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

Kyushu Sangyo University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Fukuoka, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2019
Accreditation Status: Accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1.2020 – March 31.2027）

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kyushu Sangyo University
Overview
With the founding ideal of “unification of industry and academia” and the founding
principles of “promotion of self-awareness as a citizen and the spirit of the middle path”
and “establishment of practicality-oriented academic traditions,” Kyushu Sangyo
University (hereinafter referred to as the “University”) aims to nurture individuals withpractical skills, passion, and a rich sense of humanity in order to meet the expectations ofindustrial circles through its undergraduate and graduate programs. In order to achieve
the founding ideal and principles and the purpose of the undergraduate and graduate
programs, the University has formulated the Nakamura Sangyo Gakuen Mid-term
Business Plan for AY2016 to AY2020 (hereinafter referred to as the Mid-term BusinessPlan). The University is engaged in enhancing its educational and research activity withthe aim of become a community-oriented university based in Kyushu, and has, as of 2019,
nine faculties and five graduate schools dedicated to humanities, science and engineering,and art.
Regarding education, with the exception of some faculties and graduate schools,
the degree award policy (diploma policy) and curriculum design and implementation
policy (curriculum policy) have been established appropriately, and curricula areorganized with consideration given to systematicity and order. As for educational methods,
the University sets goals by clearly describing the skills that students can acquire, forexample, and thereby provides effective education. Particularly notable is that theUniversity runs a program called KSU Project Based Learning which enables students toengage in practical learning through industry-academia-government cooperation andinter-faculty exchange. In the program, students actively engage in projects in cooperation
with businesses, the local government, and local communities. This is a highlycommendable endeavor.
However, there are some issues that should be addressed. First, the graduate
schools and departments do not set forth their own research supervision methods andschedule in the research supervision plan. This should be corrected. Some faculties andgraduate schools have not set or described their degree award policy and curriculum
design and implementation policy appropriately, some graduate schools do not haveappropriate examination criteria related to theses and special assignment research results,
and some graduate schools have an inadequate student body size. These issues should be2

addressed. The University has implemented initiatives, such as launching an Education
Result Assessment Committee and establishing an assessment policy, for measuring
learning outcomes. However, the relationship between these initiatives and the learning
outcomes indicated in the degree award policy are unclear, and the initiatives are
insufficient in terms of appropriately grasping and assessing learning outcomes. Thisshould be improved.
The University establishes university-wide policies regarding internal qualityassurance. The Self-Study Steering Committee, the organization responsible for thepromotion of internal quality assurance, plays a central role in establishing self-study
implementation plans and goals, according to which each faculty, graduate school,division, center, etc. carries out self-study. Based on the results thereof, the GeneralCommittee for Promotion of University Reform, Education Result Assessment
Committee, and Faculty Development Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “FDCommittee”), among other committees, implement measures for improvement
accordingly. However, the measures for improvement implemented by the committees,
as well as the results of those measures, are only grasped individually by the President,
Vice President, and others who act as chairs of the respective committees. Since the SelfStudy Steering Committee, which is responsible for the promotion of internal quality
assurance, is not involved in management and support for organizational improvement,
including grasping the state of improvement, the internal quality assurance system does
not function effectively. This should be improved.
Going forward, the University should implement university-wide managementof internal quality assurance toward addressing the various issues and further promoting
its distinctive initiatives, so that it can nurture individuals embodying the ideal of“unification of industry and academia” who are capable of contributing to the local
community and can further develop its program.
Notable Strengths
Educational Program and Outcome
 The University has introduced the KSU Project Based Learning Education program,in which students develop a foundation in liberal arts and basic knowledge and thenengage in practical learning. The aim is for students to learn various problem solving
methods through practice in the field. More specifically, in an attempt to develop andmarket new products by combining the aspects of humanities, science and engineering,3and art, students majored in science and engineering engage in product manufacturing,
students majored in art engage in designing, and students majored in commerce
engage in market analysis and promotion, in cooperation with businesses, the local
government, and local communities. Through such activities, a diverse range ofprojects are implemented based on cooperation between students belonging todifferent faculties and departments, each leveraging their expertise in a particular area.
It is commendable that the number of curricular and extracurricular projects involving
active student engagement has increased each year, and that the repetition of learningand practice has led to growth in students’ practical skills, co-creation skills, andleadership in the team.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance The measures for improvement implemented by the committees, as well as the resultsof those measures, are only grasped individually by the President, Vice President, andothers who act as chairs of the respective committees. Since the Self-Study Steering
Committee, which is responsible for the promotion of internal quality assurance, is
not involved in management and support for organizational improvement, including
grasping the state of improvement, the internal quality assurance system does notfunction effectively. This should be improved.
Educational Program and Outcome
 The Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Economicsand Business do not have a degree award policy corresponding to each degree. The
Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Fine Arts and theMaster’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of International
Studies of Culture do not indicate the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other learning
outcome students need to attain in order to receive a degree in the degree award policy.
 The Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Economics and Business and theMaster’s Program in the Graduate School of International Studies of Culture do notpresent the basic ideas on curriculum organization and implementation in thecurriculum design and implementation policy. The Department of Information
Science in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the Department of Japanese
4Culture in the Faculty of International Studies of Culture, the Doctoral Program in theGraduate School of Economics and Business, and the Doctoral Program in theGraduate School of International Studies of Culture do not present the basic ideas on
curriculum implementation in the curriculum design and implementation policy. Thisshould be improved.
 The Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Economics and Business and theDoctoral Program in the Graduate School of Fine Arts have not established the criteria
for thesis examination, and the examination criteria for theses and special assignment
research results are identical in the Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Fine
Arts. The Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School ofInternational Studies of Culture have identical criteria for thesis examination. Thisshould be improved.
 Faculties have formulated an assessment policy, and aim to visualize learning
outcomes by inputting the grade points of each subject and results of classquestionnaires in student portfolios. Graduate schools measure learning outcomes inthesis examinations. However, the relationship between these measures and thelearning outcomes indicated in the degree award policy are unclear, and the learning
outcomes indicated in the degree award policy are not appropriately grasped orevaluated. This should be improved.
Student Enrollment
 The Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Economics and Business, theMaster’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Fine Arts, and theMaster’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Information
Science do not indicate the ideal student profile in the admission policy. This shouldbe improved.
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap is low at 0.28 and 0.13
in the Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Economics
and Business, respectively, at 0.31 and 0.08 in the Master’s Program and Doctoral
Program in the Graduate School of Engineering, respectively, and at 0.18 in theMaster’s Program in the Graduate School of Information Science, and there are nostudents in the Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Information Science.

5Therefore, significant improvement should be made in graduate school quotamanagement.
Recommendation
Educational Program and Outcome None of the graduate schools or departments set forth their overall researchsupervision methods and schedule in the research supervision plan. These should beestablished for each degree program and clearly presented to students in advance.

6