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

Keio University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2019
Accreditation Status: Accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1.2020 – March 31.2027）

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Keio University
Overview
Keio University (hereinafter referred to as the “University”) was originally established asa faculty in 1890. Since then, it has developed into its current form as a comprehensive
university with 10 faculties and 14 graduate schools. The University’s mission andpurpose build on the principles advocated by its founder, including “Dokuritsu Jison[Independence and Self-Respect],” “Jitsugaku no Seishin [Science],” “Kihin no Sengen,Chitoku no Mohan [Source of Honorable Character, Paragon of Intellect],” “Hangakuhankyo [Learning while Teaching, Teaching while Learning],” and “Shachu Kyoryoku[Collaboration within the Company],” and are redefined as a vision or philosophy inresponse to globalization and other demands of the era. The overall framework of thevision is to become a university “where the best students and researchers come to lead.”
The vision presents four goals based on this framework, and upholds the philosophy of“Honor & Intellect.”
The University has implemented a PDCA cycle through formulation of annual
business plans. In order to comprehensively check and review the activities of the entire
organization, the University has developed an internal quality assurance system centeredaround the Internal Accreditation Committee. The purpose of internal quality assurance
is “to enhance the quality assurance and standards of education and research.” Thus theUniversity has stipulated its intention to promote quality assurance. With regard toprocedures, the University has developed a system whereby the check and review plannedby the Internal Accreditation Committee are conducted by the Internal Accreditation
Expert Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “Expert Committee”), the Committee
reports to the Executive Board of Trustees after conducting review from a universitywide perspective, and then an external review is conducted. Check and review results arereflected in the following year’s business plan and budget plan through the Executive
Board of Trustees. The University has thus established a system for promoting internal
quality assurance. Going forward, the University is expected to make the PDCA cycle ofquality assurance function more effectively based on intra-organizational cooperation.
As for education, the University carries out a diverse range of educational andresearch activities that leverage the distinctive features of each faculty and graduate
school, in line with its mission and purpose. All faculties have organized a systematic
curriculum, and conduct classes that utilize ICT, for example, in order to achieve effective2

education. Also conducted are field experiences intended as internships for developing
practical and applicable skills and various activities aiming at community revival. Aiming
to create a curriculum that appropriately combines course work and research work, thegraduate schools offer a variety of subjects as course work based on the curriculum design
and implementation policy and, as research work, instruct students to write a thesis under
the supervision of multiple faculty members. In order to enhance research quality, thegraduate schools adopt a credit transfer program, dual degree program, and double degree
program, among others.
The University provides learning support that takes into account the distinctive
features of each faculty and promotes active student learning, through remarkableendeavors such as the “peer-mentor” system which is provided by senior students in
multiple media centers. Considering social contribution and regional coordination
important endeavors in line with its principles, the University promotes regional
coordination as an organizational effort with the support of the Office of Community andRegional Affairs and involves students and faculty and administrative staff members indiverse activities. It is highly commendable that the University contributes to the local
community and provides students with the opportunity to learn through extracurricular
activities in the actual field.
However, there are several issues that should be addressed. Many faculties andgraduate schools have not established a degree award policy (diploma policy), curriculum
design and implementation policy (curriculum policy), and admission policy for each
degree program or degree to be awarded, and some graduate schools have not establisheda research supervision method and schedule. These shortcomings should be addressed.
Some graduate schools do not clearly indicate the criteria for thesis examination. Thisshould be improved.
Going forward, it will be important for the University to engage in quality
assurance to further develop its structure in a way that leverages its strengths. To this end,
the University should enable its new internal quality assurance system to function
effectively and work especially on addressing educational issues.
Notable Strengths
Student Support Senior students provide the “peer-mentor” system at the media centers in Hiyoshi,
Shonan Fujisawa, and other campuses, through which users can seek advice about3essay writing and presentations, research and papers, and how to study physics, math,and other subjects, for example. In this way, the University promotes learning support
between students while taking into account the distinctive features of each campus
and faculty. In addition to providing learning consultation by faculty and staff
members, the Keio Research Center for Liberal-Arts publishes reference books which
are linked to Academic Skills subjects and compiled by students, and thereby
promotes learning support between students. It is commendable that the University
enhances active student learning.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 The University is actively engaged in community revival through industry-academia
cooperation. As part of its SDGs efforts, and with the support of the Office ofCommunity and Regional Affairs, the University has carried out the Keio MinamiSanriku Project, in which students engage in forest management and the distribution
and processing of timber in Miyagi Prefecture, and has capitalized on the research
results of the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, to establishedmultiple healthcare venture firms in the Tsuruoka Town Campus of Keio, of which
purpose is to conduct cutting-edge research and disseminate information. Such
activities have provided intellectual contribution to the local community byleveraging the features of each organization and campus. By involving students andfaculty and staff members in these activities, the University has contributed to thelocal community and also provided students with the opportunity to learn throughextracurricular activities in the actual field. This is a commendable achievement.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Outcome
 The Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Letters,
Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Business and Commerce, Master’sProgram and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Medicine, Master’s
Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Media and Governance,and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Health Management do not clearly
indicate the examination criteria for theses and special assignment research results.
4This should be improved.
 The maximum number of credits that students can register for in a single year is highat 54 in the Faculty of Science and Technology. In the Faculty of Letters, themaximum number of credits that first-year students can register for in a single year ishigh at 52, and they are allowed to register for optional subjects in excess of the limit.
Due to this, a considerable number of first-year students in the Faculty of Science andTechnology and fourth-year students in the Faculty of Letters actually register for alarge number of credits, thus rendering the limits ineffective. Other than setting theselimits, no other satisfactory measures have been taken to give substance to credits inboth faculties. Therefore, the University should improve the situation in view of thepurpose of the credit system.
 The relationship between the learning outcomes indicated in the degree award policy
and the measurement methods based on the results of the assessment of academic
achievement, questionnaire surveys, and papers of currently provided subjects isunclear. Therefore, the University should make improvements so that each faculty
and graduate school can appropriately grasp and assess learning outcomes.
Student Enrollment
 In the last five years, the average of ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshmanenrollment cap and the ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap arehigh at 1.01 in the Department of Medicine, School of Medicine. The University
should thoroughly implement quota management in the school.
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap is low at 0.43 in theMaster’s Program in the Graduate School of Law, 0.28 in the Master’s Program in theGraduate School of Business and Commerce, and 0.13 in the Doctoral Program in theGraduate School of Business Administration. The University should thoroughly
implement graduate school quota management.
Faculty and Faculty Organization
 With the exception of the Professional Degree Program, the graduate schools do not
implement unique FD activities related to educational improvement. FD activities
5should be appropriately implemented for all Master’s Programs and Doctoral
Programs or in the respective graduate schools.
Recommendation
Educational Program and Outcome
 The Graduate School of Health Management and Graduate School of PharmaceuticalSciences have not established a degree award policy for each degree program. The
Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Letters (distance learning program),
Graduate School of Law, Graduate School of Human Relations, Graduate School ofScience and Technology, and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences have notestablished a degree award policy for each degree to be awarded. The Faculty of Law,Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Policy Management, Faculty ofEnvironment and Information Studies, Faculty of Letters (distance learning program),Faculty of Law (distance learning program), Graduate School of Economics,Graduate School of Law, Graduate School of Human Relations, Graduate School ofMedicine, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Graduate School of Business
Administration, Graduate School of Media and Governance, and Graduate School ofMedia Design do not indicate the learning outcomes, including knowledge, skills, andabilities, that students must acquire to receive the relevant degree in the degree award
policy, and the Graduate School of Business and Commerce does not indicate thelearning outcomes for each degree program. These policies should be corrected
appropriately.
 The Graduate School of Business and Commerce, Graduate School of HealthManagement, Graduate School of System Design and Management, and Graduate
School of Media Design have not established a curriculum design and implementation
policy for each degree program. The Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty ofLetters (distance learning program), Graduate School of Law, Graduate School ofScience and Technology, Graduate School of Health Management, and Graduate
School of System Design and Management have not established a curriculum designand implementation policy for each degree to be awarded. The Faculty of Businessand Commerce, Faculty of Policy Management, Faculty of Environment andInformation Studies, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Letters (distancelearning program), Graduate School of Economics, Graduate School of Science and6Technology, Graduate School of Health Management, Graduate School of System
Design and Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Graduate
School of Law do not indicate the basic ideas on curriculum organization andimplementation in the curriculum design and implementation policy. These policies
should be corrected appropriately.
 The Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Letters,
Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Economics,
Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Law, Master’s Program and Doctoral
Program in the Graduate School of Business and Commerce, Master’s Program andDoctoral Program in the Graduate School of Medicine, Master’s Program andDoctoral Program in the Graduate School of Science and Technology, Doctoral
Program in the Graduate School of Health Management, Doctoral Program in theGraduate School of System Design and Management, and Master’s Program andDoctoral Program in the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences have notestablished a research supervision method and schedule in the form of a researchsupervision plan. A plan should be established and presented to students in advance.
Student Enrollment
 The Graduate School of Law, Graduate School of Human Relations, Graduate Schoolof Business and Commerce, Graduate School of Medicine, Graduate School of
Science and Technology, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Graduate
School of Health Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,Graduate School of System Design and Management, and Graduate School of Media
Design have not established an admission policy for each program. The Doctoral
Program in the Graduate School of Economics does not clearly indicate the ideal
student profile in its policy. These policies should be corrected.

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