University Accreditation Results(Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for university)

Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2021
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2029）

Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts

Overview
Based on the philosophy of the Doshisha founder that the education of women isimperative to the development of society, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts
(DWCLA) has worked to shape women who contribute to building a richer world.
DWCLA is a comprehensive women’s college with 11 departments in six faculties,
one advanced course, and eight majors in five graduate schools at present. It pursues
educational and research activities toward achieving its three educational
philosophies of Christianity, internationalism, and liberal arts. In 2016, a future
vision called “Vision 150” was set up as a new mid- to long-term plan to mark the150th anniversary in 2026 of the University’s founding. This vision defines fourlong-term goals with the concept of nurturing women who can reform the 21stcentury from a woman’s perspective. The first five years of the plan period are set as
the first phase for which medium-term targets are set, and action plans for the various
groups have been created and are currently being carried out according to plan.
The basic concept for the promotion of internal quality assurance anduniversity-wide policy is laid out as the Policy on Internal Quality Assurance in thePolicies on Various Activities of DWCLA created in July 2019, and procedures
related to internal quality assurance are stipulated in the Internal Quality Assurance
Promotion Regulations of DWCLA. In accordance with these regulations, theInternal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee has been established as theorganization promoting internal quality assurance university-wide. It verifies theresults of inspections and accreditations of various organizations, creates universitywide Check and Review Reports or Self-Study Annual Reports, and also makes
proposals to the President regarding measures for improvements and enhancements.
It has also created a system for the President to give instructions to variousorganizations regarding improvements and enhancements. Management of thePDCA cycle related to internal quality assurance led by the Internal Quality
Assurance Promotion Committee is outlined in diagram form with a summary
diagram of the internal quality assurance system of DWCLA. However, although therole of the Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee is stipulated in theInternal Quality Assurance Promotion Regulations of DWCLA, substantive
discussions regarding checks and reviews take place mainly in the Operations Group1

Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts

for Internal Quality Assurance Promotion, and division of roles being unclear
between it and the Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee, in which said
discussions should actually be engaged, requires improvements to be made. Moving
forward, the JUAA hopes the system for internal quality assurance will function more
substantially with appropriate verification, which leads to improvements andenhancements in education and research for each undergraduate and graduate
division.
All undergraduate and graduate divisions are appropriately carrying out
education in accordance with the degree award policy (diploma policy) andcurriculum design and implementation policy (curriculum policy). Eachundergraduate and graduate division has a curriculum overview diagram available,
and a numbering system is being implemented to categorize class subjects based oncontent and level. From AY2019, a class reflection sheet has been implemented withwhich faculty members in charge of classes self-evaluate the level of achievement
for goals to be attained that are indicated in the degree award policy. It serves as basic
material to allow them to understand existing issues and address them, and it isapparent that effort is being made toward university-wide education quality
assurance.
It can be commended that improvements have been made against
recommendations received with the previous university accreditation by the JUAA
in AY2019 regarding the issue of balance between research activities and courseworkin the curriculum for the Graduate School of Literary Studies, and the low ratio ofstudent enrollment to the student enrollment cap in the Graduate School ofInternational Social Systems Studies.
It is also commendable that thorough student support is being offered, such as
the continued implementation of the conventional big sister system in which upperclass students provide thorough support for younger students, the implementation ofremote classes as a measure against the spread of COVID-19 in AY2020 and offering
assistance tailored to students in need of support educationally and financially.
Further in 2015, the Women’s Activation Center was established to provide support
and advice so that students and alumni can carry out their roles in society and exert
their abilities throughout their lives. Activities are being eagerly carried out withcooperation among organizations both within campus and outside. Additionally, in2017 in cooperation with the municipality in which the University is situated, theCommunity-Building Committee of DWCLA was formed as an organization forstudents to take initiative in working for community-building. Work is being carried
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Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Artsout to build a system for students to be at the center of social cooperation activities,
and such proactive initiatives are being carried out in both social cooperation andcontribution.
Although such unique initiatives are evident, graduate schools have issues
regarding specifying methods for student quota management and evaluating learning
outcomes. Correction is also required concerning the method of instruction not
clearly indicated in the research supervision plan. Going forward, it is anticipatedthat the internal quality assurance system will function more substantially and efforts
will be made to enhance and ensure the quality of education university-wide forfurther development of the University.
Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 The Women’s Activation Center, where programs and other events for theformation of women’s careers are held, cooperates with organizations within
campus and outside the University. Lecturers are invited from outside theUniversity who are recommended by alumni who have started businesses as well
as faculty members. It is an opportunity not only for students to learn about theformation of a career as a leader in the future, but by making the program widely
available to residents in the community, it contributes greatly to advancing therole of women in society, etc. With the center as a base, several programs areheld by graduate school students as staff members, such as the Childcare Support
Program, serving as a place for students themselves to contribute to society
through active learning and as an opportunity for them to contemplate careerformation. Thus, it can be commended as an initiative that holds true to the willof the founder, who believed in the necessity of education for women.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance Although the role of the Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee isstipulated in the Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Regulations of DWCLA,
the study by the Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee is insufficient,and substantive discussions on checks and reviews take place mainly in theOperations Group for Internal Quality Assurance Promotion. Improvementmeasures suggested by the President are shared at the Standing Committee,
which is the decision making body of the University, with the Internal Quality
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Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts

Assurance Promotion Committee including the President as a member, which is
not stated in the regulations. Improvements should be made to clear up
discrepancies between the regulations and actual conditions and so that internal
quality assurance functions effectively by laying out the division of roles of theInternal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee, the Operations Group forInternal Quality Assurance Promotion, and the Standing Committee.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes Measuring learning outcomes as stipulated in the degree award policy of theGraduate School is to be carried out with an assessment of the thesis, but thethesis examination criteria are not associated with the degree award policy, andas it does not equate to benchmarks of learning outcomes, improvements should
be made.
Although a limit on the number of course registrations for credit in one year has
been set and guidance for taking courses is provided for each of the years, there
are a certain number of subjects geared toward obtaining qualifications that do
not count as part of the limit. In the first year of the Department of Childhood
Studies in the Faculty of Contemporary Social Studies, conditions are as suchthat a considerable number of students are registered for a large number of credits,
and improvements should be made for the substantiation of credits.

Student Enrollment
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in the Graduate
School of Literary Studies is low at 0.39. Therefore, the University should make
improvements to ensure proper graduate student quota management.
Faculty and Faculty Organization Regarding FD activities, efforts to stimulate research activities and social
contribution and to enhance faculty member quality are lacking, andimprovements should be made.
Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes Although there is a schedule presented for thesis preparation in the Master’s
Program in English and Doctoral Program in English of the Graduate School of4Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts

Literary Studies, Master’s Program in Japanese Studies and Doctoral Programin Japanese Studies, Master’s Program in Information and Culture Studies,
Master’s Program in International Social Systems Studies, Master’s Program inNursing Science, Master’s Program in Life Style Design Studies, and Master’s
Program in Food Science and Nutrition Studies, there is no indication of researchguidance method in the form of a research supervision plan. Thus, improvement
should be made by way of deciding on and specifying the information to students
in advance.

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