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

OSAKA GAKUIN UNIVERSITY

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Osaka, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2017
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2018 – March.31.2025）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Osaka Gakuin University
Overview
Osaka Gakuin University (hereafter, the University) began as Kansai Accounting
Institute in 1940 and was established as a single faculty university with the Faculty ofCommerce in Suita City, Osaka in 1963. It has since added several faculties andgraduate schools and is currently organized into seven faculties (Faculty of Commerce(including distance learning), Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty ofEconomics, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Faculty of International
Studies and Faculty of Informatics) and five graduate schools (Graduate School ofCommerce, Graduate School of Economics, Graduate School of Law, Graduate Schoolof International Studies and Graduate School of Computer Science).
As the results of its accreditation review by Japan University Accreditation
Association (JUAA) in 2010 were deferred, the University was reviewed again in 2013and granted accreditation because it showed improvement from the previous review
mentioned above. The University has built a system for periodic self-study led by theSelf-study Basic Vision Committee and for continuous educational improvement led
by the Dean’s Meeting under the University Council. It has also been striving toestablish a system for educational quality assurance by developing university-wide
educational systems and supporting improvement in educational activities under theEducational Development and Teaching Center.
It is unique in its efforts to increase the number of outgoing international
exchange students by focusing on English language education, mainly in the Faculty ofForeign Languages and Faculty of International Studies, and collaborate with andcontribute to society with the Regional Collaboration Office and other facilities as aplatform. It is expected that these efforts will bear fruit in the future.
On the other hand, issues have continuously been found in the University’s
student enrollment and financial affairs. These need to be improved radically.
As far as student enrollment is concerned, the University has overhauled its
entrance examination system and advertising activities to fulfill enrollment quota
across the board. It has also also reduced or changed the enrollment quota forundergraduate programs, and there are positive signs of improvement. However, thenumber of students who enroll through recommendation examination and AO

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examination occupy a large proportion in the whole university and this leads todrop-out issue. Drop-out rates in the first and second year are particularly high, and theUniversity has been collecting and analyzing information and developing improvement
plans led by Educational Development and Teaching Center based on the results of theprevious review. However, outcomes remain inadequate. To address this problem, theUniversity should take systematic action such as providing thorough learning supportand reviewing how students are selected.
In the case of financial affairs, although the University has tried to reducelabor cost and expenses based on the suggestions made in the previous review andre-review, it has not yet been able to build a financial base sufficient to conduct
education and research because student enrollment is low and drop-out rates are high.
The University needs to build a financial base by securing steady income from tuitionand other student fees along with radically reviewing its financial plan so that incomes
exceed expenditures and considering measures to reduce expenses.
To address these issues, it is important that the University links the periodic
self-study system to a mechanism for constant educational improvements and activatesan internal quality assurance system led by the University Association. The University
should increase the effectiveness of its internal quality assurance system andimplement improvements and reforms with all faculty members and staff working as aunit.
Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome

The University has not formulated the examination criteria for special assignmentsin the Master’s Courses in the Graduate School of Commerce, Graduate School of
Economics, Graduate School of Law and Graduate School of International Studies.
This issue should be addressed.

Enrollment
The University has not formulated ideal student profiles for each major in its
admission policy of the Graduate School of Commerce, Graduate School of
Economics, Graduate School of Law and Graduate School of International Studies.

4This issue should be addressed.
The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in 2017 were low at
0.87 and 0.88 in the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business
Administration and the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics
respectively. This should be rectified.

The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in Master’s courses
were low at 0.40 in the Graduate School of Commerce, 0.32 in the Graduate
School of Economics, 0.40 in the Graduate School of International Studies and0.05 in the Graduate School of Computer Science. This should be improved.
Moreover, the same ratios for the Doctoral Courses were also low at 0.02 in theGraduate School of Commerce and 0.02 in the Graduate School of Economics,
while there are no students in the Graduate School of Law and the Graduate
School of International. This issue should be addressed.

As many students dropout due to a decline in the desire to learn, the University
should further verify the enrollment of students, including a radical review of how
students are selected, and connect the outcomes to improvement.

Student Support
Although the University has been seriously addressing this issue by collecting andanalyzing information and developing improvement plans led by the EducationalDevelopment and Teaching Center, the number of students who have less than 10credits at the end of the first semester in the first year remains large and results in ahigh drop-out rate due to decline in interest to learn. This indicates that theUniversity has not been able to take sufficient measures to control drop-outs. Thisissue should be addressed systematically to ensure radical solutions.

Area of Serious Concern
Enrollment
In 2017, the average of ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment

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cap and student enrollment to the student enrollment cap over the last five years
were low at 0.67 and 0.70 respectively in the Department of Commerce of theFaculty of Commerce. This should be rectified.
Administration and FinanceDue to a reduction in income from tuition and other student fees, the ratio of theExcess Expenditure Carried forward to the Next Year to Operational Revenue(imputed income)is remarkably high, and the ratio of the financial assets to therequired reserve fund is extremely low, indicating that the University is unable toestablish the necessary financial base. The University needs to build a financialbase by securing steady income from tuition and other student fees, along withradically reviewing its financial plan so that incomes exceed expenditures, andconsidering measures to reduce expenses.