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

Kumamoto Gakuen University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kumamoto, 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 Kumamoto Gakuen University
Overview
Kumamoto Gakuen University, founded on the principles of “Mutual Friendshipbetween Teachers and Students,” “Deep Respect for Freedom and Liberty,” and“Warm Heart of One School as One Family,” defines its purpose as “imparting abroad range of knowledge and conducting in-depth teaching and research of
specialized academic theories on economics, commerce, management, foreign
languages, and social welfare.” The University also sets forth the mission of“contributing to the development of global culture by cultivating people with a highlevel of intelligence, applied abilities, and profound knowledge, while striving topreserve both Kumamoto Prefecture’s tradition of international activities for overseas
development and the free open-minded academic culture of private schools.” Toachieve the founding principles, purpose, and mission, the Second Kumamoto
Gakuen Medium-term Management Plan sets two goals for the University:“university providing student-first education” and “university serving as a hub ofknowledge and communities to support the development of society.”
The University has created an internal quality assurance system with theInternal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee as a responsible body following
the establishment of the University-wide Policy for Kumamoto Gakuen University
Internal Quality Assurance and the Kumamoto Gakuen University Internal QualityAssurance Promotion Regulations. The committee issues instructions for
improvement in the regular inspection of the links to the diploma and curriculum
policies, appropriate assessment of student learning outcomes, student support, theeducation and research environment, and other activities, but many of theimprovement efforts have yet to be undertaken, and support for improving the PDCA
(Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycles of the faculties and graduate schools is insufficient. Thissituation should be addressed with teaching and learning management effectivelyoperated by the Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee.
As for the University’s education, the diploma policy is established basedon the founding principles, and the curricula are systematically designed inaccordance with the curriculum policy and curriculum design policy issued by thepresident every academic year. To provide education effectively, the University
conducts class evaluation surveys to check student study hours and analyze

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aggregates data, and actively promotes problem-based learning (PBL) and active
learning.
The University has established the Institute of Economics and Business,
Institute of Foreign Affairs, Institute of Social Welfare, and Open Research Center
for Minamata Studies based on its founding principles, along with its historicalbackground and engagement with the local community. It is highly commendable
that the Open Research Center for Minamata Studies in particular, as aninterdisciplinary research organization with researchers from various fields,
contributes to advancing practical educational and research activities rooted in thecommunity. In addition, the University has established the Inclusive Student Support
Center to enhance its student support system from a university-wide perspective incoordination with multiple service desks. The Support Office for Students withDisabilities, which serves as a contact point for students requiring reasonableaccommodations, provides student supporters with skills training to assist those withdisabilities. It is particularly notable that the support office not only offers specificsupport based on the University’s student support policy, but also provides learning
opportunities for student supporters. The Institute of Economics and Business has
opened Kumamoto Innovation School Jidaisha as a project commissioned byKumamoto Prefecture to provide young managers and future executives of nextgeneration businesses with opportunities to learn about business creation andinnovation as entrepreneurs. This is an outstanding initiative that contributes tobuilding momentum for business startups in the region.
There are several issues the University needs to address, however. In termsof education, the maximum number of credits students can register for is specified,
but subjects for acquiring qualifications are excluded, with some departments failingto take sufficient measures to ensure credit validity for students taking these subjects.
As for monitoring student learning outcomes, the graduate schools have notestablished methods for measuring students’ acquired knowledge, skills, and otherqualities from a multifaceted perspective as stated in the diploma policy. Moreover,student enrollment in some faculties and graduate schools is below the studentenrollment cap. These issues should be addressed.
In the coming years, the University is expected to appropriately operate its
internal quality assurance system, with the efforts of faculty members anddepartments further leading to the realization of its founding principles.
Notable Strengths

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Educational and Research Structure
The University has established the Institute of Economics and Business, Instituteof Foreign Affairs, and Institute of Social Welfare based on its historicalbackground and engagement with the local community, as well as the Open
Research Center for Minamata Studies as part of the Academic Research
Promotion Center’s project. The research center in particular, as aninterdisciplinary research organization with researchers from various fields,
conducts progressive programs, such as creating an archive of local materials,
thereby contributing to the advancement of practical educational and research
activities rooted in the community. The research center is commendable as anorganization committed to embodying the University’s founding principles of“Mutual Friendship between Teachers and Students” and “Warm Heart of One
School as One Family.”

Student SupportTo enhance the student support system from a university-wide perspective in linewith the student support policy, the University has established the Inclusive
Student Support Center in coordination with multiple service desks that include
the Student Counseling Room, Support Office for Students with Disabilities, andNurse’s Office. The Support Office for Students with Disabilities in particular,
which serves as a contact point for students requiring reasonableaccommodations, provides student supporters with training in mobility
assistance and lesson support, including notetaking, braille transcribing, andcaptioning, to assist students with disabilities. It is commendable that the support
office not only offers specifically designed support based on the University’sstudent support policy, but also provides learning opportunities for students.

Social Cooperation and Contribution


The Institute of Economics and Business, which aims to contribute to thedevelopment of regional industry management, has opened Kumamoto
Innovation School Jidaisha as a project commissioned by Kumamoto Prefecture
to provide young managers and future executives of next-generation businesses
with a systematic lecture and workshop program. It is commendable that the3Kumamoto Gakuen University

program offers the participants opportunities to learn about business creation andinnovation as entrepreneurs, and contributes to building momentum for businessstartups in the region.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance
The University has established an internal quality assurance system with theInternal Quality Assurance Promotion Committee as a responsible body. Thecommittee issues instructions for improvement in the regular inspection of thelinks to the diploma and curriculum polices, appropriate assessment of student
learning outcomes, student support, the education and research environment, andother activities, but many of the improvement efforts have yet to be undertaken,
and support for improving the PDCA cycles of the faculties and graduate schools
is insufficient. This situation should be addressed with teaching and learning
management steadily implemented by the Internal Quality Assurance Promotion
Committee.

Educational Program and Learning OutcomesThe faculties specify the maximum number of credits students can register for ina year, but subjects for acquiring qualifications and approved for transfer credits
are excluded. Many students in the Department of Life Wellness and theDepartment of Child and Family Welfare in the Faculty of Social Welfare haveregistered for credits that exceed the upper limit. The faculty’s syllabus specifies
learning content outside of class hours (preparations and reviews), and course
guidance is provided, but these measures are insufficient to ensure credit validity.
This issue should be addressed.

The graduate schools fail to monitor and evaluate student learning outcomes withcorresponding measurement methods from a multifaceted perspective as statedin the diploma policy. This issue should be addressed.

Student Enrollment

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

The Department of Social Welfare, Faculty of Social Welfare – Evening Division,
has a low average ratio of 0.29 in freshman enrollment to the freshmanenrollment cap over the past five years, and a low ratio of 0.31 in student
enrollment to the student enrollment cap. These ratios should be improved withthe faculty’s student quotas thoroughly managed.

The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are low at 0.20 in
the master’s program in the Graduate School of Commerce, 0.27 in the master’sprogram in the Graduate School of Economics, 0.11 in the doctoral program inthe Graduate School of Economics, 0.27 in the master’s program in the Graduate
School of Area-based Cultural Studies, 0.11 in the doctoral program in theGraduate School of Area-based Cultural Studies, and 0.47 in the master’s
program in the Graduate School of Social Welfare. These ratios should beimproved with the graduate schools’ student quotas thoroughly managed.

University Management and Finance
The balance sheet ratio for operating the University’s activities as a corporationand school division remains below average for a private university with multiple
faculties, and the University’s ratio of financial assets to the required reserve
fund is also low. This situation indicates that the University is far fromestablishing a solid financial base to sustainably conduct its educational andresearch activities. While the situation has shown improvement with a temporary
increase in expenditures driven by reconstruction and revitalization after the2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, efforts should be made in the years ahead toameliorate the financial conditions based on the University’s medium- and longterm financial plans.

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