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

Meiji Gakuin University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2030）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Meiji Gakuin University
Overview
Meiji Gakuin University, founded on the spirit of “Christian-based moral education
and academic freedom,” defines its educational philosophy as “Do for Others.” To
put this philosophy into practice, the University sets forth the educational objectivesof fostering individuals with five skills and abilities: the ability to understand others,analytical and conceptual skills, communication skills, career design skills, and theability to serve as a leader in a harmonious society. To realize these principles andobjectives, the medium-term plan formulated by the university corporation lays out
the University’s specific policies of promoting teaching and learning reforms andeducational improvements. The University has also drawn up Vision forInternationalization 2021 to develop a system for promoting diverse forms ofinternationalization.
To assure the quality of education, the University has established theInternal Quality Assurance Policy with the Executive Council positioned as anorganization responsible for internal quality assurance. The Quality Assurance
Planning Committee and the Quality Assurance Supervisory Committee formed
under the council are tasked with undertaking university-wide inspections andassessments as well as examining the effectiveness and appropriateness of internal
quality assurance. However, actual university-wide assessments are carried out by
the Executive Council, reducing the Quality Assurance Supervisory Committee to amere formality. In addition, the Quality Assurance Planning Committee does not
fulfill its intended role as its tasks are limited to inspecting the details of the SelfStudy Checklist. The University needs to review the authority and roles of theorganizations involved in internal quality assurance to effectively operate the system.
Regarding the University’s education, all faculties and graduate schools
have systematically designed their curricula based on the diploma and curriculum
polices. Various approaches have also been taken to provide an effective education,such as using a uniform format and items for syllabus design and linking the resultsof quizzes and reports in the lesson support system to each student’s portfolio.
Moreover, many faculties and departments have adopted an active learning approach
for lessons. The Department of French Literature of the Faculty of Letters requires
third-year and fourth-year students to participate in seminars with a focus on dialogue

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between faculty and students. The Department of Sociology and Department ofSocial Work of the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work offer practical training andhands-on learning.
The University has undertaken outstanding student support initiatives in
actively assisting students with disabilities and promoting student-to-student peer
support. Specifically, the University provides learning and career support to students
with disabilities based on reasonable accommodations by having them experience
the school’s pre-enrollment support services. It is also highly commendable that theUniversity’s peer support program is contributing to the cultivation of students’empathy and social skills by offering training courses for more student supporters aswell as training and other sessions for faculty and staff. In terms of socialcontribution, the Meiji Gakuin University Educational Cooperative Volunteer
Certificate Program was established to award certificates to students who complete avolunteer program in conjunction with faculty and department courses. This is ameaningful initiative that visualizes student learning at school and through social
activities, and promotes students’ self-directed learning. These outstanding initiatives
are all designed to embody the University’s educational philosophy, and it iscommendable that this philosophy is taking deep root among students throughvarious opportunities, including guidance on volunteer and social contributionactivities.
There are several issues the University needs to address, however. The
curriculum policies are insufficient in some faculties, departments, graduate schools,and programs. Some graduate school programs have failed to adequately establish
the screening criteria for dissertations and research on specific themes, andinadequately specify the research guidance methods and schedules as researchguidance plans. Many graduate school programs also fall short of fulfilling theirstudent quotas. These issues should be addressed. Moreover, it is important toproperly structure and operate the internal quality assurance system to resolve such
issues, but the University faces internal quality assurance challenges as mentioned
earlier. Efforts should be made to effectively operate the system by reexamining theauthority and roles of the relevant meeting bodies.
In the coming years, the University is expected to enhance the sense ofunity with the divisions and the executive board coordinating organically with eachother while respecting the efforts of the faculties and graduate schools based on theirown characteristics and expertise, and to promote university-wide initiatives forfurther progress.

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Notable Strengths
Mission and Purpose
To realize the University’s educational philosophy of “Do for Others,” thefaculties, graduate schools, and other programs have established their purposesin stratified and structured ways that reflect their individuality and features
according to the philosophy of the founding spirit. This educational philosophy
is promoted through the Meiji Gakuin Studies subject aimed at learning about
the University’s founding and history based on character education in therequired first-year Foundations of Christianity subject. The origin of theUniversity’s educational philosophy is also explained through volunteer activity
guidance and described in the MG Diary student handbook. In addition, it iscommendable that this philosophy is taking deep root among students throughvarious opportunities, including daily worship services.

Student Support
The Student Support Center plays a central role in supporting students withdisabilities and others with special needs. The center cooperates and coordinateswith the divisions to provide these students with pre-enrollment support, having
them experience the individual assistance offered, including notetaking andcaptioning at open campus events. Individual interviews are conducted withenrolled students to provide necessary assistance and various support to meet
student needs after graduation, ranging from career counseling to contacting offcampus organizations and introducing public assistance programs. The center
also provides courses aimed at training and increasing the number of student
supporters as well as training for faculty and staff. It is commendable that these
efforts embody the educational philosophy of “Do for Others,” and that theUniversity has created an environment for student peer support, thereby
contributing to the cultivation of students’ empathy and social skills.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
The Meiji Gakuin University Educational Cooperative Volunteer Certificate
Program awards certificates to students who fulfill the three requirements of3

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performing volunteer work, taking an integrated course, and obtaining credits
beyond a specified number of designated subjects. This initiative links students’social activities and learning at school, fosters their ability to understand others,
plus communication and other skills, and encourages self-directed learning byvisualizing the outcomes of their volunteer activities. It is commendable that theUniversity engages in social contribution activities that embody its educationalphilosophy.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance
The University stipulates the Executive Council as an organization responsible
for promoting internal quality assurance, with the Quality Assurance Supervisory
Committee formed under the council to conduct self-studies from a universitywide perspective. In fact, the council carries out the assessments, reducing thecommittee to a mere formality. In addition, the Quality Assurance Planning
Committee is tasked with examining the appropriateness and effectiveness ofinternal quality assurance, but its responsibilities are limited to inspecting thedetails of the Self-Study Checklist, indicating that the meeting bodies are notfulfilling their intended roles. This issue should be addressed with the authority
and roles of the relevant organizations reexamined to effectively operate theinternal quality assurance system.

Educational Program and Learning OutcomesThe basic concept of curriculum design in the curriculum policy is not specified
in the Department of Global and Transcultural Studies of the Faculty ofInternational Studies, Doctor’s Course of English Literature in the Graduate
School of Arts and Letters, Doctor’s Course of French Literature in the Graduate
School of Arts and Letters, Master’s Course of Art Studies and Doctor’s Courseof Art Studies in the Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Division ofPsychology, Master’s Course of Psychology in the Graduate School ofPsychology, Doctor’s Course of Psychology in the Graduate School ofPsychology, and Master’s Course of Business and Law in the Graduate Schoolof Business and Law. This issue should be addressed.

4Meiji Gakuin UniversityResearch guidance methods and schedules as research guidance plans should befully clarified to students in the Master’s Course of English Literature andDoctor’s Course of English Literature in the Graduate School of Arts and Letters,
Master’s Course of Art Studies and Doctor’s Course of Art Studies in theGraduate School of Arts and Letters, Master’s Course of Economics andDoctor’s Course of Economics in the Graduate School of Economics, Doctor’s
Course of Business Administration in the Graduate School of Economics,
Master’s Course of Sociology and Doctor’s Course of Sociology in the Graduate
School of Sociology, Master’s Course of Social Work and Doctor’s Course ofSocial Work in the Graduate School of Sociology, Doctor’s Course of Law in theGraduate School of Law, and Master’s Course of Business and Law in theGraduate School of Business and Law.

Student Enrollment
The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are low at 0.20 in
the Master’s Course of the Graduate School of Economics, 0.28 in the Doctor’s
Course of the Graduate School of Economics, 0.40 in the Master’s Course of theGraduate School of Sociology, 0.07 in the Doctor’s Course of the Graduate
School of Law, 0.30 in the Master’s Course of the Graduate School ofInternational Studies, 0.17 in the Doctor’s Course of the Graduate School ofInternational Studies, and 0.25 in the Doctor’s Course of the Graduate School ofPsychology. These ratios should be improved with the graduate schools’ student
quotas thoroughly managed.

Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning OutcomesThe screening criteria for dissertations are identical in the Master’s Course ofSociology and Doctor’s Course of Sociology in the Graduate School ofSociology as well as in the Master’s Course of Social Work and Doctor’s Courseof Social Work in the Graduate School of Sociology. In addition, the Three-Year
Program, Master’s Course of Social Work in the Graduate School of Sociology
uses the same screening criteria for research project completion reports and5

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master’s theses. The Master’s Course of Business and Law in the Graduate
School of Business and Law adopts the identical screening criteria for researchoutcome reports on specific themes and master’s theses. These situations must
be corrected with separate screening criteria established for items other thanmaster’s theses.

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