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

International Budo University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Chiba, Japan

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

International Budo University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor International Budo University
Overview
International Budo University sets forth the educational principles of “respecting thevalue of traditional martial arts, promoting the concept of peace throughout theworld, and building world peace by deepening international friendship andgoodwill.” The University also defines its purpose as “developing leaders both insideand outside Japan specializing in Japanese martial arts; teaching and researching
martial arts and sports science; cultivating international-minded, highly educatedindividuals with specialized knowledge and skills; and developing human resources
who can play a leadership role in contributing to local and internationalcommunities.” To realize its foundational philosophy and purpose, the University has
formulated the International Budo University Medium-term Plan (AY2021-AY2025)
that specifies the future direction of its research, education, and social contribution
through martial arts and sports, and strives to enhance its educational and research
activities with a focus on teaching and learning management.
Regarding the University’s internal quality assurance, the faculty, graduate
school, and divisions work to achieve their goals based on activity plans issued by
the president at the beginning of each academic year. Self-study on theappropriateness and achievement of their activities is conducted, with the findings
compiled in the Divisional Self-Study Report before being reported to the University
Self-Study Subcommittee. The subcommittee inspects and assesses the report from auniversity-wide perspective, while the Internal Quality Assurance Review
Committee issues instructions for improvement. The University not only instructs thefaculty, graduate school, and divisions to compile their self-study findings in a report,
but also interviews them on their future plans to facilitate communication on campus.
This process indicates that the university-wide PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle isfunctioning effectively. The University is expected to further clarify the roles andauthority of the committees and other organizations, with more groups established asneeded.
As for the University’s education, curricula are appropriately designed
based on the diploma and curriculum policies, with various approaches adopted toallow students to take subjects in a systematic and sequential way. These efforts
include creating curriculum maps illustrating the connection between the entire1International Budo University

curriculum structure and subjects, and numbering subjects according to the lesson
contents and levels. In addition, a fixed-course system was introduced in AY2013 tosystematically monitor students’ acquired expertise, and the curricula offer a certain
degree of flexibility, such as course change that allows students to “choose as theylearn.” Moreover, a radar chart is used to visualize students’ subject grades and credit
status, and a university-wide communication app has been introduced to help
teachers and students interact with each other in real-time remote lectures during thecoronavirus pandemic.
Among the University’s outstanding initiatives is the creation of areconditioning room with student trainers from the University’s sports clubs offering
student athletes such support as injury prevention and recovery. It is notable that thislongstanding student-to-student service provides not only care for athletes but also
training opportunities for trainers. In addition, under the comprehensive partnershipagreement signed with Katsuura City in Chiba Prefecture, the University offers
classes for junior high schools on mental, physical, and health conditioning forathletic competitions, and dispatches instructors for CPR (cardiopulmonaryresuscitation), AED (automated external defibrillator), and other first-aid
emergencies to the city. It is commendable that the University’s efforts arecontributing to regional revitalization; also highly commendable is the dispatch ofspecially appointed associate professors to overseas universities to promoteinternational martial arts, sports, and physical education.
There are several issues the University needs to address, however. First,
the undergraduate program is working to visualize student learning outcomes, but thegraduate school has failed to monitor the learning outcomes stated in its diploma
policy. This issue should be addressed. Next, the faculty and graduate school continue
to fall short of fulfilling their student quotas, and the distribution of students admitted
is skewed depending on the type of entrance examination. This situation should becorrected with the University’s student quotas appropriately managed.
In the coming years, the University is expected to resolve these issues
through internal quality assurance efforts, and to make further progress by advancing
its various distinctive initiatives as a university pursuing and promoting Japan’straditional martial arts and sports on a global scale.
Notable Strengths
Student Support2

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The Budo and Sports Research Institute has created a reconditioning room
integrated with a health management room, medical office, and rehabilitationfacility, where faculty members and nurses qualified as orthopedic therapists,
athletic trainers, physical therapists, and strength and conditioning coaches offer
student athletes comprehensive support from injury treatment to full recovery.
The reconditioning room also provides students aspiring to become sports
trainers with the practical experience of assisting athletes. It is commendable that
the University takes advantage of its distinctive features and its affiliatedinstitute’s research outcomes to support extracurricular activities.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
The University has signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with Katsuura
City, where its campus is located, to help promote sports in the community. Forexample, the University organizes physical fitness programs, such as theKatsuura Energetic Physical Fitness Class and Physical Fitness Measurement forAdults, provides junior high schools with classes on mental, physical, and healthconditioning for athletic competitions, and dispatches instructors for CPR, AED,and other first-aid emergencies to the city. The University also engages incommunity outreach activities linked not only to martial arts, sports, and physicaleducation but to citizen safety and wellbeing through such activities as crime
prevention patrols. It is commendable that the University and its students are
involved in activities aimed at resolving issues in the local community, and are
expected to continue to produce positive outcomes in the future.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes

The Graduate School of Budo and Sport inadequately monitors the student
learning outcomes stated in its diploma policy. This issue should be addressedwith indicators adopted to monitor and evaluate the learning outcomes in a
multifaceted way.

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Student Enrollment
The Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Physical Education, has a low
ratio of 0.88 in student enrollment to the student enrollment cap. This ratio shouldbe improved with the faculty’s student quotas thoroughly managed.

The master’s degree program in the Graduate School of Budo and Sport has alow ratio of 0.35 in student enrollment to the student enrollment cap. This ratio
should be improved with the graduate school’s student quotas thoroughlymanaged.

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