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

Rissho University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, 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 Rissho University
Overview
Rissho University sets forth the guiding principle of its founding spirit based on thethree pledges of “Seek truth and show sincerity,” “Value justice and reject evil,” and“Desire peace and serve humankind,” with the purposes of the University, faculties,and graduate schools grounded in this principle. To realize the University’s principle
and purposes, the First Rissho University Gakuen Medium-Term Plan (Rissho Vision150) was formulated through AY2022. In the same academic year marking the 150th
anniversary of the University’s founding, the Rissho Grand Design was drawn up topromote the long-term vision of what the University should be in ten years’ time asa guideline for permanently developing the Rissho institutions. The grand design
specifies education, research, social cooperation and contribution, school
administration and management, and alumni partnerships as the five key pillars
supporting the University’s future development.
The University’s internal quality assurance is undertaken based on theInternal Quality Assurance Policy and other relevant regulations. As an organization
promoting internal quality assurance, the Self-Examination Committee of eachfaculty and graduate school instructs them every academic year to create the Periodic
Review Item Checklist and submit the review results. Based on the checklist results,
the committees cooperate with different university-wide bodies, including the Centerfor Educational Development, Executive Liaison Committee, and other centers toproduce the Inspection and Assessment Report. The strengths and issues identified inthis process are compiled as the Self-Examination Result List and sharedsystematically across the university to make improvements and enhancements.
However, in terms of the items requiring improvement from a university-wide
perspective, the Self-Study Committee and the President’s Office participate inreviewing the inspection and assessment results as well as supporting improvement
and enhancement measures, but the meeting’s involvement is not specified in theregulations or other rules, indicating the unclear roles and connections of theorganizations partially involved in the tasks. The University is expected to reexamine
this situation.
Regarding the University’s education, the faculties and graduate schools
have systematically organized their curricula based on the diploma and curriculum

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policies, specified the maximum number of registered credits allowed, andencouraged student learning by monitoring their studies outside of class hours
through lesson support and other systems. In addition, the Center for EducationalDevelopment plays a central role in promoting the introduction of active learning andflipped classrooms throughout the university to stimulate student motivation andimprove class effectiveness. An assessment policy has also been established to set
indicators at institutional, curricular, and subject levels in an attempt to monitor andevaluate student learning outcomes, but the approaches are different in the faculties.
The Center for Educational Development is expected to define the university-wide
indicators for learning outcomes in the future as it explores the benchmarks.
As part of its social cooperation and contribution activities, the Universityis working with external research collaborators to carry out the Rissho University
Uzbekistan Academic Interchange Project designed for faculty members and students
from several faculties to conduct survey research on ancient Buddhist monuments
and their conservation and restoration work. The project was supported as a Private
University Research Branding Project by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT) between AY2017 and AY2019, and has since been
maintained with the University’s support as Rissho University Gakuen’s branding
project. Specifically, project members conduct exchanges with the people ofUzbekistan through book donations and publishing textbooks in the country, andreturn and disseminate their research outcomes through newsletters and other means.
It is highly commendable that the University’s project is producing positive outcomesin various areas, including international exchange, social contribution, and education
and research, as students who participated in the project embark on their professional
careers in related fields.
There are issues the University needs to address, however. Some faculties
and departments have low ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap
and low average ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment cap overthe past five years. The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap arealso low in some graduate schools. The University needs to ensure that its student
quotas are thoroughly managed.
To enhance its educational and research and other activities both on
campus and off in the coming years, the University should examine the propriety of
its internal quality assurance, restructure the system, and efficiently implement selfstudies and improvement measures, before addressing various issues. The University
is also expected to progress further while advancing its distinctive initiatives that2

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have produced positive outcomes.
Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution
As an international social contribution activity pursuing global education andresearch, the University is working with research collaborators in Uzbekistan tocarry out the Rissho University Uzbekistan Academic Interchange Project aimed
at conducting survey research on ancient Buddhist monuments and theirconservation and restoration work. Even after MEXT’s support for the promotion
project ended, the University has continued to fully support the project, and iswidely returning the survey research outcomes to society through the media.
Project members are also deepening their exchanges with Uzbek people throughbook donations and publishing Japanese language and culture textbooks in thecountry. It is commendable that the University is taking advantage of itsdistinctive features and expertise to conduct international research activities, andis producing outstanding outcomes in multiple areas, including international
exchange, social contribution, and education and research.

Suggestions for Improvement
Student Enrollment
The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are low at 0.45 in
the master’s program in the Graduate School of Social Welfare, 0.42 in theGraduate School of Geo-Environmental Science, and 0.14 in the doctoral
program in the Graduate School of Geo-Environmental Science. These ratios
should be improved with the graduate schools’ student quotas thoroughlymanaged.

Recommendation
Student Enrollment
The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are low at 0.85 in

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the Faculty of Geo-Environmental Science and 0.79 in the Department ofEnvironment Systems, Faculty of Geo-Environmental Science. The average
ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment cap over the past five
years are also low at 0.88 in the Faculty of Geo-Environmental Science and 0.81
in the Department of Environment Systems, Faculty of Geo-Environmental
Science. These ratios must be improved with the faculty’s student quotas
thoroughly managed.

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