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

Tsuru University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: PublicLocation: Yamanashi, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2020
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2021 – March.31.2028）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Tsuru University
Overview
The motto of Tsuru University is “Seiga Ikusai,” which means taking joy in thedevelopment of talented individuals for the benefit of society and aspiration for students’
growth. On this basis, it carries out its mission of “developing capable students who willcontribute to the advancement of education, culture, and welfare in local communities
through the study of the humanities, or exploration of the human condition”. In order tofulfil that mission, the University has drawn up a Medium-term Plan based on themedium-term goals set by the Tsuru City government. As such, it is striving to develop
teachers and other human resources who, while looking from the local to the international
community, and responding to an increasingly globalized and information-based world,
will make a contribution to society.
The University has established a “Check and Review ImplementationCommittee” as a university-wide organization, which is conducting internal quality
assurance in accordance with the “Tsuru University Internal Quality Assurance
Procedures.” Using a “Check and Review Sheet,” the University and the school
corporation are conducting reforms on issues requiring improvement via deliberations atthe “Check and Review Implementation Committee,” the “Education and ResearchCouncil,” and the “Management Council”. However, it must be said that there areproblems regarding the effectiveness of the internal quality assurance system, withfeedback for improvement not sufficiently and appropriately provided. Examples include
inadequate disclosure of educational information and insufficient visualization withrespect to the identification and assessment of learning outcomes.
In terms of education, degree award policies (diploma policies) and curriculum
design and implementation policies (curriculum policies) have been drawn up at both theundergraduate and graduate level. These form the basis for organizing the curriculum,assigning common subjects for the entire University and specialized subjects for eachdepartment. In addition to periodically conducting systematic examinations to reviewcurricula, with regard to the measurement of learning outcomes, the University pursues
educational improvements on a university-wide basis through faculty development(referred to below as “FD”). For common foreign language courses, meanwhile, theCenter for Language Education uses indicators from the Common European Frameworkof Reference for Languages (CEFR). However, we hope to see faculties, departments,

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courses, and graduate schools develop measurement indicators that are linked to theirrespective degree award policies.
With respect to social cooperation and contribution, the University is engaged ina number of commendable initiatives. As well as setting three targets as its medium-termgoals, including one relating to “Tsuru, the Education Capital of Japan,” it is pursuing
various activities centered on the “Regional Exchange Research Center” and publishinga variety of materials, including academic journals. Another commendable detail worthyof mention is the use of the University’s extensive independent scholarship programs,
which contribute to the financial support of students. These include the New Student
Start-up Scholarship, the Scholarship for Excellent Academic Performance, the Global
Education Scholarship, and the Study Abroad Grant.
Although there are some issues that require improvement, such as the appropriate
management of student quotas in the Graduate School of Letters, there are dynamic
educational activities taking place in the University’s faculties, departments, courses, andgraduate schools, and the University can be held in high regard as one that contributes tosociety by producing many school teachers. As such, we hope that by thoroughly
implementing the President’s leadership and university-wide academic management, andby fully establishing an internal quality assurance system for making ongoing
improvements, the University will make further efforts, in accordance with its mission,
to develop capable human resources who can benefit the community.
Notable Strengths
Student Support
 The University has established various independent scholarship programs, including
the New Student Start-up Scholarship which is given to new students who rank highin each category of the entrance examinations for each department, and theScholarship for Excellent Academic Performance, which is given to the second to
fourth year students in each department with the highest GPA and the second to fifth
highest GPA, supporting students with excellent academic performance in furthering
their studies. In addition, the Global Education Scholarship, for students who wish toengage in activities overseas, has established payment categories depending on thestudy abroad program, such as “exchange programs,” “authorized study abroadprograms,” “short-term language training at partner school,” and “global classes.”
The scholarship is provided to students who participate in these programs so that2Tsuru University

many students can study abroad, whether long-term or short-term. In this way, theUniversity has established a variety of scholarship programs, made them known tostudents from the time they enroll at the University, and provided financial supportto many. This is a commendable effort on the part of the University to promotestudents’ growth, actively supporting the development of their abilities and theirwishes to seek opportunities overseas.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 For many years, the University has been engaged in various social cooperation andcontribution activities centered mainly on the Regional Exchange Research Center.
It also publishes “Field Notes,” which is planned, drafted and edited by students
independently, to communicate information about local people and the naturalenvironment. In addition, in collaboration with the Environmental ESD Program, theUniversity has developed a variety of activities by drawing on the rich naturalenvironment of the local area and its record of engaging with citizens, such as the“Flying Squirrel Observation Meeting,” a regular event in which students and faculty
serve as guides and local people participate, and the “Open Archive Project”, whichcollects, digitizes, and preserves photographs taken in Tsuru City in the past as wellas other materials relating to memories of daily life. These are to be commended forhelping to improve academic research in the local community.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance Although the content of the Check and Review Sheets prepared by each faculty andgraduate school are examined by the Check and Review Implementation Committee,
feedback for their improvement is insufficient. Therefore, corrective measures arerequired to support improvements based on the results of each faculty and graduate
school’s check and review, thereby allowing internal quality assurance to function.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The Graduate School of Letters’ Japanese Program and Sociological Community
Studies Program do not indicate their basic approach to curriculum implementationin their curriculum design and implementation policies, a situation that requires
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improvement.
 The maximum number of credits that students can register for in a year is 50 credits
per year in the Faculty of Letters’ Department of Comparative Study of Cultures. In
all other faculties and departments, this limit is 56 credits in the first year and 64
credits in the second and subsequent years. These high upper limits mean that aconsiderable number of students actually register for a large number of credits. Other
than setting a limit on the number of registrable credits, no other satisfactorymeasures have been taken to give substance to credits. Therefore, the University
should improve the situation in view of the purpose of the credit system.
 The Faculty of Letters, the Faculty of Liberal Arts, and the Graduate School of Lettersshould make improvements such that the methods and indicators for measuring
learning outcomes stated in the degree award policy are appropriately specified.
Student Enrollment
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in the Master’s Course
in Literature Studies is low at 0.30. Therefore, the University should make
improvements to ensure that quota management for the graduate school is properlyimplemented.
Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The Master’s Course in Literature Studies has not set forth research supervision
methods and schedules in the form of a research supervision plan. These should beestablished and clearly presented to students in advance.

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