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

Atomi University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2015
Accreditation Status: Accredited（Accreditation Period: April.01.2016 – March.31.2023）

2

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Atomi University
Overview
Atomi University (hereafter, the University) succeeded the Atomi School that opened in
Nakasarugaku-cho, Kanda, Tokyo in 1875. Its educational philosophy was inherited from
Atomi Girls’ School and later from Atomi University, which was established in Niiza-shi,Saitama, in 1965 as a single faculty university with the Faculty of Letters. The University
has put its principle of education “Tradition and Renovation,” into practice and currently
has two faculties and two graduate schools after the addition and reorganization of new
faculties, departments and graduate schools that sought to develop education and research
activities. In addition, a third faculty, the Faculty of Tourism and Community Studies wasestablished in 2015.
After its accreditation review by Japan University Accreditation Association(JUAA) in 2008, the University has strived to establish systems to check course syllabi,
gain external funds for research, require the thesis for graduation, enhance professional
education, and expand books and reference resources in the Faculty of Management. Inaddition, the University has worked to develop and maintain a self-study sheet for facultythat quantifies their educational achievements, research achievements, and otherachievements on campus with the goal of improving the quality of faculty through theinitiative of the Self-Study Committee.
Following the University’s educational philosophy to cultivate self-disciplined
and independent women with practical knowledge, all second-year students are required
to take internships. This effort highlights practical education and is useful to students inplanning their careers while also developing consistent relationships with the companies
that accept students. The University is also unique in its efforts to support careerdevelopment by including a working career in one’s entire life plan and developing a way
for seniors to advise other students.
The University needs to address several issues, including appropriately
managing enrollment in some of the faculties and graduate schools, setting criteria for
examining degree-seeking theses, and developing sufficient functioning of the library on
the Bunkyo campus. The University is expected to take measures to deal with these issues
through implementing proper self-study and evaluation, developing a system to carry out
improvements, enhancing the graduate school education, and improving the education
and research environment of the two campuses.
Notable Strengths
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome

It is commendable that the University carries out practical education under theeducational concept of “development of practical knowledge” to help students plan
their careers. For example, in the Faculty of Management, all the second-year
students are required to take an internship in the practical seminar. The internshipprogram has grown large enough to be managed by the entire university andcontinuously develops steady relations with the companies that accept students. Thiseffort has helped students stimulate motivation for learning, learn communication
skills, and consider options for their working careers.

Student SupportIt is commendable that the University, as part of its efforts to support students’job-searching experience, has introduced a system called “Job-Hunting Supporters at3Atomi,” whereby seniors provide juniors with one-on-one advice on how to look forjobs. This effort has succeeded in producing a new community of students acrossgrade levels, departments, and faculties, leading to an effective impetus for students’career development and to assistance in securing targeted employment.
Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome
None of the master’s programs in the graduate school clarify the criteria for
examining degree-seeking theses have not been clearly stated for student. The
criteria should be clarified in the student handbook and made public.

Enrollment
In the last five years, the average of the ratios of enrolled freshman to the freshman
admission cap and the ratio of enrolled students to the student enrollment cap washigh at 1.29 and 1.26 in the Department of Contemporary Culture and Representationin the Faculty of Letters, but the ratio of enrolled students to the student enrollment
cap in the Graduate School of Management was low at 0.20. These numbers shouldbe improved.

Education and Research Environment
The Myogadani Library does not employ any full-time librarian or the other staff
members with specialized knowledge. This should be improved.

Internal Quality Assurance
The Atomi University Regulation on Self-Study stipulates that self-study should beconducted annually across the entire university. However, the only effort that has
been made has consisted of gathering information through the faculty self-study
sheets to produce the Self-Study Committee report for the entire University, which is
not a legitimate form of self-study. The University produced the Self-Study
Committee report for the entire University in 2011, yet it has not created a process ofimprovement that reflects the result of the self-study. This should to be improved.