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

Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: PrivateLocation: Hokkaido, JapanAccreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2021
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2022 – March 31, 2029）

Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
for Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

Overview
The Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing aims to achieve its founding
spirit, “humanity,” which is considered the basic mission of the Red Cross andprovides academics mainly centering around nursing with a wide range of knowledge.
It also engages in teaching and conducting research on deep, specialized knowledge,
along with cultivating knowledge, morality, and application skills in students tocontribute to fostering nursing professionals with practical skills who can play anactive role both in Japan and around the world and for the development of nursing
education as its purpose. It opened in 1999 as the second university operated by theJapanese Red Cross Academy. With the Graduate School of Nursing (Master’sProgram) opening in 2003 and the Cooperative Doctoral Program in Nursing
comprising five universities of the Japanese Red Cross established in 2016, it is theonly medical/nursing/healthcare-related university in the eastern region of Hokkaido.
It cultivates nursing professionals who have gained advanced, specialized skills.
The Japanese Red Cross Academy, the parent entity, formulates a mediumterm plan every five years and sets its mission and purpose for the entire academy.
Based on this plan, the Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing formulates
its medium- to long-term plan for the realization of its purpose. Specifically, we cited
creating an internal quality assurance system framework to produce individuals who
have received advanced nursing education in Hokkaido, providing recurrent
education as a university remaining in the remote region, building a remote systemof education between academies and universities with effective utilization of ICT,and promoting discussions and study for securing student enrollment as the 18-yearold population of the Okhotsk region in Hokkaido is declining.
Having been advised in the previous certified evaluation and accreditation bythe JUAA in 2014 that although the Internal Quality Assurance Committee has
been set up, it is difficult to conclude that it is functioning in practice, the College
has made the college rules, regulations concerning internal quality assurance, and theSelf-Study Committee Regulations consistent in October 2019 and also positioned
the Internal Quality Assurance Committee as the organization to take on the central
role of responsibility for internal quality assurance. Nevertheless, in actual practice,
it is the Management Council and relevant committees or under the management of1

Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

the president that various issues within the University are dealt with, and it is difficult
to conclude that management under the internal quality assurance framework isfunctioning. This should be improved.
Regarding education, the faculty and both the Master’s Program and theCooperative Doctoral Program in Nursing have appropriately created their degree
award policy (diploma policy) and curriculum design and implementation policy(curriculum policy) based on the mission and purpose of the College founded on thehumanitarian principle of the Red Cross, with class courses divided into three
categories, Basic Courses, Specialized Basic Courses, and Specialized Courses I/II.
Each of the categories contains a Red Cross area, and these subjects are placed insequence over four years. Further, there is a system in place for participation in social
contribution operations and overseas training and other learning outcomes to be
granted credits under Specially Recognized Credit Courses, leading to cultivating
autonomous learning ability, wide scope, and rich humanity described in the degree
award policy.
The curriculum for the Master’s Program, following the curriculum design andimplementation policy, is designed to cover several fields and areas from among four
fields and 12 available specialty areas. The Cooperative Doctoral Program offers
courses divided into common courses, specialized courses, seminars, joint study
groups, and special studies.
It is difficult to conclude that the measuring of learning outcomes is being
conducted appropriately because the relationship between the degree award policy
and measuring methods for both the undergraduate and graduate divisions is unclear.
Other issues include curriculum design and implementation policy for the Master’sProgram being inadequate, and when repeating a course, double registration isrequired in the following year and on; however, even if attendance requirements fortaking the exam are not met, the opportunity for re-exams are permitted at thediscretion of the faculty member in charge. This should be improved.
Notable strengths include a Disaster Preparedness Education Center being set
up in line with the mission and purpose of the College, and initiatives being actively
taken with this and other facilities for social cooperation and contribution activities,
leading to education, research, and industry–academia collaboration. Particularly,
activities of the Disaster Preparedness Education Center include holding the Seminaron Disasters in Severe Winter Conditions and others that address characteristics ofthe local area and can be said to be outstanding initiatives. Participation in faculty
development (hereinafter, “FD”), and staff development (hereinafter, “SD”) is also2

Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

high, and faculty/staff members are uniting as one under the leadership of thepresident to carry out university management.
The JUAA hopes the College will enable its internal quality assurance
framework to function properly and solve various issues while moving ahead withvarious initiatives based on the mission of the College and that it will flourish as theonly medical, nursing, and healthcare-related university in the eastern region ofHokkaido.
Notable Strengths
Education and Research Organizations
 Intellectual resources of the College are used effectively and work is conducted
for the promotion of disaster preparedness measures in collaboration withvarious organizations, institutions, educational sites, and regions. To contributeto the region through the enhancement of disaster prevention education and thespreading of information, the Disaster Preparedness Education Center wasstarted as an organization. A study is conducted related to cold climate region
disasters and disaster nursing, and Red Cross emergency aid training is available
to participate in, as well as seminars on severe winter periods for individuals
relevant to national, prefectural, and municipality disaster prevention, all aspractical initiatives by the College. It can be commended as the establishment ofan education and research organization based on the mission and purpose of theCollege to achieve humanity, which is the principle of the Red Cross.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 The Disaster Preparedness Education Center holds the “Play in Okhotsk Festival,”
an experience-based event, and the Seminar on Disasters in Severe WinterConditions, etc. Such initiatives are rooted in the community and utilize thestrength of the College as the only medical, nursing, and healthcare-related
university in the eastern region of Hokkaido and as a university having the RedCross as its parent entity. Student participation in activities such as the Seminaron Disasters in Severe Winter Conditions centering around the DisasterTechnology Study Group, a student club activity, provides an opportunity forstudents themselves to actively take part as supporters and embodies theprinciple of the College to achieve a humanitarian mission. Additionally, suchactivities can be commended as leading to research activities by faculty members
and to industry–government collaboration.
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Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

University Management and Finance Planning and implementation to promote FD/SD is systematically conductedeach year, and high-quality training is offered that includes issues related touniversity management and information technology matters; moreover, issues
related to the enhancement of career abilities, with a high rate of participation
among faculty members and administrative staff members. Furthermore,administrative staff members continue to participate in the training sessions(FD/SD training sessions) by the Japanese Red Cross Academy and as membersof the FD/SD Promotion Committee of the College, where they participate inplanning and making proposals. The initiative proves to be one withorganizational cooperation involving faculty and staff alike. These arecommendable as endeavors from which outcomes in terms of the enhancementof motivation and innate talent can be anticipated.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance Although the Internal Quality Assurance Committee has been set up as anorganization to play the role of central figure for internal quality assurance,
meetings of said committee have been irregular since September 2019, with aperiod of almost one year between meetings being evidenced. Also, responses tovarious issues within the College are actually dealt with by the Management
Council and relevant committees or under the management of the president, andit cannot be said that management under the internal quality assurance
framework is functioning. This should be improved.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Nursing does not present thebasic ideas on curriculum implementation in the curriculum design andimplementation policy. This should be improved.
For courses in which credits could not be gained, it is not appropriate thatstudents be awarded credits despite lacking attendance requirements thefollowing year and on by simply passing the exam. This situation should beimproved given the purpose of the credit system.

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Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

While the faculties and the Master’s Program have created an assessment policy,
the relationship between measurement methods for each of the learning
outcomes and the learning outcomes indicated in the degree award policy is notclear. This should be improved. An assessment policy has not been created for
the Cooperative Doctoral Program, so the relationship between measurement
methods for the learning outcomes and the learning outcomes indicated in thedegree award policy should be clarified; also, initiatives should be taken forrecognizing and assessing learning outcomes.

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