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

Kitasato University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kanagawa, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2016
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2017 – March.31.2024）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kitasato University
Overview
Kitasato University (hereafter, the University) was established in 1962 incommemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Kitasato Institute, its parent
organization founded in 1914. The University has its main campuses in Minato-Ward,
Tokyo; Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture; and Towada City, Aomori Prefecture.
It maintains its founding spirit, named the Spirit of Kitasato, : “Kaitaku”, the spirit ofpioneering; “Ho-on”, the spirit of gratitude; “Eichi-to-jissen”, the spirit of wisdom andpractice; and “Futo-fukutsu”, the spirit of persistency. It offers seven undergraduateschools (the School of Pharmacy, the School of Veterinary Medicine, the School ofMedicine, the School of Marine Biosciences, the School of Nursing, the School ofScience, and the School of Allied Health Science) and seven graduate schools (theGraduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Graduate School of Veterinary
Sciences, the Graduate School of Marine Biosciences, the Graduate School of Nursing,the Graduate School of Science, and the Graduate School of Medical Sciences and theGraduate School of Infection Control Sciences) and has grown into a comprehensive
university for the life sciences.
After its accreditation review by the Japan University Accreditation
Association (JUAA) in 2009, the University formulated its board policies for each term
as a future vision in 2012 and 2016. Through a system of focused policy decisions andby leveraging its pioneering clout in the life sciences, the University has made efforts tofoster an academic and research environment that cultivates global human resources
and return research results to society. The University has also taken seriously the points
suggested in the previous accreditation and has earnestly sought to make improvements.
However, issues remain concerning the current systems in the School of Pharmacy andthe School of Veterinary Medicine that make special concessions for students who failto complete freshman courses.
Unique features identified in this accreditation review include the University’sutilization of its medical and health care related schools by promoting education on“Interprofessional Health Care Program” to train and cultivate practitioners of safe,
high-quality and effective medical care through functional collaboration among various
students and professionals. In addition, the University also promotes educational
programs that feature “Collaboration of Agricultural Science and Medical science” topursue the integration of knowledge in the agricultural and medical fields. These efforts
are highly commendable.
However, with regard to internal quality assurance, the Self-Study Committees
in undergraduate schools and graduate schools do not work as stipulated in theregulations, and it is urgent that the University restructure them into an effective system
for implementing improvements. Under the leadership of the president, the faculty andstaff should work together to ensure that the self-study of the entire university and eachsection is well coordinated, and develop the system of internal quality assurance acrossthe University.
Notable Strengths
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome

It is commendable that the University offers educationally effective curricula that
result in high student satisfaction. In particular, in cooperation with theundergraduate schools related to medical science and four university-affiliatedhospitals, the University has carried out its Interprofessional Health Care Program
to foster the development of safe, highly qualified practitioners within an3

educational environment that is suitable for interprofessional education. It provides
opportunities for students to acquire comprehensive practical skills such as
knowledge and expertise of other professions as well as mutual understanding andcooperation through systematic programming consisting of lectures, exercises, andclinically-set hospital training in Interprofessional Health Care Program.
It is also commendable that the University makes efforts to foster problem-solving
skills that engage multiple perspectives from agriculture and medicine, and thatthese skills are also highly effective educationally in improving the overall masteryof the students who took the course. In particular, the University offers across-disciplinary education that develops generic and practical skills centered onfood and health, animal-mediated medical care, and diffusion of Eastern medicine
through the integration of knowledge from both the agricultural and medical fields.
It also established the Center of Education and Research for Agromedicine in 2013
to advance the development and support of this program.

It is commendable that the University supports its faculty and students in activities
that have helped to produce ripple effects in academic international exchange
programs and high school education. In particular, with the Presidential Grant
Fund, the University provides financial support for a project that is selected via anon-campus open competition to promote educational reform within the University.
For example, a preliminary study tour to investigate the feasibility of a short-term
study abroad program to enhance language education. As a result, a study abroadprogram was introduced, and students who attended were highly satisfied with thisprogram. Furthermore, the School of Nursing introduced distance education
utilizing a cloud-based educational support system in the subject of midwifery
practice. As part of the program, students who aim to become midwives sometimes
visit high schools and give presentations on midwifery and issues of pregnancy tohigh school students. One of these high school students wrote about the experienceand was awarded a prize in a prefecture-sponsored contest, and the faculty memberin charge of the program was commended for the efforts of the School of Nursing.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome

The acceptance criteria of the fourth-year common tests (CBT and OSCE), thefifth-year comprehensive test, and the sixth-year comprehensive test in the Schoolof Medicine are not disclosed to students in advance. This should be improved.

Enrollment
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The average of the ratios of the last five years of enrolled freshmen to the freshman
admission cap is high at 1.01 in the School of Medicine, 1.24 in the School ofMarine Biosciences, and 1.22 in the Department of Biosciences of the School ofScience. These numbers should be improved. Also, the ratio of enrolled students tothe student enrollment cap is high at 1.04 in the School of Medicine. This should beimproved.

In the School of Nursing, the ratio of transfer students to the transfer student
admission cap is low at 0.40. This number should be improved.

Education and Research EnvironmentAs regular staff, any librarian or the other staffs with professional knowledge has

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not been hired in the library on the Towada Campus. This should be improved.
Internal Quality AssuranceIn each undergraduate and graduate school, self-study is done by its own
committees, not by the Self-Study Committee as stipulated in the Self-StudyRegulation. Also, the role of the University-wide Self-Study Committee is notclearly defined. The self-studies of each school do not link to the one of theentire University, and as a result the University has not made improvements orreforms based on the self-study of the entire university. Review systems,
regulations, and the definitions of roles of and responsibilities should bereviewed and appropriate self-study implemented to develop an effective
internal quality assurance system.