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

Sapporo Gakuin University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Hokkaido, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2021
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2022 – March 31, 2029）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Sapporo Gakuin University

Overview
With “Autonomy, Human Rights, Coexistence, and Cooperation,” as its philosophy,
Sapporo Gakuin University (hereinafter “the University”) defines its purpose as “todevelop a rich sense of humanity, and by conducting in-depth teaching and researchin specialized arts and sciences, to develop individuals who can contribute broadly
to the welfare of human society, and in particular to the development of industry in
Hokkaido, the social culture of Hokkaido, and the welfare of the people of
Hokkaido.” In addition, the University has drawn up “SGU Vision 2026” and“Financial Restructuring Plan 2017” as medium- and long-term plans to achieve its
objectives, and is working to enhance its educational and research activities.
For internal quality assurance, the University Assessment Committee has been
established as the organization responsible for conducting university-wide self-study
and promoting internal quality assurance, and this committee is in charge ofoverseeing the “Self-Assessment Implementation Subcommittees” in faculties,
graduate schools, and other committees. However, there is insufficient coordination
among organizations for internal quality assurance, and the University Assessment
Committee’s management with respect to the PDCA cycles of the Self-Assessment
Implementation Subcommittees is inadequate. In the future, to ensure that eachorganization steadily implements improvement and enhancement initiatives based on
the check and review results and in accordance with the “Policy, System andProcedures for Internal Quality Assurance” (hereinafter the “Policy for InternalQuality Assurance”), close collaboration among organizations is required, and theUniversity Assessment Committee must make improvements to provide support foreach organization.
Regarding education, the University has established “Regulations on the Three
Policies,” and a degree award policy (diploma policy) and curriculum design andimplementation policy (curriculum policy) has been drawn up for each department
and graduate school. Curricula are organized in accordance with the policy and inline with the expertise of each department and graduate school. However, although
there is an upper limit to the number of credits students can register for in a year, themeasures taken to substantiate credits are not sufficient. For example, students can,upon request, register for courses relating to graduation requirements and the1Sapporo Gakuin University

acquisition of qualifications beyond the upper limit. Regarding the measurement oflearning outcomes, the school is not sufficiently monitoring and evaluating thelearning outcomes stipulated in the degree award policy, and the visualization oflearning outcomes is inadequate. This should be improved immediately.
Outstanding efforts include the introduction of the “Scholarship Entrance
Examination System,” which proactively targets students with a strong desire to learn
and contribute to the improvement of academic motivation within the University, andthe support for students with disabilities, which includes university-wide, consistent
support from entrance examinations to graduation, and the establishment of a peer
support system provided by fellow students. In addition, as part of university-wide
faculty development (hereinafter “FD”) activities, examples of faculty members’
practices for improving classes and teaching methods are widely shared within theUniversity, contributing to raising faculty members’ awareness, which iscommendable. Also commendable are the university-wide efforts to contribute to the
local communities in which each campus is located, as well as unique initiatives suchas the “Collaboration Center” based on cooperative principles and various activities
as a “Fair Trade University.”
However, there are also a number of issues. In addition to the aforementioned
measures for internal quality assurance, substantiation of credits in curricula, andmeasurement of learning outcomes, quota management must be improved, as somefaculties, departments, and graduate schools are significantly under capacity.
Going forward, the JUAA hopes that the University will resolve these issues
through internal quality assurance efforts and further develop its many distinctive
initiatives to make greater progress.
Notable Strengths
Student Enrollment
 In recent years, the University has adopted a variety of admission methods andsystems, one of which is the Scholarship Entrance Examination System, whichwas introduced for the AY2018 entrance examination. Students who pass thisexamination are granted a full tuition waiver not only for the first year, but also
for up to four years depending on their subsequent academic performance,
which has been effective in attracting students who are highly motivated tolearn. Those who pass the examination generally maintain good grades afterenrollment. As such, this system does not only lend financial support to thestudents, but it also contributes to the improvement of academic motivation
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Sapporo Gakuin Universityamong the students, which is commendable.
Faculty and Faculty Organization
 In order to improve the teaching ability of faculty members, the University has
established a university-wide “FD Study Group” and a forum for exchanging
opinions with student FD group, as well as providing budget support for class
improvement measures proposed by faculty members. In addition, the resultsof a “Student Class Evaluation Questionnaire” are tabulated and analyzed bydepartment, graduate school, and faculty member. These, as well as interviews
with faculty members based on said results are systematically compiled intoreports, which are made public on an ongoing basis. This series of proactive
efforts to improve classes and teaching methods has resulted in the wide
sharing of examples of excellent faculty practices within the University, whichis commendable.
Student Support The Collaboration Center is equipped with facilities and equipment to meet
diverse learning needs. Students, faculty, and staff from different faculties andyear groups come together to collaborate in a variety of activities, including
not only regular education, but also extracurricular activities and volunteeractivities. The center also supports students’ independent learning through a
project support program called the “Student-Initiated Project.” Furthermore,
the center has systematized the assignment of student staff, which iscommendable as an effort to make the “collaboration” emphasized in theUniversity’s philosophy and objectives a reality.
A support system has been established to train “accessibility staff” to assist
students with disabilities, and students are providing support to each otherwhile knowledge and skills are passed on among the staff. The number ofstaff members has increased over time, leading to increasingly substantial
support. In recent years, the “Pre-Employment Support Program (TOSSProgram)” has been implemented as a part of job placement support forstudents with disabilities, and the University is considering implementing its
own program from AY2022. In addition to these efforts, it is commendable
that the University is making ongoing efforts to improve support for students
with disabilities on a university-wide and multifaceted basis, such as by3

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appointing a Coordinator for supporting students with disabilities and holding
training sessions for faculty and staff.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 In order to achieve the “coexistence” set forth in its philosophy, theUniversity is actively engaged in social contribution activities rooted in thecommunity where each campus is located. These initiatives include student
participation in the Japanese version of CCRC, a welfare initiative for theelderly in the Ebetsu area, university-wide participation in the urban
development of the Shin-Sapporo area following the opening of ShinSapporo Campus, and various initiatives triggered by the “Sapporo Gakuin
University Seeds of Social Contribution” The relocation of the Sapporo
Gakuin University Social Engagement Center to the Shin-Sapporo campus
to serve as a liaison office for industry-government-academia-industry
collaboration is expected to lead to further development in collaboration
with companies, local governments, and other universities in thesurrounding area, and is commendable as such.
Students, faculty, and staff in various faculties are collaborating in a variety ofinitiatives as part of its Fair-Trade University initiative. In addition topromoting and selling fair trade products on campus, the University has
expanded its activities to include product development and sales incollaboration with companies, as well as initiatives in cooperation with otheruniversities and the local community. Gaining knowledge and practicalexperience of the SDGs in this way is positioned not only as social contribution
on the part of the University, but is also meaningful from an educational
perspective as graduates become active in society. Further development can beexpected in the future through collaboration with the local community andother universities, etc., which is commendable.

Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance Although it may be acknowledged that a body for promoting internal quality
assurance promotion is in place, the powers and roles of the University
Assessment Committee and the University Executive are partially unclear. Inaddition, although the University Assessment Committee gives instructions for4

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improvement to each of the Self-Assessment Implementation Subcommittees,
this initiative is not implemented on an ongoing basis, and support for
improvement and enhancement, such as checking the subsequent progress, isinsufficient. Improvements are required to clarify the powers and roles ofrelated organizations, strengthen cooperation, and ensure that the internal
quality assurance system functions on an ongoing basis.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes Although a limit has been set on the number of credits for which students canregister in a year, courses relating to graduation requirements and theacquisition of qualifications can be taken in excess of the limit without clear
criteria. As a result of this, particularly in the Faculty of Humanities, there area considerable number of students who actually take a large number of credits.
Although individual guidance on taking courses is provided, this is not
sufficient as a measure to substantiate credits. Therefore, this should beimproved in light of the purpose of the credit system.
To measure learning outcomes, undergraduate faculties use methods such as
GPA, graduation questionnaires, and graduation papers, while graduate
schools use graduation questionnaires and dissertation examinations.
However, this is not sufficient as a visualization of learning outcomes, and it
is difficult to say that the learning outcomes indicated in the degree award
policy are being fully monitored and evaluated. This should be improved
accordingly.

Student Enrollment
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap for the Graduate
School of Regional Management is low at 0.18. This should be improved toensure proper graduate student quota management.
University Management and Finance Although the Financial Restructuring Plan 2017 has shown some positive
results, the operational income and expenditure balance ratio continues to besignificantly negative, and the ratio of the financial assets to the required
reserve fund is on a declining trend, making it difficult to say that the financialbase necessary for the stable provision of educational and research activities
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is sufficient at this point in time. Moving forward, the University must
continue to establish its financial base by appropriately reviewing theFinancial Restructuring Plan 2017 in light of social circumstances and the stateof student admission, while steadily implementing the plan and achieving thegoals it has set.
Recommendation
Student Enrollment
 Average ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment cap for thepast five years are low at 0.81 for the Faculty of Humanities, 0.68 and 0.84 forthat faculty’s Department of Human Sciences and Department of ChildDevelopment respectively, and 0.84 for the Faculty of Law’s Department ofJurisprudence. Moreover, ratios of student enrollment to the student
enrollment cap are low at 0.83 for the Faculty of Humanities, 0.72 and 0.87
for that faculty’s Department of Human Sciences and Department of Child
Development respectively, and 0.86 for the Faculty of Law’s Department ofJurisprudence. This should be corrected to ensure proper undergraduate
student quota management.

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