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

Kwansei Gakuin University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Hyogo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2020
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2021 – March.31.2028）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kwansei Gakuin University
Overview
Kwansei Gakuin University (referred to hereinafter as the “Institute”) established thefollowing as its mission statement: “Kwansei Gakuin, as a learning community based onthe principles of Christianity, inspires its members to seek their life missions, andcultivates them to be creative and capable world citizens who embody its motto, 'Masteryfor Service,' by transforming society with compassion and integrity”. In order to realize
this mission statement and school motto, the University has been promoting various
education and research activities. Concerning its activities, the Institute established theknowledge, skills, and qualities necessary for its graduates to lead “truly enriched lives,”
and has been promoting education and research activities according to degree programsbased on three policies and a basic policy of human resource development that takes aim
at career development in particular with not only current students but also graduates in itsrange.
With regard to internal quality assurance, the Institute has been endeavoringfoundation-wide. In 2019, for the purpose of introducing a bird's-eye perspective of thefoundation as a whole, the Institute unified its check and review reports, future vision,and mid-term plan—all of which had previously been operated within their own goal
frameworks—in the Mid-Term Comprehensive Management Plan based on the ultralong-term vision and long-term strategy of Kwansei Grand Challenge 2039, integratingthem into a single PDCA cycle. Under this plan, the Institute established the Institute
General Planning Committee with the purpose of promoting institute-wide internal
quality assurance. Likewise, it established the University Internal Quality Assurance
Subcommittee, which is composed of the President, Vice President, and the Deans of eachundergraduate and graduate division, as the organization bearing responsibility forinternal quality assurance at the University.
With regard to education, it was evident that the Institute has made endeavors
toward progress while displaying its distinctiveness. As mentioned at the beginning, theInstitute established the mission and purpose of the University based on its mission
statement and school motto. Likewise, concerning its degree programs, it sets out threepolicies, including a degree award policy (diploma policy) based on that mission andpurpose. Note that, in 2018, the Institute defined the knowledge, skills, and qualities thatall students are supposed to acquire in common regardless of faculty by graduation as1

Kwansei Gakuin University“Kwansei competencies,” and each department reviewed its degree award policy basedon these. Moreover, with regard to measuring results and promoting improvements, theInstitute introduced KPI (key performance indicators) into the Mid-Term Comprehensive
Management Plan, and takes a bird's-eye view of University-wide management. These
initiatives are suitably implemented, such as by sharing University-wide faculty
development (referred to hereinafter as “FD”) and relevant information on the dashboard,a tool that links each department together. Furthermore, the Institute has been operating
the K.G. Portfolio since 2017 as a support tool for students to conduct self-reflection.
Although its future potential is highly commendable, it has not necessarily permeatedthroughout the student body, and forthcoming results are expected.
As a particularly excellent initiative, the Institute has proposed a distinct
planning frame that combines an ultra-long-term vision with a ten-year long-term strategy.
One point of worth is that the object and scope of educational outcomes have beenbroadened to encompass extracurricular activities and post-graduation.
On the other hand, as an issue requiring attention, we can point to the fact thatslight problems in substantiating credits are evident in some undergraduate and graduate
divisions. Moreover, we would like to see the Institute correct course with regard to thefact that, in some graduate schools, it has set the same degree award policy and curriculum
design and implementation policy (curriculum policy) despite offering different degrees
in them. Likewise, for the fact that it has not prescribed a method of research guidance asa research guidance plan nor set a schedule.
As above, it is characteristic of the Institute that not only does it suitably tend to
its internal quality assurance system along with its education and research programs andmethods, but it has also been making further progress based on its distinct mission andpurpose. However, it was 2019 when the Institute initiated its new internal quality
assurance system. As only a short time has passed since it began operation, the Institutehas not obtained a sufficient accumulation of data with regard to measuring those results.
Hereafter, with regard to the innovations it has proposed, the full realization of thatsystem's purpose and substantial outcomes from the reforms it has implemented areexpected.
Notable Strengths
Mission and Purpose

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With the goal of realizing its mission and purpose, the Institute formulated Kwansei
Grand Challenge 2039, a distinct planning frame that contains a ten-year mid-termplan based on an ultra-long-term vision and a long-term strategy, utilizing a unit for
ultra-long-term strategy formulation with the Institute General Planning Committee
at its core. The Institute General Planning Committee tends to a system that provides
University-wide guidance and coordination, has made “graduates leading truly
enriched lives” the ultimate outcome, and has expanded the scope of educational
outcomes to broadly encompass not only the regular curriculum but extracurricular
activities and post-graduation as well. This is a characteristic initiative, and iscommendable for promising tangible outcomes hereafter.

University Management and FinanceWith regard to investments in new projects, general construction plans, financial
indexes, revenue increases and expenditure reductions from 2018 to 2027, theInstitute has formulated financial plans that set concrete target values, and it iscommendable that it has built a framework for balancing aggressive investments witha firm financial footing. Even under the present conditions, the level of financiallyrelated ratios and the ratio of the financial assets to the required reserve fund aresatisfactory, and the Institute has the financial footing necessary to stably perform
education and research activities. Hereafter, it is expected that the Institute will makefurther enhancements under a financial plan that is linked to operational plans andthe tangibility of financial indexes.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning OutcomesThe School of Human Welfare Studies, School of Education, and School ofInternational Studies stipulate that only those taking Multidisciplinary Studies (MS)may earn up to 36 credits each semester, and the maximum number of credits thatcan be registered in a year is high at 72 credits. Although the Institute prevents
students from exploiting the system through a variety of screening measures,improvements are needed to substantiate credits.

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In the Graduate School of Language, Communication, and Culture (Master'sProgram), improvements are needed as the screening criteria for theses and researchpapers are the same.

Student Enrollment
 With respect to the ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap, in theMaster's Programs, the Graduate School of Law and Politics is low at 0.29, the Schoolof Economics is low at 0.22, the Graduate School of Business Administration is lowat 0.27, and the Graduate School of Policy Studies is low at 0.18. Likewise, in theDoctoral Program, the Graduate School of Policy Studies is low at 0.27, and in theprofessional degree program, the Accounting School at the Institute of Business andAccounting is low at 0.49. Therefore, improvements are needed so that student quotas
are thoroughly implemented in graduate schools.
Recommendations
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes In the Master's and Doctoral Programs of the School of Economics, the degree award
policies do not indicate the learning outcomes appropriate to said degrees, such as
the knowledge, skills, and abilities that should be acquired. Moreover, in the Master'sand Doctoral Programs of the Graduate Department of Culture and History at theGraduate School of Humanities, the Institute sets the same degree award policy
despite offering different degrees for the Master of Arts in Aesthetics, the Master ofArts in Arts, the Doctor of Philosophy in Aesthetics, and the Doctor of Philosophy inArts. Therefore, we would like to see improvements made.
 In the Doctoral Program of the Graduate School of Human Welfare Studies, thecurriculum design and implementation policy does not indicate the basic approach tocurriculum design. Moreover, we would like to see the Institute correct its course as
it sets the same curriculum design and implementation policy despite offering
different degrees for the Master's and Doctoral Programs of the Graduate School ofSociology.
 In the Master's Program of the Graduate School of Humanities, the Institute has not4

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set a schedule as a research guidance plan. Moreover, the Institute has not prescribeda method for research guidance in the following programs: the Master's and Doctoral
Programs of the Graduate School of Theology, the Master's and Doctoral Programsof the Graduate School of Sociology, the Master's and Doctoral Programs of theGraduate School of Law and Politics, the Master's and Doctoral Programs of theGraduate School of Science and Technology, and the Master's and Doctoral Programsof the Graduate School of Human Welfare Studies. Therefore, we would like to see
improvements implemented so that this is prescribed and clearly explained to
students beforehand.

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