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

Waseda University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2020
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2021 – March.31.2028）

Waseda University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Waseda University
Overview
Waseda University has a threefold mission statement. Namely, it holds as its mission“Independence of Scholarship”, “Practical Application of Scholarship”, and “Fostering ofGood Citizens”. Accordingly, the University sets as its goal to “contribute to the creationand development of culture and the welfare of humanity by fostering capable students whoare individualistic, well-educated, and capable as shapers of the nation and society; and in
addition, perform independence of scholarship, endeavor in the pursuit of truth and theapplication of theory, as well as thoroughly teach specialized subjects and promote their
popularization”. Moreover, the University formulated Waseda Vision 150 as a mid- to longterm plan for the 150th anniversary of its founding in order to achieve its founding principals
and its goals, and is recognized for endeavoring toward the improvement and advancementof its educational and research activities.
With regard to internal quality assurance, the existing organizations cooperate
within the three shared promotional frameworks of education, the mid- to long-term plan
Waseda Vision 150, and certified evaluation and accreditation to build a hierarchy of theuniversity-wide level, the institutional level, the program level—and with further regard toeducation—the classroom level. Additionally, they conduct PDCA cycles at each level, andare putting a system in place to achieve shared responsibility and mutual collaboration within
the hierarchy. However, there is insufficient comprehension of and support for a series oftasks such as the formulation of the three policies for each undergraduate and graduate
division, curriculum management, check and assessment, and their improvement andprogress. This is the responsibility of the Committee of Associate Deans of Academic
Affairs, an organization that promotes internal quality assurance for education.
Improvements are needed so that each undergraduate and graduate division can conductperiodic checks and reviews and implement improvements and progress based on thoseresults with appropriate support from the Chief Academic Officers in Charge of Academic
Affairs Committee.
With regard to education, matters are appropriately organized on the whole in allundergraduate and graduate divisions based on the university-wide degree award policy(diploma policy) and curriculum design and implementation policy (curriculum policy).
Also, by numbering courses, the University is devising a system that allows students to takecourses systematically and sequentially. The Center for Higher Education Studies was
1Waseda University

founded as a think tank to support educational policy planning, and it checks and assesses
the appropriateness of curricula and content, methods, and educational and researchorganizations, linking those results to improvements and progress. Moreover, the Global
Education Center was founded to actively promote the development and expansion ofuniversity-wide fundamental education and humanities and sciences fusion education for
academic writing in Japanese and English, mathematical thinking, basic data science, andinformation skills. Furthermore, the University is developing various initiatives forproviding effective education by adopting the student participation model of education basedon exercises and seminars as well as the project model of education utilizing fieldwork.
Students have proposed measures that contribute to the realization of the mid- tolong-term plan Waseda Vision 150, and a number of proposals are being adopted. Actively
adopting plans solicited from students who are university members—for example,
establishing the Learning Commons, rebuilding the Waseda Shogekijo Drama-kan Theater,and establishing the Gender and Sexuality Center)—and making improvements while both
striving to promote their vision and supporting students can be described as excellent
initiatives. Besides organizational improvements in each faculty and graduate school,
establishing the Research Innovation Center, endeavoring to reinforce research and IndustryGovernment-University collaboration—including the Research Organization for Open
Innovation Strategy—and setting an example in “social value creation” as the third role of
the University after education and research is also highly commendable. Moreover, it isnoteworthy that the University suitably conducts surveys on student satisfaction and is
striving to improve its environment. In addition to this, collaboration and support in various
areas is improving, especially when it comes to staff. For example, Kouhai Navi program,which provides support to freshmen, is run within a framework in which young staff support
the independent volunteer activities of students, leading to the growth of both students andstaff.
However, there are several issues that should be addressed. To begin with, besides
some faculties having problems substantiating credits, improvements are needed as themethod for measuring learning outcomes indicated in the university-wide degree award
policy has not been decided. Moreover, prompt correction is necessary with regard to anumber of undergraduate and graduate divisions not properly instituting degree award
policies, curriculum design and implementation policies, and admission policies. Likewise,
thoroughly implementing a student quota for graduate schools is needed since the ratios ofstudent enrollment to the student enrollment cap is low in some graduate schools.
Hereafter, we expect the University will make greater strides by further developing
its unique initiatives, in addition to resolving these issues through internal quality assurance2

Waseda University

initiatives.
Notable Strengths
Mission and Purpose In the mid- to long-term plan Waseda Vision 150 formulated in 2012, the progress ofvarious projects is evaluated based on the vision, a framework was built for review andimprovement, and promotion is being carried out under the leadership of the president.
Furthermore, the Waseda Vision 150 Student Competition has been held continuously
since 2012, and students are proposing measures to contribute to the realization of
Waseda Vision 150. With regard to the outstanding proposals, there are many examples
that have been realized, subsequently cultivating students' deeper appreciation for
Waseda Vision 150. This is commendable because it has led to an increase in students'
motivation to become actively involved in university administration.
Education and Research Organizations
 In the “Open Innovation Organization Development Project” adopted in 2018, theUniversity unified its contacts for external research projects in order to invigorate
industry-academia collaboration in competitive areas between organizations, andreorganized the Research Innovation Center in order to build a framework that enables
it to expedite the communication of important information. The fact that the University
holds “social value creation” as its third role after education and research, actively
endeavoring to create an institution that sets an example is commendable asdemonstrating an aspect of its uniqueness.
Student Support

Residence Life Center runs S.I. (Social Intelligence) programs at the Waseda
International Student House, focusing on group work so students can make the most of
the knowledge and skills they acquire from the required curriculum. Besides requiredclasses in volunteer-related subjects, The Hirayama Ikuo Volunteer Center provides
relevant extracurricular programs as well as support and assorted activities. Various
centers are each conducting distinctive educational programs and activities both within
and without the required curriculum. Moreover, the fact that students are participating3

Waseda University

in student support activities is also distinctive. For example, Kouhai Navi program,which provides support to freshmen, is being managed within a cooperative frameworkin which young staff support the independent volunteer activities of students, and isbeneficial to the mutual growth of students and staff. It is commendable that excellent
initiatives are being taken in this fashion to realize policies for student support.
Education and Research EnvironmentFor assessment purposes with respect to its grasp of facility maintenance issues on
campus and improvements to convenience for the students by means of maintenance,
the University is suitably conducting surveys on the condition of the facilities used by
students and their satisfaction with them. Consequently, the need to improve the lounge
environment became clear, and it is commendable that the University is endeavoring to
make improvements based on student surveys, such as performing renovations so thatthe existing lounges can also be used for group study.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
 Workshop on Cooperation with Local Community and Professionals Workshop
programs, which are supervised by the University-Social Relations Liaison Section of
the Academic Affairs Division, are extra-curricular projects. However, the University is
promoting their systematization as educational programs in which students tackle
community issues in collaboration with the Global Communication Center, which
oversees education in the required curriculum. By staff being involved in education in
addition to faculty, a system is in place that also enables staff to engage in social
cooperation and contribution. These initiatives are commendable for their expectation
not only to have an educational effect on students, but also to build the skills of staff andtrust with the community.
University Management and FinanceProject-based work initiatives for staff have also been positioned as a part of staff
training and implemented for many years. These projects are conducted in areas such as
student support, social cooperation, educational and research support, and managerial
support, and also lead to improvements in business operations. This project-based work
for staff contributes to staff also being involved in education and to the advancement of4

Waseda University

high-level cooperation in the teaching profession, and broadly reframes the nature androle of staff in universities. Moreover, the fact that it is connected to a systematic S.D.
(staff development) program that leads to staff gaining competency in undertaking
project work, such as the initiative being conducted in which staff provide educational
support with faculty over the course of a year as staff training, is also commendable.
Suggestions for Improvement
Mission and Purpose
 Regarding the objectives of human resource development and other educational andresearch objectives in graduate schools indicated in the University’s regulations, thematerial students study in the Department of Electronic and Physical Systems at theGraduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering and the descriptions of new
courses in the Major in Curriculum Area Sciences at the Graduate School of Education
are each merely shown. Improvements are needed as their relevancy to the University’s
three-fold mission statement and the purpose of graduate school is unclear.
Internal Quality Assurance

It cannot be said that the Chief Academic Officers in Charge of Academic Affairs
Committee, an organization that promotes internal quality assurance for education, fully
ascertains the status of PDCA cycles in each undergraduate and graduate division andis supporting them. Improvements are needed so that each undergraduate and graduate
division can conduct periodic checks and reviews and implement improvements andprogress based on those results with appropriate support from the Chief Academic
Officers in Charge of Academic Affairs Committee.

Educational Program and Learning OutcomesIn the School of Political Science and Economics, the School of Law, the School ofCulture, Media and Society, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Schoolof Commerce, the School of Social Sciences, the School of Human Sciences, the Schoolof Sport Sciences, and the School of International Liberal Studies, one or more of thefollowing situations may be occurring: there are a considerable number of students whoare earning credits in excess of the maximum number of credits that can be registered
5

Waseda University

in a year, the students’ average number of registered credits exceeds the maximum
number of registered credits, and in half a year, some students are earning credits thatexceed the annual maximum. Although it institutes a maximum number of credits thatcan be registered in a year, the University permits students to earn credits without
including them in the maximum with regard to courses that do not count toward thecredits required for graduation. And while the syllabi describe the content of classpreparation and review, improvements are needed in light of the credit system's purposeas the University's measures to substantiate credits are insufficient.
With regard to its grasp and assessment of learning outcomes specified in the degree
award policy, at the current stage, the University has only begun to examine thosemethods. Improvements are needed as we cannot say that both undergraduate andgraduate divisions are measuring learning outcomes in a versatile and suitable manner.

Student Enrollment
 With regard to the ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap,
improvements are needed so that student quotas for graduate schools are thoroughly
implemented as they are low at 0.44 in the Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences,
Master's Program and at 0.42 in the Professional Degree of Major in Public Management
at the Graduate School of Political Science.
Faculty and Faculty Organization
 It cannot be said that the University is sufficiently conducting proper F.D. (faculty
development) programs for educational improvements with regard to the whole
undergraduate program and each faculty, the whole master's and doctoral graduate
program and each graduate school, and the whole professional degree program and eachgraduate school. Therefore, improvements are needed so that these F.D. programs canbe suitably implemented by the Center for Higher Education Studies ascertaining theactivities of each undergraduate and graduate division.
Education and Research Environment
 In the master's program, Introduction to Research Ethics is offered to foster better
understanding of research ethics; however, the participation rate is low. Moreover, due
6

Waseda University

to the fact that a system is in place in the doctoral program that makes it sufficient for
graduate students to take a research ethics course by the time they submit their doctoral
dissertations, improvements are needed to foster better understanding of research ethics
and to thoroughly prevent unethical research practices.
Recommendations
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes In the Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, the Graduate Schoolof Social Sciences, the Graduate School of Environment and Energy Engineering, and
the Graduate School of Human Sciences, the University does not institute a degree
award policy in each degree program. Moreover, in the School of Fundamental Scienceand Engineering, the School of Creative Science and Engineering, the School of
Advanced Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of Economics, the Graduate
School of Law, the Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, theGraduate School of Creative Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of
Advanced Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of Environment and Energy
Engineering Master's Program, and the Graduate School of Human Sciences Master's
Program, the University has not decided on degree award policies for each degree
conferred. Furthermore, in the School of Law, the Graduate School of Political Science,
Doctoral Program of Major in Political Science, Journalism Course, the Graduate
School of Economics, the Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the Graduate
School of Education—excepting the professional degree program—and the Graduate
School of International Culture and Communication Studies, the University does notindicate in the degree award policies appropriate learning outcomes for the
aforementioned degrees, such as the knowledge, skills, and abilities that should beacquired. Therefore, we expect this situation will be corrected so that suitable policies
are decided on.
 In the Graduate School of Political Science, the Graduate School of Law, the Graduate
School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Commerce, the Graduate
School of Creative Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of Advanced Scienceand Engineering, the Graduate School of Environment and Energy Engineering, theGraduate School of Social Sciences, and the Graduate School of Human Sciences, theUniversity does not institute curriculum design and implementation policies in each7

Waseda University

degree program. Moreover, in the School of Education, the School of Fundamental
Science and Engineering, the School of Creative Science and Engineering, the Schoolof Advanced Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of Economics, the Graduate
School of Law, Master's Program, the Graduate School of Education, the Graduate
School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of Creative
Science and Engineering, the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering,
the Graduate School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Master's Program, theGraduate School of Human Sciences Master's Program, and the Graduate School ofBusiness and Finance, the University has not decided on curriculum design andimplementation policies for each degree conferred. Furthermore, in the Graduate Schoolof Japanese Applied Linguistics Doctoral Program and the Graduate School of AsiaPacific Studies Ph.D. Program, the University does not indicate its basic approach tocurriculum design and implementation policy. Therefore, we expect this situation will
be corrected so that suitable policies are decided on.
 In the Graduate School of Commerce Master's Program, the Graduate School ofCommerce Doctoral Program, the Graduate School of Fundamental Science andEngineering Master's Program, the Graduate School of Fundamental Science andEngineering Doctoral Program, the Graduate School of Creative Science andEngineering, Master's Program, the Graduate School of Creative Science andEngineering Doctoral Program, the Graduate School of Advanced Science andEngineering Master's Program, the Graduate School of Advanced Science andEngineering Doctoral Program, the Graduate School of Environment and Energy
Engineering Master's Program, the Graduate School of Environment and Energy
Engineering Doctoral Program, the Graduate School of Human Sciences Master's
Program, the Graduate School of Human Sciences Doctoral Program, the Graduate
School of Sport Sciences Master's Program, and the Graduate School of Sport Sciences
Doctoral Program, the University has not decided on research supervision methods orschedules as a plan for research supervision. Therefore, we expect this situation will becorrected so that they are determined and specified to students beforehand. Moreover,although the University indicates research supervision methods in the Graduate Schoolof Information, Production and Systems, Master's Program and the Graduate School ofInformation, Production and Systems, Doctoral Program, the schedules are not specified
to students. We expect this situation will be corrected as it is insufficient as a researchguidance plan.

8

Waseda University

Student Enrollment
In the Graduate School of Political Science, Doctoral Program, the Graduate School of
Economics, the Graduate School of Law, the Graduate School of Fundamental Scienceand Engineering, the Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering, theGraduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, the Graduate School ofEnvironment and Energy Engineering, the Graduate School of Social Sciences, and the
Graduate School of Sport Sciences, the University does not institute admissions policies
in each degree program. Therefore, we expect this situation will be corrected so thatthey are determined and made public.

9