Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for Junior College

Shigakkan University Junior College

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: PrivateLocation: Aichi, Japan

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

Shigakkan University Junior College

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Shigakkan University Junior CollegeOverview
The educational mission of Shigakkan University Junior College (hereafter, the College)is “capacity building for global citizenship” based on the institution’s founding purposeof “fostering human abilities.” The College strives to improve its education and research
activities in line with the AY2020-AY2024 Medium-term Goals and the Medium-term
Plan, which were established with the aim of achieving its mission and purpose. The two
departments comprising the College, the Department of Physical Education and theDepartment of Athletic Trainer Advanced Course, announced the suspension of newstudent admissions starting in AY2022 and AY2024, respectively. The College isscheduled to close upon graduation of the last class of students, with its mission andpurpose to be carried on and developed into the future by the newly-launched Departmentof Sports and Physical Education in the affiliate Shigakkan University. It is hoped thatfurther growth of the new department will be seen going forward.
The College established the Internal Quality Assurance Policy of Shigakkan
University Junior College in AY2018 to achieve its mission and purpose throughcontinuously assuring and enhancing the quality of its education by conducting selfstudies of its education and research activities and using the results for improvement andreform. To ensure the effective implementation of this process, the College has
established the Self-Improvement Committee, the University Development Committee
which liaises with the Self-Improvement Committee and is in charge of education, andthe Operation Council as organizations responsible for carrying out internal quality
assurance.
With respect to education, the College offers courses designed to develop basic
knowledge as well as practice and practical courses that impart instruction methods,techniques, and practical skills under a curriculum appropriately aligned with the diploma
policy. The College measures and assesses the student learning outcomes specified in thediploma policy using a rubric and student surveys, but the assessment results are noteffectively used for curriculum improvements. This is an area for improvement going
forward. Moreover, there are no standard procedures in place for dealing with students
who question or object to their grades, and teachers are left to their own devices whenhandling such cases. This situation should be improved as well.
One notable feature of the College is the open class day when teachers are1

Shigakkan University Junior College

encouraged to observe each other’s classes; afterwards they discuss the effectiveness ofclass content and teaching materials and use the experience to improve their own
teaching. It is highly commendable that many teachers participate in this initiative, which
has helped to improve the teaching skills of both the teachers delivering the lessons andthe teachers observing them. Another commendable effort is the establishment of an oncampus PCR testing site as part of the College’s Covid-19 management measures initiatedunder the leadership of the president. Administered by doctors, testing was made available
not only to students and staff but alumni, people from nearby universities, and local
community residents as well. Operated in partnership with its affiliate university, thetesting clinic helped keep the College functioning through early detection of infections
and close contact tracing, efforts that built community trust in Shigakkan. This initiative
offers a shining example of crisis management by a community-based educationalinstitution.
Going forward, it is expected that the College’s mission, purpose, and tradition
will be carried on and further developed by the Department of Sports and Physical
Education of Shigakkan University.
Notable Strengths
Faculty and Faculty Organization
As a teaching improvement initiative, the College distributes the course schedule andvenue information to all teachers, including teachers from the affiliate university,
allowing them to observe and learn from each other’s classes. Many teachers
participate in the open class day, which has helped improve the instruction skills ofboth the teachers delivering the lessons and the teachers observing them. In theDepartment of Physical Education, the open class is organized as part of its faculty
development efforts. To ensure the experience leads to teaching improvements,
certain courses are designated as faculty development courses, and the participatingteachers are invited to discuss class content and teaching materials afterwards. Thiscommendable initiative is expected to lead to the growth of the faculty organization
as a whole.

Student Support

As part of its Covid-19 management effort, the College established an on-campus

2Shigakkan University Junior CollegePCR testing site in AY2020 under the leadership of the College’s president.
Administered by doctors, testing was made available to students and alumni, teachersand staff, residents of the city of Obu in Aichi Prefecture, where the College is located,and people from nearby universities. The entire Shigakkan university community,including the affiliate university, systematically conducted early detection ofinfections and close contact tracing; these efforts reduced the risk of cluster outbreaks
and succeeded in keeping the College functioning, and allowed students to participate
in practical training and off-campus extra-curricular activities. This commendable
effort has helped Shigakkan win the trust of the local community as a safe andtrustworthy educational institution.

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