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

Ritsumeikan University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2018
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2019 – March.31.2026）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Ritsumeikan University
Overview
Ritsumeikan University (hereafter, the University) consists of 15 undergraduate and 22
graduate schools (as of FY2018), and conducts education and research activities based onits school spirit of “freedom and innovation” and its educational philosophy of “peaceand democracy.” With the Ritsumeikan University Educational Mission and Vision tofoster learning and the development of individual talents in order to nurture just andethical global citizens, the University encourages students to “to believe in the future, tolive for the future.” In FY2010 the Ritsumeikan Academy established “Academy Vision
R 2020,” a vision of what the educational corporation should strive to become in 2020,
and the “R2020 Plan,” a concrete medium-term plan of action designed to achieve thisvision. The plan is divided into two five-year phases: the R2020 First Half Plan (FY20112015) during which the University launched the “Ritsumeikan Model for Learning,” alearning style that encourages proactive learning; and the R2020 Second Half Plan(FY2016-2020) with its continuing focus on transforming the quality of education andlearning as one of the priority agendas, and implementing undergraduate and graduate
school reforms along with new teaching and learning initiatives.
The Educational guideline, developed based on the R2020 Second Half Plan toenhance the quality of teaching and learning and establish active learning among students,
require the undergraduate and graduate schools to prepare a curriculum map, curriculum
tree, and course overview, which are defined by the University as key curriculum
documents that accommodate and reflect the features of the schools’ education program.
The Guidelines also instruct all undergraduate schools to assess the student learningachievements as part of the self-study practice called “Academic Review and Plan Outline
for the Following Academic Year.” It is highly commendable that the University, in linewith its educational goals, utilizes the “Learning and growth survey” and effectively
measures and assesses student learning outcomes using subjective and objective data.
The University demonstrates originality not only in its education programs andlearning achievement assessment process but also in the student support programs
designed to enhance the education standards and introduce learner-centered education. It
offers various peer support programs, for example, curricular and extracurricular activity
support programs designed to help students achieve their own set goals. The University
also strives to strengthen collaboration with businesses and governments, developing and3

implementing research assistance programs to help advance research.
The University designates the Self-Study Committee, a long-standingorganization created to maintain the quality of education programs for the many
undergraduate and graduate schools, as the organization responsible for promotinginternal quality assurance (IQA). The undergraduate and graduate schools are managed
through a system in which the Self-Study Committee studies various problems andimprovement measures based on the self-study results, and the measures are passed on tothe undergraduate and graduate schools as the president’s instructions for improvement
through the Subcommittees and related committees. The University has also adopted
external evaluation processes for the undergraduate and graduate schools, such as fieldspecific evaluations and evaluations conducted by the University Assessment Committee
consisting of outside experts. It is highly commendable that the University has developedand implements an effective IQA system. The student support programs to furtherenhance the education programs and efforts to advance research are also commendable.
Other efforts consistent with the educational mission include peace education
through the Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University, which theUniversity implements as part of its social contribution program, and phased andstructured staff training in university administration duties. Both are highly commendable
undertakings that improve education and research activities and help the University
engage with the public.
There are a number of issues the University needs to address, however. The
undergraduate programs have undertaken a review of their three policies (degree award
policy, curriculum design and implementation policy, and admission policy), but severalof the programs have yet to adopt a degree award policy and curriculum design andimplementation policy due to the rule stipulating that revised policies are to be
implemented only at the time of curriculum revision. There is also a master’s programthat lacks clear evaluation criteria for research projects on specific topics. Whileundergraduate enrollment is generally managed appropriately, some master’s anddoctoral programs need to better control student enrollment against the set enrollment
capacity. These issues should be addressed through a more effective IQA system.
Going forward the University is advised to evaluate the effectiveness of its
current IQA system developed building on its long-standing processes and continue toimprove the system. The graduate school education reform identified as a priority concern
in the R2020 Second Half Plan remains a work in progress, thus it is important that
education reform is carried out in accordance with the university-wide guidelines and thatefforts are made to secure a sufficient number of incoming students. For these purposes,

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the University is expected to strengthen undergraduate and graduate school support
through its IQA organizations, Academic Affairs Department, and Center for Teachingand Learning as well as address problems, enhance its strengths, and work on quality
assurance of education.
Notable Strengths
Internal Quality Assurance
The University has developed a three-tier IQA system in accordance with theRitsumeikan University’s Internal Quality Assurance Policy. Under this IQA system,
the Self-Study Committee (an institution-wide IQA promotion organization), the six
councils under the Self-Study Committee (Academic Affairs Education and Research
Environment, Student Enrollment, Student Affairs, Social Cooperation, University
Management and Finance), and the undergraduate and graduate schools work withvarious committees to conduct university-wide evaluations based on the results ofthe long-established self-study practice conducted by the undergraduate and graduate
schools called “Academic Review and Plan Outline for the Following AcademicYear,” and develop and present the improvement measures to be carried out. This
improvement process is implemented in conjunction with teaching and learning
management of the undergraduate and graduate schools in line with the “Teachingand Learning Guidelines” to ensure the quality assurance of education. Furthermore,
the University ensures objectivity through the field-specific external evaluation forundergraduate and graduate schools, the IQA effectiveness evaluation conducted by
the University Evaluation Committee consisting of external experts, and theevaluation program involving students. It is commendable that the University has
developed an IQA system building on its long-established processes and strives
constantly to assure the quality of its education and research.

Educational Program and Outcome

The undergraduate programs implement a multi-dimensional student learning
outcomes assessment over time using subjective data, namely the students’ own
perceptions of their learning obtained from the “Survey on Learning and Growth,”and objective data obtained through analyses of course grades in the curriculum. By
incorporating this process into the PDCA cycle that uses the “Teaching and Learning5Review/Overview of Next Year’s Plans,” the learning outcomes assessment iscontinually incorporated into the University’s self-study. As a steppingstone todeveloping this process, the University created a curriculum map, curriculum tree,
and course overview, and established a learning process that culminates in themeasurement of learning outcomes presented in the degree award policy. It iscommendable that coordinated efforts are being made to effectively measure andassess the student learning outcomes.

Student Support
Placing learner-centered education at the center of its education, the University
provides comprehensive student support with the aim of promoting independent
learning, including a wide range of peer support programs in accordance with theR2020 Second Half Plan that emphasizes the strengthening of peer learning todevelop a community of learning. Examples of such peer support programs include
Educational Supporter (ES) who provide learning support during classes; the SUP!
Language Exchange Program that matches international exchange students withJapanese students as language exchange partners for mutual assistance; and theOrientation Conductors program that provide support for new students. In particular,
the University uses the PDCA cycle effectively to improve the ES program byenhancing ES training through revising the guidelines and instructions under theguidance of the Academic Affairs Committee. These peer learning programs arecommendable efforts that help improve student life and the ability of students to takeownership of their own learning.

In line with its student support policy to promote student development through abalance of academic and extracurricular activities, the University offers mainly forfirst-year students the Student Success Program consisting of Academic Skills
Support, Student Skills Support, and Support for Learning and Growth through
Extracurricular Activities. These support programs include pre-semester camps for
new students and report-writing workshops that help students develop the skills
necessary for university studies. These programs, serving an increasing number ofstudents and expected to reduce university withdrawals in the future, arecommendable activities in that Inclusive Student Support, covering everything fromacademic learning to student life.

6Education and Research EnvironmentThe Advanced Research Medium-term Plan lists as priorities the creation of a
research promotion structure that facilitates the University becoming a global
research institution and the development of young researchers. In keeping with thesepriorities, the University offers a number of research support programs, including theSenior Researcher Program designed to nurture young researchers and the Programfor Promotion of Academic Publication aiming to disseminate research findings, andthe Research Office works to strengthen collaborative ties with governments andbusinesses. It is commendable that, through systematic promotion and support of its
research activities, the University has been successful in securing external researchfunding.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
The University delivers its educational mission of “peace and democracy” and thegoals established in the R2020 Second Half Plan through its social contribution
activities. Specifically, the University offers peace education through theInternational Peace Museum, encouraging the public to think not only about peacefrom the perspective of war and conflict throughout history, but also about social
issues such as child labor and food shortages, as well as many extension courses
including the half-century-old “Saturday Lectures by Ritsumeikan.” The University
also carries out recovery and reconstruction assistance in areas affected by disasters
through its academic programs and extracurricular activities. It is commendable that
the University uses the abundant intellectual and human resources garnered as a large
institution and draws on its regional strengths to contribute to society.

University Administration and Finances
The University has established specific staff growth and development goals suitablefor each life stage of its employees and aims to develop staff capacity using astructured, step-by-step approach. Various unique in-house training programs areoffered, including “Policy Development Training” that teaches policy development
skills, requisite for all employees to become capable of addressing the issues facing
the Ritsumeikan schools, and the “Project Based Training” program in which the7participants learn to study and analyze given problems and formulate policies. TheUniversity also supports staff self-development efforts inside and outside theinstitution, for example, by paying the expenses for participating in academic
conferences and offering financial rewards to employees earning graduate degrees.
These systematic multidimensional staff development programs are commendable
efforts intended to raise the competency levels of staff and further enhance theoperations of the University.
Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Outcome

The College of Science and Engineering and the College of Life Sciences need toadopt a degree award policy for each degree offered, and the College of Life Sciences
should adopt a curriculum design and implementation policy for each degree offered.

The Master’s Program of the Graduate School of Letters needs to provide its own
evaluation criteria for research projects on specific topics.

Student Enrollment
The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are high at 2.08 in theDoctoral Program (Major in Sport and Health Science) in Sport and Health Scienceof the Graduate School of Sport and Health Science, and low at 0.20, 0.27, 0.42, and0.29, respectively, in the Master’s Program in Law (Major in Law) of the Graduate
School of Law; Doctoral Program in Law of the Graduate School of Law; Master’sProgram (Major in Technology Management) in Technology Management of theGraduate School of Technology Management; and the School of Law. Graduate
school enrollment should be managed more effectively.