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

Himeji University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Hyogo, Japan

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

Himeji University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Himeji University
Overview
Himeji University conducts education and research in accordance with its founding
principle of “developing ‘people who are loved, trusted, and respected’ and providing
comprehensive education and research into the theory and application of specialized
learning that aligns with the Fundamental Law of Education”. The University’s parentorganization, Koutoku Gakuen, established a mid- and long-term plan (2020 - 2025) withthe goal of working towards “developing students through practical education,” “highquality research that gives back to society,” “education resources that contribute to theregion, businesses, and the world,” and “providing an environment that promotes
education and research.”
In order to strengthen cooperation between divisions and promote initiatives
throughout the organization, the University revised the previous internal qualityassurance system and created the Education Reform and Internal Quality AssuranceCommittee as a new body to promote internal quality assurance. This committee createda system that spurs improvements by working with the Check and Review Committee
and the University Committee to support the PDCA cycles in undergraduate and graduate
divisions, etc. However, the position of various divisions inside internal quality assurance
as well as regulations on their roles, rights, and responsibilities are not clearly definedand items indicated in the previous University Accreditation have still not been
sufficiently addressed. The processes to review, improve, and refine the appropriatenessof education and other activities have not been sufficiently defined and management oflearning and teaching does not function sufficiently. Both of these must be improved.
Undergraduate divisions promote independent learning among students anddeliberately incorporate active learning using small-group practice, clinical practice, andsimulation materials. Graduate divisions maintain an environment conducive to student
learning and utilize a multiple advisory system of faculty advisors and secondary advisors
in both master’s and doctoral programs. The University also actively gives backs to theregion and society by way of education and research activities, such as initiatives that
support regional health through the newly established The Center for Practice andResearch on Health and Education, taking part in collaborative government-academia
urban planning, and a variety of lecture series based on its Comprehensive Partnership
Agreement with Himeji City. All of these initiatives are focal points of the University’s1Himeji University

social contribution activities and additional initiatives are expected to be implemented inthe future.
Multiple subjects, however, require improvements to their curricula and learning
outcomes and issues exist in implementing faculty development (hereafter “FD”) for
faculty, student quota management, and financial affairs.
Moving forward, the University should create a system for clarifying the roles
and relationships of organizations in internal quality assurance and resolve these issues
by making PDCA processes function appropriately to ensure quality in education andresearch activities.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance The Check and Review Committee made improvements to the issues indicated in theprevious University Accreditation, but some items were not addressed sufficiently
and initiatives under the 2019 internal quality assurance system centered on theEducation Reform and Internal Quality Assurance Committee have not led toimprovements. As the organizational system for improvements is not functioning asintended, improvements are required to make the internal quality assurance system
function under the Committee.
Educational Program and Learning OutcomesThe School of Nursing, the Faculty of Education Schooling Course, the Faculty of
Education Correspondence Course, and the Graduate school of Nursing Science
Master's Program do not definitively indicate the knowledge, skills, abilities, andother learning outcome students need to attain in order to receive the relevant degreein their degree award policies.

The School of Nursing, the Faculty of Education Schooling Course, the Faculty ofEducation Correspondence Course, and the Graduate school of Nursing Science
Master's Program and Doctoral Program do not present the basic ideas on curriculum
implementation in their curriculum design and implementation policies and thisshould be improved.

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Himeji University

The Faculty of Education allows students to register for 56 credits in one year, which
is high. Credits for practical training, however, are not included in this credit cap, sostudents are allowed to register for substantially more credits than listed inregulations. For this reason, many students actually register for credits well beyond
the limit and although students have access to course registration models for eachyear that correspond with the qualifications and licenses they wish to obtain,
measures to assess the value of credits are insufficient and improvements should bemade to clarify the credit system.

The Graduate School of Nursing has established standards for reviewing theses inboth Master's Program and Doctoral Program, but the details of each are roughly
identical and this should be improved.

While the undergraduate and graduate divisions (including distance learning) work
to understand learning outcomes, measurement processes and benchmarks forstudent learning outcomes have not been established in degree award policies.
Moving forward, the University must clarify the knowledge, skills, attitudes, etc.
students need to attain in each degree award policy, construct measurement processes
and benchmarks, and then multilaterally and appropriately apply them.

Student Enrollment
 With regard to the prescribed number (10) students in the Faculty of Education
Schooling Course, the number of transfer students in the last 5 years has fluctuatedbetween zero and three and the transfer student ratio over the past 5 years is low at
0.12. Even though this issue was indicated in the previous University Accreditation,
specific countermeasures toward improvement have not been taken andimprovements must be made for rigorous quota management.
Faculty and Faculty Organization
For FD implementation, the School of Nursing invites outside lecturers and theFaculty of Education has each faculty member present on the details andachievements of education and research and also holds discussions based on thosepresentations in the Education & Research Committee. While both divisions are
significantly involved in developing faculty research skills, improvements are needed3Himeji University

to appropriately implement FD that leads to enhancing the educational abilities offaculty and developing and improving curricula and pedagogy.
Recommendations
Student Enrollment
 In the last five years, the average ratio of freshman enrollment to the freshmanenrollment cap and the ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in
the School of Nursing Department of Growth and Care have been low at 0.61 and0.60, respectively, and the ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap
for undergraduate programs has been low at 0.84. The University should significantly
improve faculty quota management.
University Management and Finance

Since 2015, the ratio of the financial assets to the required reserve fund has fallen
drastically while the rate of carried over expenditures for next year to imputed income
has gradually grown, putting the continuity of education and research at risk. The
University must immediately formulate an appropriate mid- and long-term fiscal plan
based on the Management Improvement Committee’s Grand Design and takeconsistent actions towards establishing a secure financial base.

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