeholders’ opinions.

2) Issues to be improved
Faculty members actively strive to improve the content of their classes, for example, by
self-evaluating their classes. Faculty members fix office hours and maintain close contact withstudents; thus, they are deemed to be satisfactorily executing their duties.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School’s faculty members must continuously develop andimprove their course contents, materials used in their courses, and teaching methods based on
the results of the self-check/self-evaluation and the student evaluation.”
1) Self-Check
Faculty members make efforts to improve the content of their lectures, teaching materials, andteaching methods based on the results of self-reflection and class evaluations.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to encourage its faculty members to continuously develop and improvetheir course contents based on feedback from students and the result of self-evaluation.
Detailed Standard 2: “The School’s faculty members must strive to teach cutting-edge
65

expertise and specialized knowledge in their respective fields of study in order to achieve thelearning goals.”
1) Self-Check
When determining the content of each class, faculty members give due consideration to the latest
case studies and theory. In particular, in classes such as “Cases in Strategic Management,”“Creating High-Technology Ventures,” and “Advanced Topics,” which explore case studies andinnovation at the leading edge of the business world, the School offers opportunities for students toconsider advanced business topics by inviting experienced businessmen as guest speakers.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will continue to pay attention to provide classes that deals with advanced businesstopics by hiring leading-edge practitioners and inviting experienced businesspersons as guest
speakers.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School’s faculty members must strive to set office hours andactively communicate with the students through e-mail in order to help them to achieve theirlearning goals.”
1) Self-Check
Participating faculty members and students discuss learning goals during office hours and via email(the email addresses of faculty members are available to students). The School has made efforts toimprove the level of academic guidance provided outside class hours by utilizing online bulletinboards for individual classes. Moreover, even after completing their course, students can enhancetheir expertise by continuing to engage in discussion with faculty members through the Institute ofBusiness and Accounting Research Forum. In addition, the student auditing system enables
graduates to attend classes and use individual study rooms.

2) Issues to be improved
Participating faculty members offer great flexibility in terms of their availability. The School willcontinue to encourage its faculty members to maintain their current practice.

[Annex No. 10 Office Hours in AY 2014][Annex No. 25 IBA Research Forum User Agreement]66

CHAPTER FIVE: SUPPORTING STAFF AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Standard 17-EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAFF
Basic Standard: “The School must have an appropriate administrative system to support
educational and research activities of its faculty members in order to realize its mission
statement.”
1) Self-Check
The highest decision-making body of the School is the Faculty Board. To facilitate its smoothmanagement, the School has established the Dean’s Office Committee, which has the authority tomake decisions on behalf of the Faculty Board; therefore, decisions on routine matters are taken by
the Dean’s Office Committee. In addition, the School has established an Executive Committee,
which is responsible for managing the School. The Dean’s Office Committee comprises the Dean
(head representative), the Associate Deans (responsible for academic and student affairs), theAssistant Deans, and the Conveners of School Committee, a body responsible for discussing theacademic affairs of the Business School.
The Administrative Office assists with committee administration duties and supports the
instructional and research activities of faculty members and the academic activities of students.

2) Issues to be improved
The School maintains an administrative system that provides appropriate support for the
instructional and research activities of its faculty members; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must institute management systems, including faculty
meetings and executive committees, to discuss administrative issues and to make and enforce
the decisions required to achieve its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The highest decision-making body of the School is the Faculty Board. It is chaired by the Dean andcomprises full-time faculty members who are employed on permanent contracts. The Dean isselected by the Faculty Board members’ votes, and his/her term of office is two years. The Faculty
Board deliberates on matters such as management of academic personnel; the granting of
emeritus status; the awarding of degrees; allocation of faculty members to programs and classes;
the management of changes in student registration; the certification of student qualifications;student rewards and punishments; and the creation, amendment, and repeal of rules andregulations. In addition, the Faculty Board deliberates on matters delegated by the Dean, such as
the School’s budget and its allocation. Two-thirds of the members of the Faculty Board form aquorum, and motions are adopted by a majority vote among the members present. However,decisions concerning the management of academic personnel or the granting of emeritus status
require at least two thirds of votes of the members present in the meeting.
To facilitate its smooth management, the School has established the Dean’s Office Committee,
which has the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Faculty Board; therefore, decisions on
67

ordinary matters are taken by the Dean’s Office Committee. The Dean’s Office Committee
comprises seven members: one Dean; two Associate Deans (one from each school); two Assistant
Deans (one from each school); and two Committee members (one Convener from each school).
However, decisions concerning educational programs and persons in charge of classes can be madeby the Curriculum Committee on behalf of the Faculty Board. The Curriculum Committee comprises
full-time faculty members on permanent contracts and fixed-term practice-based faculty. The
Committee is chaired by the Dean, two-thirds of the members form a quorum, and motions are
adopted by a majority vote of the members present.
In addition, the two schools that constitute the Institute of Business and Accounting (the Business
School and the Accounting School) oversee school operations and school-specific issues throughtheir respective School Committees. The Convener of the School Committee is elected from among
the Committee members, and the intentions of the School Committee are represented in the Dean’s
Office Committee through this Convener, who is also a member of the Dean’s Office Committee.
Furthermore, to examine and implement management decisions, the School has establishedvarious other committees, such as the Personnel Committee, Public Relations Committee,
Self-Evaluation Committee, Faculty Development Committee, and Library Committee.
Chart 17-1 Institute of Business and Accounting Organization Chart
Member: Full-time tenured faculty (28)
Convener: Dean (1)Faculty Board

Fixed-term faculty members are eligible to attend the Board.

Dean's Office Committee (7)MemberDean (1)
Associate Deans (2, one from each school)
Assistant Deans (2, one from each school)
Committee members (2, one convener from each school)
The Dean's Office Committee has authority to makedecisions on the matters designated by the Faculty Board on
its behalf.

Curriculum Committee (44)Business School Committee (22)
Member:Full-time tenured faculty (16)Fixed-term faculty (6)The Business School Committee discusses the School
curriculum, personnel affairs and etc., to put forward
proposals to the Faculty Board or the Curriculum Committee.

Accounting School Committee(22)Member:Full-time tenured faculty (12)Fixed-term faculty(10)The Accounting School Committee discusses the School
curriculum, personnel affairs and etc., to put forward proposals to
the Faculty Board or the Curriculum Committee.

Member:Full-time tenured faculty (28)Fixed-term faculty (16)The Curriculum Committee makes decisions concerning
educational programs and persons in charge of classes.

Administrative Office
Full-time staff (5)Fixed-term contract staff (1)Part-time staff (5)Supporting Staff
Administrative assistants (3)Teaching assistants (3)682) Issues to be improved
The current management system functions well; therefore, there are no problems related to thestandard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must institute administrative systems which are in an
appropriate proportion to its size and status, and which are able to respond to the needs ofglobalization.”
1) Self-Check
To conduct its administrative functions, the Institute of Business and Accounting has established an
Administrative Office at the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus. The Administrative Office employs atotal of 11 staff members: five full-time employees (one General Manager, one Assistant General
Manager, and three clerical personnel), one contract employee, and five part-time employees.
Along with managing School operations, the Office supports the instructional and research
activities of faculty members and the academic activities of students.
In addition, the School has established the Osaka Umeda Campus Administrative Office to manage
operations at the Osaka Umeda Campus, where some of its classes are held. The Osaka Umeda
Campus Administrative Office employs one full-time staff member, one temporary staff member,and one agency staff member, as well as outsourced staff. The Osaka Umeda Campus
Administrative Office is responsible for the administration of classes at the Osaka Umeda Campus,
and it performs its duties in cooperation with the Institute of Business and Accounting
Administrative Office.

2) Issues to be improved
Both Uegahara and Osaka administrative offices function well sharing necessary information andcollaborating with each other; and there are English-speaking staff members available at bothoffices. The School will maintain the current administrative system that contributes to faculty andstudents’ satisfaction.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must institute administrative systems that adequately
support the educational and research activities of its faculty members.”
1) Self-Check
The School employs three Administrative Assistants and three TAs, who are responsible forsupporting educational activities (assisting with classes, preparing instructional materials, andproviding assistance to international students) and managing the library and computer facilities
under the Dean’s supervision. In addition, the School employs two staff members as part-timesecretaries, whose role is to support education and research activities that are not covered in themain budget, as well as the alumni association. The University has established an Organization for
Research Development and Outreach, which handles all matters related to internal and external
research grants and other research support on an institution-wide level.
692) Issues to be improved
The School will maintain the current administrative system that sufficiently supports theeducational and research activities of its faculty members.

[Annex No. 18 Faculty Board Regulations]Standard 18-INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT
Basic Standard: “The School must maintain educational and research facilities and otherinfrastructure needed to achieve its mission statement.”
1) Self-Check
The Corporate Strategic Management Course is administered at the Osaka Umeda Campus, whichis equipped with classrooms, a library, a collaborative research room, a computer area, a facultycommon room, and a lounge. Osaka is a modern business center; therefore, the location of thecampus within this business center not only benefits students by reducing their commute time, but
it is also geographically significant and forms one of the distinctive features of the Corporate
Strategic Management Course. The International Management Course is administered at both the
Osaka Umeda Campus and the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus. The Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus
boasts an excellent learning environment centered on the University Library and is home to theCenter for International Education and Cooperation (CIEC), which provides support forinternational students. Students can travel between the two campuses in less than an hour using
public transportation.

2) Issues to be improved
The School will maintain its current educational and research facilities that mostly serve the needsof its faculty and students. It is necessary to increase the number of computers running on English
operating systems in order to accommodate a growing number of English-based international
students.

Detailed Standard 1: “The School must maintain an appropriate number and quality of its
facilities, such as classrooms, seminar rooms, and study rooms, in order to enhance theefficiency of its educational programs.”
1) Self-Check
The Osaka Umeda Campus is conveniently located in an office building in Chaya-machi, Kita-ku,
Osaka. The Campus houses two large classrooms, four medium-sized classrooms, and seven smallclassrooms on the 10th and 14th floors of the building and contains a collaborative research room(with 20 seats, 20 computers, and 2 printers), a library (with 22 seats), a computer area (with 32
computers, 2 printers, and 1 photocopier), and a self-study room. The School provides a large
number of small and medium-sized classrooms to facilitate small group instruction. LAN is available
70

throughout the 14th floor, enabling students to freely connect to the Internet to gather materials,
write reports, and access class materials and information.
The Institute of Business and Accounting building at the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus houses
two large classrooms, three medium-sized classrooms, two small classrooms, a self-study room, agroup discussion room, and an Institute of Business and Accounting library. In addition, the campus
contains the University Library, which, with more than 1.7 million books, is one of the largest
university libraries in Western Japan. Students can use the self-study rooms in the library that areavailable to all graduate students.

2) Issues to be improved
The School maintains sufficient number and quality of facilities; therefore, there are no problems
related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 2: “The School must provide an individual office for each full-time faculty
member.”1) Self-Check
The School provides individual faculty offices at the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus. As a rule,individual faculty offices are 22.7 m2 and contain a desk, bookshelf, and private telephone (withinternal and external lines).

2) Issues to be improved
The School provides an individual office for each full-time faculty member; therefore, there are no
problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 3: “The School must systematically maintain a collection of books,
academic journals, and audiovisual materials necessary for the educational and research
activities of both students and faculty.”
1) Self-Check
A library budget is provided for books and reference materials, which is allocated from the
University Library budget each year based on standard criteria, and an individual School librarybudget, which is calculated based on the number of faculty members and students at the School.
The library budget is used to purchase library books for students, which are selected by all faculty
members and housed in the library. The School library budget is divided into student and facultyuse. The faculty library budget is used to purchase research books while the student library budget
is used to purchase course reference books and journals selected by the Library Committee.
The University maintains an updated web database, which enables students to access academic
papers, various statistics, and newspaper articles.
712) Issues to be improved
The School systematically maintains a collection of books, academic journals, and audiovisualmaterials necessary for the educational and research activities of both students and faculty;
therefore, there are no problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 4: “The School must effectively utilize and maintain facilities andequipment appropriate for its educational and research activities and the delivery of its
educational programs.”
1) Self-Check
The Osaka Umeda Campus is located near stations on the Hankyu Railway, Hanshin Electric Railway,
Japan Railway, and the Osaka Municipal Subway, and is thus convenient for both working students
and fixed-term practice-based faculty and visiting guest speakers. Computers are available to rent
and are used by students for checking instructional materials posted by persons in charge ofcourses and for student presentations. Books and materials that are not available at the Osaka
Umeda Campus can be ordered from the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus.
The Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus boasts an excellent learning environment that is centered on
the University Library and is home to the Center for International Education and Cooperation(CIEC), which provides support for international students.

2) Issues to be improved
The School maintains facilities and equipment that meet the standard; therefore, there are no
problems related to the standard.

Detailed Standard 5: “The School must provide study environments which enable students
to engage in self-study, and encourage students to make use of these environments.”
1) Self-CheckTo encourage students to engage in self-guided study, the School provides the following study
environments:
1. Common Study Rooms[Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus]
There are common study rooms for graduate students on the 2nd floor of the Shared Facilities
Building and on the 3rd floor of Graduate Student Services Building 1. Common study rooms
provide students with shared carrels. Classrooms on the Shared Facilities Building are available
when no sessions are conducted.
There is a room for group use in the Graduate Students Services Building 1. Students can reserve itat the office of the building. The reservation is accepted one month prior to the date of use.
Students are requested to use common study rooms quietly so as not to disturb other students.
[Osaka Umeda Campus]
72

There are common study rooms for Institute of Business and Accounting students with 20 PCs and2 printers.
2. Group Discussion Room
[Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus]
There is a room for Institute of Business and Accounting students to talk or discuss in groups for
preparation or meeting for classes or study on the 1st floor of the Shared Facilities Building.
Students can access internet as wireless LAN is installed.
3. Libraries / Reference Material Rooms[Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus] - Institute of Business and Accounting Library
There is a library/reference materials room for Institute of Business and Accounting students on the
1st floor of the Shared Facilities Building on the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus. It is stocked mainlywith books and magazines related to course materials, which will not be lent out. Students may
read materials in this room, or use the copy machines to make copies if necessary. There are also
PCs available for lending only for group discussions. Students can also utilize the University Libraryon campus.
[Osaka Umeda Campus] - Library (Institute of Business and Accounting)
There is a library/reference materials room for graduate students at the Osaka Umeda Campus. It
is stocked mainly with books and magazines related to course materials, which will not be lent out.
Students may read materials in this room, or use the copy machines located next to the library to
make copies if necessary.
4. University Library
The University Library on the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus is a modern library on 5 floors,
containing some 1.7 million volumes, almost all in open-access stacks. There are study places for
1,700 students, as well as PC rooms, group study rooms, and individual study rooms for use by
graduate students and faculty. Individual study rooms may be booked up to two weeks in advance;
continuous use is restricted to 1 week. To use the library, students require a library card, which will
be issued by the University Library to all registered students.
On application to the Osaka Umeda Campus Office, students may have books sent from the
University Library on the Nishinomiya Uegahara and Kobe Sanda Campuses. Students can findbooks which they need through internet without visiting the university library.
5. Computer use
All students will be registered for computer use by submitting ‘System Usage Pledge Form’, and will
be provided with ID and password at the time of admission.
Computers are available at the Student Study Room (with 2 computers, Group Discussion Room(with 8 computers, including 2 English ones), Media and Research Facilities Building, Lecture Hall 4,
Graduate Student Services Building 1 on the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus, and at the computer73

area and the collaborative research room on the Osaka Umeda Campus.
To use in classrooms or the Group Discussion Room, students can check out a computer from theInstitute of Business and Accounting Library.
6. Printer use
Students can print out for free up to 500 points (1 point for black-and-white printing, 10 points forcolor printing per a sheet of paper) in an academic year on campuses. Students should apply for
extra use with charges.
7. Locker use (on the Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus)
There are lockers for students in the Student Study Room (coin-operated), and on the stairway(dial) on the 2nd floor in Shared Facilities Building. Lockers are also available on the third floor in
the Graduate Students Services Building 1. Application for locker use must be made at the
beginning of each semester.
Students cannot have lockers in both Shared Facilities Building and Graduate Students Services
Building 1.
8. Card-key system
The card-key system in the Shared Facilities Building is installed on the doors: in the east of theentrance hall the first floor, Group Discussion Room and the Student Study Room on the second
floor. Students have access to them until 23:00 with a card-key even after/when the Shared
Facilities Building is closed.
Table 18-5-1 Opening Hours of Shared Facilities Building and Graduate Student Service Building 1

Shared Facilities Building(Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus)
When classes are

When classes are not in session(including Intensive

Aug. 1 - Sept. 10

in session

Course period)

when classes are not in session

Weekdays

Saturdays

Weekdays

Saturdays

Weekdays

Saturdays

8:00～18:50

8:00～19:40

8:00～17:00

8:00～12:30

8:00～16:00

8:00～12:00(18:50～23:00)(19:40～23:00)(17:00～23:00)(12:30～23:00)(16:00～23:00)(12:00～23:00)

IBA Library

9:00～18:20

9:00～12:20

9:00～16:50

9:00～12:20

9:00～16:00

9:00～12:00

Student Study
Room(Entry by acard key)

8:00～16:50

8:00～12:20

8:00～16:50

8:00～12:20

8:00～16:00

8:00～12:00(16:50～23:00)(12:20～23:00)(16:50～23:00)(12:20～23:00)(16:00～23:00)(12:00～23:00)

Open(Entry bya card key)

Group Discussion
Room
Graduate Student Service
Building 1 : Graduate Students’Common Study Room
(Entry by a card key)

8:00～23:00 accessible by card key when the building is open.
8:00～20:00

8:00～14:40

8:00～20:00

8:00～14:40

8:00～20:00

8:00～14:40(7:00～8:00)(20:00～23:00)(7:00～8:00)(14:40～23:00)(7:00～8:00)(20:00～23:00)(7:00～8:00)(14:40～23:00)(7:00～8:00)(20:00～23:00)(7:00～8:00)(14:40～23:00)

74

Table 18-5-2 Opening Hours of Osaka Umeda Campus

Weekdays

Saturdays

Office,Student
Study Rooms, 10:00～22:00
Library (IBA)

Sundays when
Sundays when the 6thclasses are in session–period classes are intill 5th period &sessionholidays

10:00～19:30

10:00～
21:00

PC Rooms

10:00～18:00

10:00～18:00
Note: open at 9:00am whenthe 1st-period-classes are insession.

Note: open on holidays depending on classhours.

Table 18-5-3 Closing Period of Osaka Umeda Campus
Summer Vacation
Winter Vacation
Kwansei Gakuin Foundation
Day

August 13 - 21. Note: Student study room and the library areopen for students’ self-study use. (Open hours: 10:00-18:00.)
December 25 - January 5
September 28. Note: Campus is open as classes are on session
on this day, open hours depend on the class hours.

It will be announced in advance on the information board of the Osaka Umeda Campus and the
Osaka Umeda Campus website when the campus will be closed in addition to the above.
Table 18-5-4 Operating Hours of related buildings on Holidays at Nishinomiya Uegahara Campus
SharedFacilities
Building

Open

8:00 - 23:00（Entry by a card key for all day）

IBA Library

Closed all day. No entry by a card key.

Student Study Room

8:00 - 23:00（Entry by a card key for all day）

Group Discussion Room

8:00 - 23:00（Entry by a card key for all day）

Graduate Student Service Building 1
Graduate Students’ Common Study Room

7:00 - 23:00（Entry by a card key for all day）

‘Holidays’ are Sundays, Japanese National Holidays when classes are not in session, dates
designated by KGU (all Saturdays from July 31 to Sept. 2).

2) Issues to be improved
To secure the facilities needed for promoting instructional and research activities, it is necessary toincrease the number of computers running on English operating systems, which is currently
insufficient.
[Annex No. 5 Floor Maps][Annex No. 31 Campus Map]
[Annex No. 32 Library Guide]75

2. Improvement Issues
1) Chapter One: Mission Statement
The School will improve the quality of education it provides based on Kwansei Gakuin’s school
motto “Mastery for Service” and offer more practical instruction that incorporates the study ofadvanced business topics. To achieve this mission, it is necessary to continuously examine whether
the School’s instructional and research objectives respond to the current needs of society in view ofthe progress of globalization in Japan and the University’s emphasis on globalization strategies.

2) Chapter Two: Educational Programs
Although the School regularly revises the classes available in its educational programs, it isnecessary to expand and integrate the programs themselves. Furthermore, the School should aim
to provide more opportunities for students who are working in the business field to take classes on
weekends. In addition, it is necessary to increase the number of English classes available tostudents studying in the Corporate Strategic Management Course.

3) Chapter Three: Students
The Corporate Strategic Management Course is primarily attended by executive trainees in theirthirties; however, the School should aim to attract students from diverse professional backgrounds.
The biggest challenge for the International Management Course involves ensuring a stable numberof students to maintain active classroom debate involving a broad range of students.
In addition, the School aims to improve the Japanese language abilities of international students
who intend to apply for positions within Japanese enterprises.

4) Chapter Four: Faculty
The School considers diversity when appointing faculty members to maintain an active anddynamic faculty body. Furthermore, there are no problems at present because the School maintains
an environment that serves to promote instructional and research activities.
It is necessary to continue examining what type of teaching abilities are faculty members required
to possess in order to achieve the School’s education and research objectives.

5) Chapter Five: Supporting Staff and Infrastructure
The School maintains an adequate administrative system that provides appropriate support for the
instructional and research activities of its faculty members; therefore, there are currently no
problems in this area. To promote instructional and research activities, the School provides faculty
members with faculty offices, offers an adequate range of classes at two campuses, and provides
individual study space; therefore, the School maintains an effective learning environment.

76

3. Improvement Initiatives
1) Mission Statement
Under the leadership of the Dean of the Institute of Business and Accounting, the School will
implement a number of measures to improve the quality of the education that it provides. In
doing so, the School will ensure that its educational content adequately incorporates both thetheoretical and practical elements of business. Therefore, the School will use the results of classevaluations and group interviews with students, as well as the suggestions of the Advisory
Board, to enhance its classes. In addition, the School will make a greater effort to incorporate awider range of opinions held by stakeholders outside the School regarding its instructional andresearch objectives, such as Kwansei Gakuin University alumni working in the business world.

2) Educational Programs
The School plans to reorganize its weekend classes and create a timetable that enables students
to complete their programs, wherever possible, by attending weekend classes alone. The School
will examine the possibility of establishing classes that cultivate design thinking—a conceptual
framework that influences the way in which organizations develop new products and services.
Therefore, the School will offer several of its all-English classes in the International Management
on weekday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays, and will encourage working adult students fromthe Corporate Strategic Management Course to attend these classes. The classes will contributeto improving students’ abilities as global businesspersons, and individuals and enterprises areenabled to participate in the classes as businessperson training programs.
In the International Management Course, the School will make efforts to recommend students
for study abroad programs. The School will respond to the needs of international students whowish to study Japanese by arranging class schedules to accommodate Japanese classes offeredby the University.

3) Students
In April 2014, the School began efforts to expand its student base for the Corporate Strategic
Management Course by establishing a program that focuses on management for local
government, medical institutions, and academia. As the Japanese economy recovers from theeffects of the Great Recession, Japanese enterprises have once again begun to invest in humanresource development. In view of this situation, the School will increase the number of visits it
makes to business enterprises, local governments, and medical institutions, and seek out
enterprises that can provide a continuous flow of students to the School. In addition, the School
will enhance its lecture meetings for businesspersons.
For the International Management Course, the School will strengthen its participation in the MBA
Tour and increase the number of visits it makes to Japanese language schools in Japan.
Furthermore, the School will enhance its website as a marketing tool to attract international
applicants. In addition, to enhance motivation for study among International Management
Course students, the School will arrange opportunities for students and faculty members to77

interact as peers and on an informal basis.
The School will encourage active use of the “Institute of Business and Accounting Research
Forum” to support the interaction and research activities of graduates, students, and faculty
members.

4) Faculty
Full-time faculty members on permanent contracts will examine the content of related classes byreferring to class evaluations and the results of class observations.
To ensure that class material is conducive to the School’s instructional and research objectives,
the School must stay current with the latest developments in the business world. Therefore, theSchool will implement initiatives that strengthen its cooperation with partners in industry,
government, and academia; stay alert to the needs of business; and examine needs forcultivating human resources.
The Institute of Business and Accounting also offers a PhD course. Therefore, the School will
examine the possibility of employing PhD students as TAs to improve the level of academic
support, which is currently provided by students studying in professional degree programs.

5) Supporting Staff and Infrastructure
The School will promote its “Pinch Hitter System” to provide more support to female researcherswith young children.
The School will strengthen its core staff with a view of securing external funding for enhancing
its instructional and research activities.
To improve its English-language computer facilities, the School will examine the possibility ofincreasing the number of computers running on English operating systems that are available at
the Osaka Umeda Campus.

78

4. Action Plans for three years
1) Action Plans 2015
 Securing students
The School will strive to increase the number of prospective students who participate in theinformation sessions for the Corporate Strategic Management Course.
The School will strive to attract students for the International Management Course byparticipating in the MBA Tour.


Adopting the suggestions of students, graduates, and society
The School will establish a Business School Advisory meeting comprising at least five advisers,
who are graduates working in the business world or representatives from partner enterprises.
In addition, to gather the opinions of graduates, the School will examine and implement awidespread survey through the Institute of Business and Accounting Research Forum.

Improving programs
The School will provide at least five English classes (International Management or hybrid
courses) on weekday evenings and on weekends, and it will offer these classes to individuals
and enterprises as a businessperson training program using the credited auditor system.
In addition, to ensure the quality of its classes, the School will share the results of individualclass evaluations among its full-time faculty members and use this information to determine
the class structure of each program for the following academic year.

2) Action Plans 2016
Securing students
The School will continue its efforts from the first year, while making improvements.



Adopting the suggestions of students, graduates, and society
The School will establish an Advisory Board comprising at least five members.
The School will analyze the opinions and suggestions of graduates that are contained in the
results of the widespread survey and will use this information to determine the curriculum forthe following academic year.

Improving programs
The School will reorganize its weekend classes to enable students to complete their programs,
wherever possible, by attending weekend classes alone.
The School will continue to determine the class structure of each program based on the resultsof class evaluations.

793) Action Plans 2017
Securing students
The School will continue its efforts from the second year, while making improvements.

Improving programs
Based on its first-year initiatives, the findings of the Advisory Board, and the wide-scale survey,
the School will provide at least 10 English-taught classes (International Management or hybridclasses) on weekday evenings and weekends and offer class packages to individuals andenterprises as a businessperson training program, which will be a distinctive feature of the
School.

80