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

Kanagawa Institute of Technology

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kanagawa, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2018
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2019 – March.31.2026）

2

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
for the Kanagawa Institute of Technology
Overview
The Kanagawa Institute of Technology (hereafter, the University) bases its founding
principles on “gathering aspiring students and educating them to become creativeengineers with an abundance of knowledge and open perspectives to realize ascientifically technological nation, while endeavoring to build stronger partnerships withthe local community through education and research.” It defines the purpose of education
as “cultivating people who can think and act,” and establishes the objectives of
educational research individually and appropriately in each faculty and their departments
as well as the graduate school and its academic units, and stipulates them in the University
and graduate school rules and regulations.
As for educational approaches, the faculties and graduate school appropriatelyorganize the curricula based on their degree award and curriculum design andimplementation policies. Curriculum trees are designed to display the entire curriculum
structure and related subjects in flowcharts, so that students can take courses
systematically and sequentially according to the lesson content and levels of each subject.
Small-group teaching based on placement test results is also emphasized to enhance
educational outcomes. Among the distinctive programs are the environment-themed“Stop the CO2 Program,” designed as a four-year integrated educational program acrossdepartments and faculties, and the “Department of Super Science Special,” establishedwith a view to providing consistent education from department through graduate school.
These efforts are outstanding, with heuristic approaches applied to problem solving andbasic practical education, and contribute to boosting students’ motivation for research.
In addition, students’ interactive activities led to the establishment of “KAITpia,”an organization that provides support from campus life to study. These activities highlightthe outstanding initiatives implemented to realize the University’s founding principles byoffering educational opportunities that promote the university-wide “student-orientedprinciple.” “KAIT Workshop,” one of the extracurricular activity facilities, is alsocommendable for its distinctive approach; the facility targets all students with the aim ofnurturing independence and creativity and is open to the local community.
“Social contribution with a focus on regional cooperation and contribution” isspecified as one of the University’s three key long-term policies. The University promotes
patent development and technology transfers, as well as joint and funded research through3a growing number of collaborative research projects with companies. These efforts toactively return the research outcomes to society are particularly notable.
There are several issues the University needs to address, however. The education
offered by the graduate school is lacking, with research guidance methods and schedules
not stated, and the screening criteria for theses and research work on specific themes not
specified to students beforehand. In the faculties and graduate school, learning outcomesare not sufficiently monitored and evaluated in accordance with their degree award
policies. In addition, some cases of inappropriate quota management were confirmed in
the student enrollment process, and problems were also found with staff development(SD) activities in terms of implementation and other processes.
As for internal quality assurance, to which the Japan University Accreditation
Association (JUAA) attaches utmost importance as a process for universities themselvesto verify a certain level of quality in their various campus activities consisting primarilyof education and research, there are discrepancies between regulations and actual
conditions pertaining to the authority and roles of the leading Internal Quality AssuranceCommittee and Self-Study Committee. In addition, connections are not clarified between
these committees and university-wide organizations in charge of teaching and learningmanagement. These issues indicate that the University’s internal quality assurance system
is seriously flawed.
In the coming years, it is important for the University to address these challenges
and commit itself to quality assurance for further development.
Notable Strengths
Educational Program and Outcome
 The environment-themed educational programs An Introduction of Stop the CO2,”“Stop CO2 and Life Design,” “Stop the CO2 Project,” and “Front Line of Stop theCO2” are designed as a four-year integrated course across departments and faculties,
with each subject systematically organized. It is commendable that these programs
provide students with an opportunity to work with faculty members and students fromother faculties, and help boost their motivation for research by deepening theunderstanding of specialized areas in their faculties through environmental themes.
 The “Department of Super Science Special,” established with a view to creating aconsistent educational course from department through graduate school, offers first-4year small-group laboratory seminars, overseas training, and practices presentation
skills in English. It is commendable that the undergraduate course focuses on
advanced fields and introduces educational programs to teach practical basic skills
that can be utilized in society, while contributing to a higher graduate school
enrollment rate.
Student Support
 “KAITpia,” established as a peer support organization, allows students toindependently engage in mutual support, including “piacafe,” a space designed toencourage students to communicate with each other, and “Faculty of Information
Technology Student Supervisors,” consisting of upper-year students who serve as
leaders of small groups of new students and build bridges between faculty members
and new students. It is commendable that the University facilitates students’ selfdirected support activities to effectively promote their growth.
 The student support head office established the Career Placement Division and theAlumni Support Division, and each faculty set up the Department Employment Office
staffed by full-time administrative staff members. These support services enable thedetailed analysis of students’ career information as well as smooth communicationand information sharing among academic/administrative staff members andorganizations involved in career support, leading to more frequent use by students. It
is commendable that the University has reviewed its existing support systems toimprove and strengthen career support.
Education and Research Environment
 “KAIT Workshop,” an extracurricular activity facility that supports students’ selfdirected manufacturing, is designed for use by all types of students and attracts anincreasing number of visitors, including students outside the Faculty of Engineering(e.g., Faculty of Nursing). The workshop is also open to the local community. Thisfacility is commendable as the University’s distinctive approach to nurturing students’
independence and creativity while deepening interactions with the local community.

5Social Cooperation and Contribution
 With the liaison office playing a central role, the University distributes the “IndustryUniversity Exchange Program” booklet on its patents and technologies to companies;
introduces its research work through its website and online magazines; andencourages joint research with companies and funded research by promoting patentdevelopment and technology transfers. Actively returning research outcomes tosociety through these social cooperation and contribution activities is commendable
based on the University’s founding principle of building stronger partnerships withthe local community.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance In regard to the disclosure of information stipulated in the Ordinance for Enforcementof the School Teacher’s License Act, many items including information on teacher
licenses obtained by graduates remain unused in the records of the University’s
internal meetings. This situation should be improved with these items made widely
available through publication or on the internet.
Educational Program and Outcome
 In the master’s and doctoral degree programs of the Graduate School of Engineering,
the screening criteria for theses and research outcomes on specific themes are stated,but not explicitly specified to students in writing or other means beforehand. Thisissue should be improved.
 To monitor learning outcomes, the faculties and graduate school conduct assessment
tests (first- and third-year students) and screen theses, but these learning outcomes are
not sufficiently monitored and evaluated in accordance with their degree award
policies. This issue should be improved.
University Management and Finance Staff development activities for administrative staff members as well as collaborative

6

SD for academic/administrative staff are not conducted systematically. This issue
should be improved with the system organized to conduct SD as planned.
Recommendations
Internal Quality Assurance Despite the establishment of a university-wide organization in charge of internal
quality assurance, the process of improving the University’s internal quality assurance
system is not clarified in the Regulations on Internal Quality Assurance. The Internal
Quality Assurance Committee and the Self-Study Committee play an important rolein promoting internal quality assurance, but the regulations do not specify thecommittees’ responsibilities and partnerships, with discrepancies arising between
regulations and actual conditions pertaining to the committees’ authority and roles. In
addition, connections are not clarified among the Vice President and Faculty Chair
Meeting, Three Policy Management Committee, Internal Quality AssuranceCommittee, and Self-Study Committee, all of which are in charge of teaching andlearning management. These issues indicate that the University’s internal quality
assurance system is seriously flawed. In the years ahead, the University must ensureself-study to identify problems and develop an effective system in which eachorganization appropriately addresses such problems in a coordinated effort under theresponsibility of the organizations promoting internal quality assurance.
Educational Program and Outcome
 Research guidance methods and schedules are not stated as research instruction plansin the master’s and doctoral degree programs of the Graduate School of Engineering.
This issue must be improved with these items clarified to students beforehand.
Student Enrollment
 The average of ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment cap over thepast five years and the ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap arehigh at high at 1.22 and 1.26, respectively, in the Department of Robotics andMechatronics, Faculty of Creative Engineering. These ratios must be lowered withthe faculty’s student quotas thoroughly managed.