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

Ishinomaki Senshu University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Miyagi, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2013
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period:April.01.2014 – March.31.2021）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Ishinomaki Senshu University
Notable Strengths
Education and research organization
It is commendable that Ishinomaki Senshu University (hereafter, the University)
has made efforts to reflect the needs of the local community. The University
regularly examines its appropriateness as an educational and research institution
from the outside by discussing and consulting with a public-interest incorporated
foundation, Ishinomaki Local Higher Education Corporation. These discussions
have produced steady results This relationship has produced noteworthy results. For
example, in 2013, the University established the Faculty of Human Studies in orderto realize its vision (“the Spirit of Foundation and the Twenty-First CenturyVision”) and to support sustainable development of local communities and thesocial advancement of women. The University also reorganized the Faculty ofScience and Engineering to support key industries in nearby communities and topromote the conservation and restoration of the biological and ecologicalenvironment.

Educational content, methods, and outcome

It is commendable that the University has carried out an educational reform to meetthe educational objective of “Practical Education,” which considers the needs of thelocal community and the social context following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Ishinomaki Senshu University has enacted reforms to meet the newly formulated“Practical Education” objective that considers the needs of surrounding
communities following the Great East Japan Earthquake. For example, it has
introduced a curriculum in the Faculty of Science and Engineering that explores theroles of agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the natural environment surrounding theIshinomaki area. It has also reorganized the coursework in the Faculty of Business
Administration so that students are able to study interdisciplinary educational
content across their specialized fields.

Enrollment
It is commendable that Ishinomaki Senshu University’s student recruitment efforts
have proceeded according to the principles and purposes of the University and theneeds of the local communities. For example, in order to overcome the deteriorating
effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake, various measures have been taken. Inparticular, the Student Recruitment Project was launched to fulfill the student
enrollment cap and the entire faculty and staff discussed the ways to achieve thegoals. The efforts have included active visits to local high schools, the unveiling of
the High School-University Joint Project, and the introduction of special entrance
exams for disaster victims to award scholarships, beginning in 2012. Students whoentered the University with the disaster victim scholarship have a strong sense ofpurpose and high motivation, and have a positive influence on other students. The
aim of the special entrance exams is well recognized by the applicants and themeasure has been effective.

3Student support

It is commendable that the University supported the continuous enrollment ofstudents after the Great East Japan Earthquake by offering tuition reductions toapproximately one-third of the enrolled. Also, in order to address the mental
distress of students immediately after the earthquake, the University conducted asurvey and offered counseling, responding quickly and appropriately to the needs ofeach individual student. It is commendable that the University employs a long-termview and continues its concrete support of students with a long-term view, byoffering economic support and psychological care for current and future students.

Social cooperation and contribution
It is commendable that the University has been actively involved in the activities of
local governments, businesses, and education by holding such events as the Miyagi
Citizen's University, the “Ishinomaki Senshu University Open Course,”“Youngsters’ Science Festival,” hands-on lectures at near-by elementary, middle,and high schools, and business management seminars. It is commendable that after
the Great East Japan Earthquake, the University further promoted cooperation withlocal communities under the vision of the “Devoted to the Development ofSocio-Intelligence.” In addition, the University has been actively involved in thereconstruction of local communities by implementing various
industry-academic-government collaborative activities such as the “Reconstruction
Coexistence Project” to facilitate education and research. The results of suchactivities have been shared domestically and internationally.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational content, methods, and outcome

The Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Business Administration
do not clearly state the requirements for completing programs in their degree
granting policies. Also, the relationship between the policies for awarding degrees
and the design and implementation of the curriculum is not clear. These faculties
need to examine ways to make the relationship clear and assist students inunderstanding requirements and policies.

The University recognizes that it is crucial to introduce educational content andmethods appropriate for students who are not able to keep up with regular classes.
However, systematic efforts are lacking. This should be improved.

In the Graduate School of Business Administration and the Graduate School ofScience and Engineering, depending on the major and specialized area, many
courses are not offered depending on the major and specialized area. This should be
improved to maintain consistency in the curriculum.

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Course evaluations are conducted throughout the University, but the results are notwell utilized. This should be improved.

The Graduate School of Science and Engineering and the Graduate School ofBusiness Administration have not clarified the criteria for examining
degree-seeking theses and dissertations. These criteria should be clarified in thestudent handbooks of the Graduate School.

4Enrollment
The ratio of enrolled students to the student enrollment cap is low in the following
academic units: at 0.81 in the Faculty of Science and Engineering as a whole; at0.89 in the Department of Information Technology and Electronics in the Faculty ofScience and Engineering; and at 0.85 in the Department of Business Administrationin the Faculty of Business Administration. These numbers should be improved. As
the Great East Japan Earthquake seriously affected these numbers, a reorganizationof faculties has taken place in the University. However, the ratio of enrolled
students to the student enrollment cap dropped sharply to 0.59 in the entire
University. The University still needs to respond to this enrollment situation.

Administration and finance
The efforts for improving the quality of administrative staff depend on themotivation of individual staff members. Little systematic effort has been taken. Thissituation should be improved.