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

Kyoto Notre Dame University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2030）

Kyoto Notre Dame University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kyoto Notre Dame University
Overview
Kyoto Notre Dame University provides education and research to undergraduate andgraduate students based on its educational philosophy of “Christian education ofwomen” and “cultivation of women with ‘Virtus et Scientia (Virtue andKnowledge),’” along with its action guidelines for embodying such educational
principles as respect, dialogue, sympathy, and action. The University has formulated
a Medium-term Goals and Plan that outlines six basic goals in education, research,social contribution, and administration as well as a roadmap to achieve these goals
during the AY2020 to AY2024 period.
As for the University’s internal quality assurance, the Internal Quality
Assurance Committee is responsible for formulating implementation policies andplans, and instructs the Self-Study Committee to play a central role in compiling selfstudy reports based on the results of each department’s self-study. After receiving thereports, the Internal Quality Assurance Committee instructs each department toformulate and implement improvement plans, with the instructions reported to theUniversity’s top decision-making body, the Administration and Management
Meeting. In terms of academic affairs, the Teaching and Learning Management
Meeting discusses and implements the necessary measures to enhance systematic
education and student learning outcomes. The University also carries out external
evaluations to objectively assess the self-study process. With the system introduced
in AY2020, the University strives to operate the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle
across the board. The Policy on Internal Quality Assurance, however, states that theInternal Quality Assurance Committee is in charge of promoting internal quality
assurance. In fact, the Teaching and Learning Management Meeting reviews the three
diploma, curriculum, and admissions policies, conducts self-study of the curricula,and makes improvements. This situation indicates that the roles and connections ofthe system’s two organizations are unclear, and that the meeting bodies for internalquality assurance should be structured with their roles clarified in the system.
Moreover, there are discrepancies between the rules and actual status of theAdministration and Management Meeting and University Council, both defined asdecision-making bodies, and the Teaching and Learning Management Meeting. The
rules should be reviewed based on actual conditions with improvements made to1

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ensure the organizations work effectively together in operating the internal quality
assurance system.
Regarding the University’s education, all faculties and graduate schools
appropriately design their curricula based on the diploma and curriculum policies.
The University has established a set of “ND6” competencies that students areexpected to acquire upon graduation, and lists it in the curriculum map to visualize
the competencies to be acquired through coursework. In addition, the faculties use
their assessment policies and checklists to monitor student learning outcomes. But
the evaluation items specified in the checklists are unclear in their links to thediploma policies and ND6. For the graduate schools, it is difficult to describe thelearning outcomes specified in their diploma policies and measurement methods asappropriately linked to each other. These issues should be addressed with methods
established to properly measure the learning outcomes stated in the policies.
There are other issues the University needs to address. The ratios of student
enrollment to the student enrollment cap as well as the average ratios of freshmanenrollment to the freshman enrollment cap over the past five years are low in allundergraduate faculties and departments. This situation should be corrected. The
ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are also low in the master’scourse of the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the doctoral
course of the Graduate School of Psychology, and the Department of English
Language and Literature, Faculty of Language and Culture, continues to fall short offulfilling its transfer student quota. Moreover, the University has been unable toestablish a solid financial base to sustainably carry out educational and research
activities, with numerical targets not specified in its financial plan. These issues
should be addressed.
On the other hand, the University’s Campus Support System for students
with disabilities is highly commended as an outstanding initiative. The Campus
Support Promotion Office plays a central role in offering specifically designed
support by organizing teams consisting of supervisors, faculty, and staff in relevant
sections, including the student counseling office, to respond to the needs of each
student requiring special accommodations. The system also trains notetakers whoplay an important role in assisting hearing impaired students. This is a highly
commendable effort expected to bring educational benefits in light of the University’s
educational principles.
In the years ahead, the University is expected to address these issues
through further internal quality assurance efforts and continue to make social

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contributions by developing a number of distinctive initiatives.
Notable Strengths
Student Support


The University has established the Campus Support System to offer academic
assistance to students requiring special accommodations. The Campus Support
Promotion Office plays a central role in providing students in need with specificsupport by organizing teams consisting of supervisors, faculty, and staff inrelevant sections, including the student counseling office and student council.
Students are paid as notetakers for the hearing impaired, and training courses areprovided for student supporters, with this approach expected to bring educational
benefits. It is commendable that this support system allows students to enjoy aworry-free campus life, and that the University manages to accommodate andfacilitate learning for students with disabilities.

Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance
The University’s Policy on Internal Quality Assurance defines the Internal
Quality Assurance Committee as an organization responsible for promotinginternal quality assurance, but the Teaching and Learning Management Meeting
reviews the three policies, conducts self-study of the curricula, and makes
improvements. This situation indicates that the roles and connections of the twoorganizations in the internal quality assurance system are unclear, and that themeeting bodies for internal quality assurance should be structured with their roles
clarified in the system. Moreover, the Administration and Management Meetingand the University Council, both defined as decision-making bodies, and theTeaching and Learning Management Meeting specify the key teaching andlearning items in their reviews, but there are discrepancies between the rules andthe actual conditions. The rules should be reviewed to improve and effectivelyoperate the internal quality assurance system in coordination with the Internal
Quality Assurance Committee and the Teaching and Learning ManagementMeetin.

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Educational Program and Learning OutcomesThe faculties use their assessment policies, checklists, and other means tomonitor student learning outcomes, but their monitoring is not clearly linked tothe ND6 competencies to be acquired by students upon graduation and thediploma policies. The graduate schools use dissertations and subject grades tomonitor student learning outcomes, but this method is inadequate for measuring
the learning outcomes stated in the diploma policies. These issues should beaddressed with the learning outcomes appropriately measured as specified in thediploma policies.

Student Enrollment
The Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Language andCulture, continues to fall far short of fulfilling its transfer student quota. Thissituation should be addressed.

The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are low at 0.15 in
the master’s program in the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences,and 0.08 in the doctoral program in the Graduate School of Psychology. Theseratios should be improved with the graduate schools’ student quotas thoroughlymanaged.

University Management and Finance

As the University’s balance sheet for operating activities remains negative, theratio of financial assets to the required reserve fund is showing a downward trend
despite maintaining a certain standard. This situation indicates that theUniversity is far from establishing the financial base necessary to sustainably
conduct its educational and research activities. To address this issue, theUniversity should formulate and implement a financial plan specifying the targetvalues and measures to achieve them, thereby establishing a solid financial
foundation.

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Recommendation
Student Enrollment
The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are low at 0.87 in
all undergraduate programs, 0.80 in the Faculty of Contemporary HumanSciences, 0.73 in the faculty’s Department of Life Environment, 0.80 in thefaculty’s Department of Psychology, and 0.87 in the faculty’s Department ofChild Education. The average ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshmanenrollment cap over the past five years are also low at 0.85 in all undergraduate
programs, 0.77 in the Faculty of Contemporary Human Sciences, 0.70 in thefaculty’s Department of Life Environment, 0.78 in the faculty’s Department ofPsychology, and 0.84 in the faculty’s Department of Child Education. Theseratios should be corrected with the faculties’ student quotas thoroughly managed.

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