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

The Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Akita, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2030）

The Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
for the Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing
Overview
The Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing, founded on the spirit of the Red
Cross fundamental principle of “humanity,” defines its purpose as “fostering
individuals with well-rounded character traits who respect human dignity, andimparting a broad range of knowledge based on the humanitarian ideals of the RedCross; cultivating talented human resources who can play an active and extensiverole in the fields of health, medical care, and welfare both in Japan and abroad byteaching and researching specialized arts and sciences in depth, and enhancing theirintelligence, morals, and applied abilities; and contributing to the development ofnursing science and the improvement of human welfare.” The College has formulated
the Medium-term Plan (hereafter, the “College Midterm Plan”) based on its school
corporation’s Third Japanese Red Cross Academy Medium-term Plan – Promoting
Collaboration among Colleges. The College is promoting educational and research
activities to meet medical and nursing needs in the Tohoku region, including Akita
Prefecture, with three goals that include “fostering individuals who can promote
community engagement to support people’s livelihood and health.”
The College formed the Internal Quality Assurance Committee as anorganization responsible for internal quality assurance under the Management
Meeting in AY2020 to establish a mechanism for the two bodies to link the inspection
and assessment results of the faculty and graduate school to improvement andenhancement efforts. The Teaching and Learning Management Meeting, set up as anorganization primarily tasked with reviewing the curricula, engages in internal
quality assurance activities. These meeting bodies comprised of overlapping
members facilitate information sharing, but their initiatives tend to be dominated bycertain individuals. To address this situation, the College is expected to review theinternal quality assurance system. The College is also expected to effectively operate
the mechanism newly developed in AY2020 to inspect and assess the faculty andgraduate school.
Regarding the College’s educational content and teaching methods, bothfaculty and graduate school have established curriculum policies based on theirdiploma policies. The faculty has adopted the College’s distinctive educational
approaches to design its curriculum comprising the four subject groups of1

The Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing

Fundamental Education Subjects, Basic Specialized Subjects, Specialized Subjects,
and the Red Cross to provide education in light of regional characteristics, with theaims of nurturing individuals based on the Red Cross fundamental principle andfostering students with well-rounded character traits as well as high ethical standards
and international perspectives required of healthcare professionals. To promotestudents’ self-directed learning, the faculty incorporates problem-based learning(PBL) designed for students to acquire reasoning, decision-making, andcommunication skills for responding flexibly to new challenges. The graduate schoolorganizes lesson subjects combining lectures, seminars, and practical training, andthe doctoral course is provided as a joint program with other Red Cross nursing
colleges through a flexible remote learning system. To monitor student learning
outcomes, the faculty and master’s course confirm the acquisition of thecompetencies stated in the diploma policies through student surveys on satisfaction
at the time of graduation. However, the doctoral course remains in the process ofadopting an assessment policy jointly formulated by five colleges, and student
learning outcomes are monitored based on the screening of dissertations, but the linkto the diploma policy is unclear. This issue should be addressed, and further efforts
are expected in terms of the assessment policy.
The College has undertaken an outstanding initiative in the Red Cross
Disaster Prevention Volunteer Station, in which students participate in such activities
as the Disaster Prevention Camp and the AKITA Disaster Prevention Camp Festival
to raise public awareness of local hazards. It is particularly notable that theseactivities correspond to the Red Cross fundamental principle of humanity.
In the coming years, the College is expected to visualize student learning
outcomes and review its internal quality assurance system, thereby enhancing its
educational and other activities based on its mission.
Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution
The Red Cross Disaster Prevention Volunteer Station organizes the Disaster
Prevention Camp with students participating as staff. With events held not onlyin summer but also in winter to prepare for disasters likely to occur in snowy,
cold regions, the volunteer station provides students with opportunities to gain
practical experience in response to local hazards. In addition, the College2

The Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing

collaborates with Red Cross facilities and other organizations in Akita Prefecture
to hold the AKITA Disaster Prevention Camp Festival, offering local residents
the opportunity to learn firsthand the various types of skills necessary in times ofdisaster. It is commendable that this event contributes to increasing the awarenessof regional disaster risks as a meaningful activity corresponding to the Red Cross
fundamental principle of humanity.
Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning OutcomesThe graduate school’s doctoral course monitors student learning outcomes basedon the screening of dissertations, but the link between the diploma policy and thescreening criteria is unclear. This issue should be addressed with the learning
outcomes stated in the policy monitored and evaluated in accordance with theassessment policy.

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